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In addition, the similarity of the film's central concept to a device in the long-running series ''[[Doctor Who]]'' has also been noted. As in the film, the [[Matrix (Doctor Who)|Matrix]] of that series (introduced in the 1976 serial ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'') is a massive computer system which one enters using a device connecting to the head, allowing users to see representations of the real world and change its laws of physics; but if killed there, they will die in reality.<ref>Condon, Paul. ''The Matrix Unlocked''. 2003. Contender. pp.141–3. ISBN 1-84357-093-9</ref>
In addition, the similarity of the film's central concept to a device in the long-running series ''[[Doctor Who]]'' has also been noted. As in the film, the [[Matrix (Doctor Who)|Matrix]] of that series (introduced in the 1976 serial ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'') is a massive computer system which one enters using a device connecting to the head, allowing users to see representations of the real world and change its laws of physics; but if killed there, they will die in reality.<ref>Condon, Paul. ''The Matrix Unlocked''. 2003. Contender. pp.141–3. ISBN 1-84357-093-9</ref>


In 2003 [[Gothamist|Gothamist.com]] has suggested that "''the Matrix'' films could be read with a whole new subtext with the news of the [female] dominatrix [companion seen with Larry at film premieres]":<ref>{{cite web | url=http://gothamist.com/2003/06/05/sex_change_for_larry_wachowski.php | title=Sex Change for Larry Wachowski? | publisher=''gothamist.com'' | date=2003-06-05 | accessdate=2012-08-19}}</ref> ''Temet Nosce''.
In 2003 [[Gothamist|Gothamist.com]] has suggested that "''the Matrix'' films could be read with a whole new subtext with the news of the [female] dominatrix [companion seen with Lana at film premieres]":<ref>{{cite web | url=http://gothamist.com/2003/06/05/sex_change_for_larry_wachowski.php | title=Sex Change for Larry Wachowski? | publisher=''gothamist.com'' | date=2003-06-05 | accessdate=2012-08-19}}</ref> ''Temet Nosce''.


==Release==
==Release==

Revision as of 19:24, 24 October 2012

This article is about the 1999 film. For the franchise it initiated, see The Matrix (franchise). For other uses, see The Matrix (disambiguation).

The Matrix
Theatrical release poster featuring four main characters
Directed by
Written by
  • Andy Wachowski
  • Larry Wachowski
Produced byJoel Silver
Starring
CinematographyBill Pope
Edited byZach Staenberg
Music byDon Davis
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • March 31, 1999 (1999-03-31)
Running time
136 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$63 million
Box office$463,517,383[1]

The Matrix is a 1999 American science fiction action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski. The film stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving, and was first released in the United States on March 31, 1999. The success of the film led to the release of two feature film sequels, and the Matrix franchise was further expanded through the production of comic books, video games, and animated short films.

The film depicts a future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality or cyberspace created by sentient machines to pacify and subdue the human population, while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Upon learning this, computer programmer "Neo" is drawn into a rebellion against the machines, involving other people who have been freed from the "dream world" and into reality.

The film contains many references to the cyberpunk and hacker subcultures; philosophical and religious ideas such as René Descartes' evil genius, the Allegory of the Cave, Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation, the brain-in-a-vat thought experiment; and homages to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Metropolis,[2] Hong Kong action cinema, spaghetti westerns, dystopian fiction, M. C. Escher's work,[2] and Japanese animation.

Plot

Computer programmer Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is secretly a hacker known as "Neo". He is restless, eager and driven to learn the meaning of cryptic references to the "Matrix" appearing on his computer. A female hacker named Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) confirms that a man named Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) can help him; however, three Agents, led by Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), arrest Neo and attempt to prevent him from collaborating with Morpheus. Undeterred, Neo meets with Morpheus and agrees to follow him by swallowing an offered red pill. Neo abruptly awakens in a liquid-filled vessel, connected along with millions of other people to an elaborate electrical structure. He is rescued by Morpheus and brought aboard a levitating ship called the Nebuchadnezzar.

Morpheus tells Neo that humans are fighting against intelligent machines that were created early in the 21st century and have since taken control of the Earth's surface. The machines harvest the bioelectrical energy of humans, who are kept docile within the "Matrix" – a simulation of the world as it was in 1999. Neo has lived in this simulated world since birth; in reality, the year is closer to 2199. Morpheus and his crew belong to a group of free humans who "unplug" others from the Matrix and recruit them to their rebellion against the Machines. They are able to connect themselves to the Matrix and enter the simulated reality, where they can gain superhuman abilities by using their understanding of its true nature to manipulate its physical laws. Neo undergoes combat training to become a member of the rebellion. He is warned that fatal injuries within the Matrix will also kill one's physical body, and that the Agents he previously met are powerful sentient computer programs that eliminate human threats to the system. Morpheus believes that Neo is "the One", a man prophesied to end the war.

The group enters the Matrix to visit the Oracle (Gloria Foster), who predicted the emergence of the One. The Oracle implies that Neo is not the One, but warns that Neo must soon choose between his life and that of Morpheus.

As the group prepares to exit the Matrix, they are ambushed by Agents and tactical police, leading to the death of crew member Mouse (Matt Doran). Morpheus allows himself to be captured to let Neo and the crew escape. As the rest of the crew heads to another telephone to leave the Matrix, they learn that their fellow crew member Cypher (Joe Pantoliano) has betrayed them. Disillusioned with the real world, Cypher had earlier made a deal with the Agents for a permanent return to the comfortable life of the Matrix, in exchange for handing over Morpheus to the Agents. Aboard the Nebuchadnezzar, Cypher murders crew members Switch, Apoc and Dozer before he is killed by Dozer's younger brother Tank (Marcus Chong).

In the Matrix, the Agents drug and interrogate Morpheus in an attempt to learn his access codes to the mainframe computer in Zion, the humans' subterranean refuge in the real world. Neo and Trinity return to the Matrix and rescue Morpheus; in the process, Neo becomes more confident in his ability to manipulate the Matrix, and is ultimately able to dodge bullets fired at him.

Morpheus and Trinity use a telephone to exit the Matrix, but Neo is ambushed by Agent Smith before he can leave. He stands his ground and defeats Smith, but is forced to flee when the Agent comes back in another body. In the real world, "sentinel" machines converge on the Nebuchadnezzar. In the Matrix, just before reaching another exit, Neo is shot and killed by Agent Smith. Trinity, who is standing over Neo's body in the real world, whispers that the Oracle told her she would fall in love with the One. She kisses Neo and restores his life. In the Matrix, Neo revives with new power to perceive and control the simulated world, and effortlessly destroys Agent Smith, before returning to the real world in time for the ship's EMP weapon to destroy the attacking sentinels.

The film ends with Neo back in the Matrix, making a telephone call promising that he will demonstrate to the people imprisoned in the Matrix that "anything is possible." He hangs up the phone and flies into the sky.

Cast

  • Keanu Reeves as Thomas A. Anderson/Neo: A computer programmer in Metacortex corporation who moonlights as a hacker. Recruited by Morpheus to fight the machines. Will Smith turned down the role of Neo to make Wild Wild West, because of skepticism over the film's ambitious bullet time special effects.[3] He later stated he was "not mature enough as an actor" at that time,[3] and that if given the role, he "would have messed it up".[4][5] Nicolas Cage also turned down the role because of "family obligations".[6]
  • Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus: A human freed from the Matrix, captain of the Nebuchadnezzar. He finds Neo and helps him learn the truth. (Despite widespread rumors, Sean Connery was not offered the role of Morpheus; he was offered the role of The Architect in the sequels.[7])
  • Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity: Freed by Morpheus, crewmember of the Nebuchadnezzar, Neo is her romantic interest.
  • Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith: A sentient "Agent" program of the Matrix whose purpose is to destroy Zion and stop humans from getting out of the Matrix. Unlike other agents, he has ambitions to free himself from his duties.
  • Joe Pantoliano as Cypher: Another human freed by Morpheus, who regrets taking the red pill. Cypher betrays Morpheus to the Agents to ensure his return to the Matrix where he can be someone famous and live a life of luxury.
  • Julian Arahanga as Apoc: A freed human and crew member on the Nebuchadnezzar.
  • Anthony Ray Parker as Dozer: A "natural" human born outside of the Matrix, and pilot of the Nebuchadnezzar.
  • Marcus Chong as Tank: The "operator" of the Nebuchadnezzar, he is Dozer's brother, and like him was born outside of the Matrix.
  • Matt Doran as Mouse: A freed human and programmer on the Nebuchadnezzar.
  • Gloria Foster as the Oracle: Exiled sentient computer program who still resides in the Matrix, helping the freed humans with her foresight and wisdom.
  • Belinda McClory as Switch: A human freed by Morpheus and crew member of the Nebuchadnezzar.
  • Paul Goddard as Agent Brown: One of two sentient "Agent" programs in the Matrix who work with Agent Smith to destroy Zion and stop humans escaping the system.
  • Robert Taylor as Agent Jones: Second sentient "Agent" program working with Agent Smith.
  • Ada Nicodemou as DuJour (The White Rabbit Girl), a reference to the White Rabbit in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Production

The Matrix was a co-production of Warner Bros. and Australian Village Roadshow Pictures, and all but a few scenes were filmed at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia, and in the city itself. Recognizable landmarks were not included in order to maintain the setting of a generic American city.[8] Nevertheless, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, ANZAC Bridge, University of Technology, Sydney, AWA Tower, Martin Place and a Commonwealth Bank branch are visible in some shots, as is signage on buildings for the Sydney offices of MMI Insurance (now Allianz), AON, Citigroup, Telstra, Westpac, KPMG, Ernst & Young and IBM Corporation among others. Other clues to the filming location include left-hand traffic flow and signs featuring Australian English terminology and spellings such as "lift" and "authorised" (rather than the American English "elevator" and "authorized").

Subtle nods were included to Chicago, Illinois, the home city of the directors, through a subtly placed picture of the Chicago skyline, city maps, the destination of the subway train during the subway station fight between Neo and Agent Smith saying "Loop", and the names of streets: Wells, Lake, Franklin, Erie, State, Balbo, Wabash, Adams.

The rooftop set that Trinity uses to escape from Agent Brown early in the film was left over from the production of Dark City, which has been remarked upon due to the thematic similarities of the films.[9] According to The Art of the Matrix, at least one filmed scene and a variety of short pieces of action were omitted from the final cut, and have (to date)[when?] not been published.

The Wachowskis were keen that all involved understood the thematic background of the movie.[citation needed] For example, the book used to conceal disks early in the movie, Simulacra and Simulation, a 1981 work by the French philosopher Jean Baudrillard, was required reading for most of the principal cast and crew.

Comic book artists Geof Darrow and Steve Skroce worked on The Matrix as concept and storyboard artists respectively.

Production design

See also: Matrix digital rain

In the film, the code that comprises the Matrix itself is frequently represented as downward-flowing green characters. This code includes mirror images of half-width kana characters and Western Latin letters and numerals. Generally, the film's production design placed a bias towards its distinctive green color for scenes set within the Matrix, whereas there is an emphasis on the color blue during the scenes set in the real world. In addition, grid-patterns were incorporated into the sets for scenes inside the Matrix, intended to convey the cold, logical and artificial nature of that environment.[10]

The "digital rain" is strongly reminiscent of similar computer code in the film Ghost in the Shell, an acknowledged influence on the Matrix series (see below). The color green reflects the green tint commonly used on early monochrome computer monitors.

Visual effects

File:LobbySceneScreenshot.jpg
Part of the lobby scene

As for artistic inspiration for bullet time, I would credit Otomo Katsuhiro, who co-wrote and directed Akira, which definitely blew me away, along with director Michel Gondry. His music videos experimented with a different type of technique called view-morphing and it was just part of the beginning of uncovering the creative approaches toward using still cameras for special effects. Our technique was significantly different because we built it to move around objects that were themselves in motion, and we were also able to create slow-motion events that 'virtual cameras' could move around – rather than the static action in Gondry's music videos with limited camera moves.

— John Gaeta[11]

The film is known for popularizing the use of a visual effect known as "bullet time", which allows the viewer to explore a moment progressing in slow-motion as the camera appears to orbit around the scene at normal speed.[12]

The method used for creating these effects involved a technically expanded version of an old art photography technique known as time-slice photography, in which a large number of cameras are placed around an object and triggered nearly simultaneously.[12] Each camera is a still-picture camera, and not a motion picture camera, and it contributes just one frame to the video sequence. When the sequence of shots is viewed as in a movie, the viewer sees what are in effect two-dimensional "slices" of a three-dimensional moment. Watching such a "time slice" movie is akin to the real-life experience of walking around a statue to see how it looks from different angles. The positioning of the still cameras can be varied along any desired smooth curve to produce a smooth looking camera motion in the finished clip, and the timing of each camera's firing may be delayed slightly,[12] so that a motion scene can be executed (albeit over a very short period of real time).

Some scenes in The Matrix feature the "time-slice" effect with completely frozen characters and objects. Film interpolation techniques improved the fluidity of the apparent "camera motion". The effect was further expanded upon by the Wachowskis and the visual effects supervisor John Gaeta so as to create "bullet time", which incorporates temporal motion, so that rather than being totally frozen the scene progresses in slow and variable motion.[12] Engineers at Manex Visual Effects pioneered 3-D visualization planning methods to move beyond mechanically fixed views towards more complicated camera paths and flexibly moving interest points. There is also an improved fluidity through the use of non-linear interpolation, digital compositing, and the introduction of computer generated "virtual" scenery.

The objective of the bullet time shots in The Matrix was to creatively illustrate "mind over matter" type events as captured by a "virtual camera". However, the original technical approach was physically bound to pre-determined perspectives, and the resulting effect only suggests the capabilities of a true virtual camera.

The evolution of photogrametric and image-based computer-generated background approaches in The Matrix's bullet time shots set the stage for later innovations unveiled in the sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Virtual Cinematography (CGI-rendered characters, locations, and events) and the high-definition "Universal Capture" process completely replaced the use of still camera arrays, thus more closely realizing the "virtual camera".

Manex Visual Effects used a cluster farm running the Unix-like operating system FreeBSD to render many of the film's visual effects.[13][14]

Music

See also: The Matrix (Original Motion Picture Score) and The Matrix (Music from the Motion Picture)

The film's score was composed by Don Davis. He noted that mirrors appear frequently in the movie: reflections of the blue and red pills are seen in Morpheus's glasses; Neo's capture by Agents is viewed through the rear-view mirror of Trinity's Triumph Speed Triple motorcycle; Neo observes a broken mirror mending itself; reflections warp as a spoon is bent; the reflection of a helicopter is visible as it approaches a skyscraper. (The film also frequently references the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which has a sequel entitled Through the Looking-Glass.) Davis focused on this theme of reflections when creating his score, alternating between sections of the orchestra and attempting to incorporate contrapuntal ideas.[15]

In addition to Davis' score, The Matrix soundtrack also features music from acts such as Rammstein, Rob Dougan, Rage Against the Machine, Propellerheads, Ministry, Deftones, Monster Magnet, The Prodigy, Rob Zombie, Meat Beat Manifesto, and Marilyn Manson. Other pieces from artists such as Duke Ellington, Django Reinhardt, and Massive Attack are included in the film, but not featured on the soundtrack.

Influences

See also: The Matrix (franchise). Influences and interpretations and The Wachowskis. Personal life

The Matrix is arguably the ultimate cyberpunk artifact.

William Gibson, 2003-01-28[16]

Even if The Matrix is a hybrid and may contain much more than any genre name could describe, it belongs to the epic genre, as, in modern terms, it redefines the hero who sets out to suppress overt threats to humanity.[17][18][19] The movie makes numerous references to recent films and literature, and to historical myths, religions and philosophies. The Matrix's premise resembles the Ancient Greek aphorism "know thyself",[20] Plato's Allegory of the Cave, the Christian doctrine of the Trinity,[21] Calderón de la Barca's Life is a Dream, René Descartes's evil genius, Kant's reflections on phenomena versus the Ding an sich, Edwin Abbott Abbott's Flatland, George Gurdjieff's The Sleeping Man,[22] and the brain in a vat thought experiment.

Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation is featured in the film, and was required reading for the actors.[23] However, Baudrillard commented that The Matrix misunderstands and distorts his work.[24][25]

In Postmodern thought, interpretations of The Matrix often reference Baudrillard's philosophy to demonstrate that the movie is an allegory for contemporary experience in a heavily commercialized, media-driven society, especially of the developed countries. The influence of the matrixial theory of Bracha Ettinger articulated in a series of books and essays from the end of the 1980s onwards was brought to the public's attention through the writings of art historians such as Griselda Pollock[26][27] and film theorists such as Heinz-Peter Schwerfel.[28]

There are similarities to several works by science fiction author Philip K. Dick,[29][30][31] as well as cyberpunk works such as Neuromancer by William Gibson.[16] The film's use of the term "Matrix" is adopted from Gibson's novel.[32]

Japanese director Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell was a strong influence.[33] Producer Joel Silver has stated that the Wachowskis first described their intentions for The Matrix by showing him that anime and saying, "We wanna do that for real".[34][35] Mitsuhisa Ishikawa of Production I.G, which produced Ghost in the Shell, noted that the anime's high-quality visuals were a strong source of inspiration for the Wachowskis. He also commented, "... cyberpunk films are very difficult to describe to a third person. I'd imagine that The Matrix is the kind of film that was very difficult to draw up a written proposal for to take to film studios". He stated that since Ghost in the Shell had gained recognition in America, the Wachowskis used it as a "promotional tool".[36] Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey was another science fiction film that helped inspire the visual style of The Matrix.[37][38][39]

Reviewers have commented on similarities between The Matrix and other late-1990s films such as Strange Days, Dark City, and The Truman Show.[40][41][42] Comparisons have also been made to Grant Morrison's comic series The Invisibles; Morrison believes that the Wachowskis essentially plagiarized his work to create the film.[43][44] Comparisons have also been made between The Matrix and the books of Carlos Castaneda.[45] In addition, the similarity of the film's central concept to a device in the long-running series Doctor Who has also been noted. As in the film, the Matrix of that series (introduced in the 1976 serial The Deadly Assassin) is a massive computer system which one enters using a device connecting to the head, allowing users to see representations of the real world and change its laws of physics; but if killed there, they will die in reality.[46]

In 2003 Gothamist.com has suggested that "the Matrix films could be read with a whole new subtext with the news of the [female] dominatrix [companion seen with Lana at film premieres]":[47] Temet Nosce.

Release

The Matrix was first released on March 31, 1999. It earned $171 million in North America and over $292 million in foreign box offices, for a total of $463 million worldwide,[1] and later became the first DVD to sell more than three million copies in the US.[48] The Ultimate Matrix Collection was released on HD DVD on May 22, 2007[49] and on Blu-ray on October 14, 2008.[50]

The film was also released standalone in a 10th anniversary edition Blu-ray in the Digibook format on March 31, 2009, 10 years to the day after the movie was released theatrically.[51]

Reception

The Matrix received positive reviews from most critics,[52] and is widely regarded as one of the greatest science fiction films of all time.[53][54][55] On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a consensus forming that it presented an "ingenious" blend of Hong Kong action cinema, innovative visual effects and an imaginative vision.[56] Rotten Tomatoes reported that 87% of critics gave the film positive reviews, with an average score of 7.4/10, based upon a sample of 129 reviews.[56] At Metacritic, which assigns an average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 73 upon its DVD release, based on 35 reviews.[52]

Philip Strick commented in Sight & Sound, "if the Wachowskis claim no originality of message, they are startling innovators of method," praising the film's details and its "broadside of astonishing images".[57] Roger Ebert praised the film's visuals and premise, but disliked the third act's focus on action.[40] Similarly, Time Out praised the "entertainingly ingenious" switches between different realities, Hugo Weaving's "engagingly odd" performance, and the film's cinematography and production design, but concluded, "the promising premise is steadily wasted as the film turns into a fairly routine action pic ... yet another slice of overlong, high concept hokum."[58] Other reviewers criticised the relative humorlessness and self-indulgence of the movie.[59][60][61]

In 2001, The Matrix was placed 66th in the American Film Institute's "100 Years... 100 Thrills" list. In 2007, Entertainment Weekly called The Matrix the best science-fiction piece of media for the past 25 years.[62] The film is also ranked number 39 on Empire's "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time."[63] The Matrix was voted as the fourth best sci-fi film in the 2011 list Best in Film: The Greatest Movies of Our Time, based on a poll conducted by ABC and People.

Several science fiction creators commented on the film. Author William Gibson, a key figure in cyberpunk fiction, called the film "an innocent delight I hadn't felt in a long time," and stated, "Neo is my favourite-ever science fiction hero, absolutely."[64] Joss Whedon called the film "my number one" and praised its storytelling, structure and depth, concluding, "It works on whatever level you want to bring to it."[65] Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky commented, "I walked out of The Matrix ... and I was thinking, 'What kind of science fiction movie can people make now?' The Wachowskis basically took all the great sci-fi ideas of the 20th century and rolled them into a delicious pop culture sandwich that everyone on the planet devoured."[66] Director M. Night Shyamalan praised the Wachowskis' passion for the film, saying, "Whatever you think of The Matrix, every shot is there because of the passion they have! You can see they argued it out!"[67]

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by The Matrix franchise

The Matrix received Oscars for film editing, sound effects editing, visual effects, and sound. The filmmakers were competing against other films with established franchises, like Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, yet they managed to sweep all four of their nominations.[68][69] In 1999, it won Saturn Awards for Best Science Fiction Film and Best Direction.[70] The Matrix also received BAFTA awards for Best Sound and Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects, in addition to nominations in the cinematography, production design and editing categories.[71]

Award Category Name Outcome
72nd Academy Awards Film Editing Zach Staenberg Won
Sound Mixing John T. Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, David E. Campbell, David Lee Won
Sound Editing Dane A. Davis Won
Visual Effects John Gaeta Won

American Film Institute Lists

Legacy

The Matrix has had a strong effect on action film-making in Hollywood. It set a new standard for cinematic fight scenes[72] by hiring acclaimed choreographers (such as Yuen Woo-ping) from the Hong Kong action cinema scene, well known for its production of martial arts films. The success of The Matrix put those choreographers and their techniques in high demand by other filmmakers who wanted fights of similar sophistication: for example, wire work was employed in X-Men (2000),[72] and Yuen Woo-ping's brother Yuen Cheung-Yan was choreographer on Daredevil (2003).

Following The Matrix, films made abundant use of slow-motion, spinning cameras, and, often, the bullet time effect of a character freezing or slowing down and the camera dollying around them. The ability to slow down time enough to distinguish the motion of bullets was used as a central gameplay mechanic of several video games, including Max Payne, in which the feature was explicitly referred to as "bullet time"[73] (although the game went into production before the film was released). The Matrix's signature special effect has also been parodied numerous times, in comedy films such as Scary Movie, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Shrek and Kung Pow! Enter the Fist; in animated TV series such as The Simpsons, Fairly Oddparents and Family Guy; in the OVA series FLCL; and in video games such as Conker's Bad Fur Day, along with a more elaborate parody called Marx Reloaded, in which the central relationship between Neo and Morpheus is represented as an imaginary encounter between Karl Marx and Leon Trotsky.

Franchise

Main article: The Matrix (franchise)

The film's mainstream success led to the making of two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. These were filmed simultaneously during one shoot and released in two parts in 2003. The first film's introductory tale is succeeded by the story of the impending attack of the human enclave of Zion by a vast machine army. Neo also learns more about the history of the Matrix, his role as the One and the prophecy that he will end the war. The sequels also incorporate longer and more ambitious action scenes, as well as improvements in bullet time and other visual effects.

Also released was The Animatrix, a collection of nine animated short films, many of which were created in the same Japanese animation style that was a strong influence on the live trilogy. The Animatrix was overseen and approved by the Wachowskis who only wrote four of the segments themselves and did not direct any of them; much of the project was developed by notable figures from the world of anime. Four of the films were originally released on the series' official website; one was shown in cinemas with the Warner Bros. movie Dreamcatcher; the others first appeared with the DVD release of all nine shorts. Several of the films were shown first on UK television prior to their DVD release.

The franchise also contains three video games: Enter the Matrix (2003), which contains footage shot specifically for the game and chronicles events taking place before and during The Matrix Reloaded; The Matrix Online (2004), a MMORPG which continued the story beyond The Matrix Revolutions; and The Matrix: Path of Neo (2005), which focuses on situations based on Neo's journey through the trilogy of films.

The Matrix Comics is a series of comics and short stories set in the world of The Matrix, written and illustrated by figures from the comics industry. Most of the comics were originally presented for free on the official Matrix website;[74] they were later republished, along with some new material, in two printed trade paperback volumes.

See also

References

Notes
  1. ^ a b Box Office Mojo: The Matrix. URL retrieved June 24, 2009.
  2. ^ a b Jones, Steven Edward (2006). "Simulacra in the Matrix (p. 131)". Against Technology. From the Luddites to Neo-Luddism. CRC Press. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help) ISBN 0-415-97868-8; ISBN 978-0-41597-868-2.
  3. ^ a b Lawrence, Will (2007). "The Empire Interview: In conversation with Will Smith". Empire (212). EMAP: 109. Honestly, I didn't think they could do it, it was too ambitious. I saw Bound and I loved it. The Matrix is exactly what they pitched, but they were designing those cameras to get those freeze-frames, and I was like, "If that doesn't work, the movie looks ridiculous." I didn't feel comfortable with the level of importance placed on that effect working properly. ... That's probably the only one that I turned down that I shouldn't have, but when you see somebody do it like Keanu you think, "Thank God." I don't think I was mature enough as an actor at that point to get out of the way and just let it be and allow the directors to make the movie. I would have been trying to make jokes. Now I would have loved to take a shot and see what I would have done with it and I know now I could absolutely have been mature enough to get out the way. But back then I don't think I was. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Hillner, Jennifer. "I, Robocop". Wired. Condé Nast Publications.
  5. ^ Riggs, Ransom. "5 million-dollar mistakes by movie stars." CNN. Retrieved October 20, 2008.
  6. ^ Larry Carroll (December 7, 2007). "Will Smith Snagged 'I Am Legend' From Schwarzenegger, But Can You Imagine Nicolas Cage In 'The Matrix'?". MTV. Retrieved December 8, 2007.
  7. ^ The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: DVD Behind The Scenes Footage
  8. ^ Behind-the-scenes documentary "HBO First Look: Making the Matrix"
  9. ^ Ebert, Roger (November 6, 2005). "Great Movies: Dark City". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved December 18, 2006.
  10. ^ Costume designer Kym Barrett, production designer Owen Paterson and cinematographer Bill Pope, interviewed in The Matrix Revisited (Chapter 7).
  11. ^ "200 Things That Rocked Our World: Bullet Time". Empire (200). EMAP: 136. 2006. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  12. ^ a b c d Green, Dave (June 5, 1999). "Better than SFX". The Guardian. London. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
  13. ^ "Comment about the use of FreeBSD (5:50)". Youtube. January 23, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  14. ^ "FreeBSD Used to Generate Spectacular Special Effects". April 22, 1999. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  15. ^ Don Davis, interviewed in The Matrix Revisited (Chapter 28). A transcript of his comments may be found online: [1]
  16. ^ a b Gibson, William (January 28, 2003). "The Matrix: Fair Cop". williamgibsonbooks.com. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  17. ^ Santas, Constantine (2008). ""the Matrix (1999)" (pp. 185ff.)". The Epic in Film. From Myth to Blockbuster. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 235. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help) ISBN 0-742-55529-1; ISBN 978-0-74255-529-7.
  18. ^ Penz, François; Thomas, Maureen, eds. (2003). "3. Big Screen/Small Screen - - Cross- Fertilization between Film & Interactive Games (pp. 89ff.)". Architectures of Illusion. From Motion Picutres to Navigable Interactuve Environments. Bristol: Intellect Books. p. 192. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help) ISBN 1-841-50045-3; ISBN 978-184150-045-4.
  19. ^ Minow, Nell (2008). The Movie Mom's Guide To Family Movies (2nd ed.). Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse. p. 592. P. 277. ISBN 0-595-32095-3; ISBN 978-0-59532-095-0.
  20. ^ It appears in the Latin version Temet Nosce as inscription over the Oracle's door: see Patrick McGrath Muñiz (January 10, 2011). ""Know Thyself" The most important art lesson of all". patrickmcgrath.blogspot.com. Retrieved August 14, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ Babenko, Yelyzaveta (2011). Analysis of the film "The Matrix". Munich: GRIN Verlag. p. 41. ISBN 3-640-91402-3; ISBN 978-3-64091-402-9.
  22. ^ Oksanen, Reijjo. "Planvan N. Go Interview". The Gurdjieff Internet Guide. (Retrieved 09–03–17).
  23. ^ Post Jobs (March 14, 2007). "Remember Baudrillard". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  24. ^ "Le Nouvel Observateur with Baudrillard". Le Nouvel Observateur. Archived from the original on January 13, 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
  25. ^ "Warner Bros". Whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  26. ^ Griselda Pollock, "Does Art Think?" In: Dana Arnold and Margaret Iverson (eds.) Art and Thought. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 2003. ISBN 0-631-22715-6
  27. ^ Griselda Pollock, "Inscritions in the Feminine" In: Catherine de Zegher (eds), Inside the Visible. MIT Press, 1996
  28. ^ Heinz-Peter Schwerfel, Kino and Kunst, Koln: Dumont, 2003.
  29. ^ Rose, Frank. "The Second Coming of Philip K. Dick". Wired magazine.
  30. ^ Zenko, Darren (April 29, 2007). "Not another Philip K. Dick movie". The Toronto Star. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  31. ^ Axmaker, Sean (June 25, 2002). "Philip K. Dick's dark dreams still fodder for films". Seattle Post Intelligencer.
  32. ^ Leiren-Young, Mark (January 6, 2012). "Is William Gibson's 'Neuromancer' the Future of Movies?". The Tyee. Retrieved January 16, 2012. One of the obstacles in the selling of this movie to the industry at large is that everyone says, 'Oh, well, The Matrix did it already.' Because The Matrix – the very word 'matrix' – is taken from Neuromancer, they stole that word, I can't use it in our movie.
  33. ^ "Matrix Virtual Theatre (interview with the Wachowski Brothers)". Warner Brothers Studios, Official Website. November 6, 1999. Retrieved July 19, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  34. ^ Joel Silver, interviewed in "Scrolls to Screen: A Brief History of Anime" featurette on The Animatrix DVD.
  35. ^ Joel Silver, interviewed in "Making The Matrix" featurette on The Matrix DVD.
  36. ^ Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, interviewed in The South Bank Show, episode broadcast February 19, 2006 [2]
  37. ^ Ebert, Roger. "The Wachowskis: From "2001" to "The Godfather" to "The Matrix"". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
  38. ^ Hemon, Aleksandar. "Beyond the Matrix". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 4, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  39. ^ Kit, Borys (September 9, 2012). "Roger Ebert's Journal: Toronto #3: "Cloud Atlas" and a new silent film". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved September 15, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  40. ^ a b Ebert, Roger (March 31, 1999). "The Matrix". suntimes.com. Retrieved September 17, 2012. "The Matrix" recycles the premises of "Dark City" and "Strange Days,"...
  41. ^ "The Matrix (1999) - Film Review from FilmFour". Film4. Channel Four Television Corporation. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved September 17, 2012. The film is a perfect product of its time. It is a very modern conspiracy thriller, a film based, like The Truman Show, on the appealingly terrifying notion of a universal conspiracy - that life itself and everything that we know and take for granted are lies. It's also a film steeped in the traditionals of Japanese anime and megamixed philosophy and semiotics (spot the Baudrillard references kids).
  42. ^ Rowley, Stephen (June 18, 2003). "What Was the Matrix?". sterow.com. Retrieved January 9, 2012. The Matrix was the third in a cycle of movies to arrive in the late nineties with a strikingly similar theme. Like its predecessors from the previous year, Dark City and The Truman Show, it tells the story of a seemingly ordinary man who suddenly finds that his whole life is faked: he is trapped in an artificially created environment designed to keep him in submission. Like the heroes of those earlier movies, Keanu Reeves' Neo starts to realise that he is somehow special, and tries to escape the confines of his prison.
  43. ^ "Poor Mojo Newswire: Suicide Girls Interview with Grant Morrison". URL retrieved July 31, 2006.
  44. ^ Morrison, Grant (2011). Supergods: Our World in the Age of the Superhero. London: Random House/Jonathan Cape. p. 315. I was taken to see The Matrix ... and saw what seemed to me my own combination of ideas enacted on the screen: fetish clothes, bald heads, kung fu, and magic, witnessing the Gnostic invasion of the Hollywood mainstream.
  45. ^ "Matrix and Carlos Castaneda". Consciencia.org. December 4, 2006. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  46. ^ Condon, Paul. The Matrix Unlocked. 2003. Contender. pp.141–3. ISBN 1-84357-093-9
  47. ^ "Sex Change for Larry Wachowski?". gothamist.com. June 5, 2003. Retrieved August 19, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  48. ^ "Press release – August 1, 2000 – The Matrix DVD: The first to sell 3 million". Whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com. Burbank: Warner Bros., Inc. August 1, 2000. Archived from the original on March 5, 2008. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  49. ^ Warner Home Video (March 23, 2007). "The Matrix is Coming to HD DVD". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved March 23, 2007.
  50. ^ Warner Home Video (July 25, 2008). "'Ultimate Matrix' Blu-ray Coming in October". highdefdigest.com. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
  51. ^ "Warner Home Video sends over details on a 10th Anniversary Blu-ray release". Dvdactive.com. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  52. ^ a b "The Matrix (1999): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks, Inc. Retrieved July 11, 2008.
  53. ^ Heritage, Stuart (October 21, 2010). "The Matrix: No 13 best sci-fi and fantasy film of all time". Guardian. London.
  54. ^ "Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time – Movies Feature at IGN". Movies.ign.com. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  55. ^ "Online Film Critics Society: OFCS Top 100: Top 100 Sci-Fi Films". Ofcs.org. September 24, 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  56. ^ a b "The Matrix Movie Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  57. ^ "Sight & Sound review of The Matrix". Retrieved February 3, 2007.
  58. ^ "Time Out Film Review – The Matrix". Time Out Film Guide. Time Out. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  59. ^ "Critical review of The Matrix". Retrieved February 3, 2007.
  60. ^ "Negative review of The Matrix". Retrieved February 3, 2007.
  61. ^ "Extremely negative review of The Matrix". Retrieved May 9, 2008.
  62. ^ Jensen, Jeff (May 7, 2007). "The Sci-Fi 25". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 7, 2007.
  63. ^ "Empire Features". Empire. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  64. ^ The Art of the Matrix, p.451
  65. ^ "The 201 Greatest Movies of all Time". Empire (Issue 201). March 2006. p. 98.
  66. ^ Darren Aronofsky, quoted in the article "The Outsider", Wired. November 2006 issue (pp. 224)
  67. ^ M. Night Shyamalan, quoted in the article 'OSCAR FILMS/FIRST TIMERS; A Director With a Sense of Where He's Going' "[3]", New York Times. March 12, 2000
  68. ^ "The 72nd Academy Awards (2000) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
  69. ^ "The Wachowski Brothers". Tribute magazine. Retrieved December 31, 2006.
  70. ^ "Saturn Awards". SaturnAwards.org. Retrieved December 31, 2006.
  71. ^ "BAFTA Film Winners 1990–1999" (PDF). BAFTA.org. Retrieved December 31, 2006.
  72. ^ a b Jeff Jensen (July 21, 2000). "Generating X". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 31, 2008. There was also debate over the style of the film's fight sequences, thanks to the new standard set by The Matrix, which hit while X-Men was in preproduction. Hence, the movie features some high-flying Matrix-y martial-arts choreography by Corey Yuen (Romeo Must Die).
  73. ^ "The Game World: Bullet Time". Max Payne: Official Police Dossier (game manual). PC CD ROM version. 2001. p. 19. When pressed into a tight spot, Max can activate Bullet Time, which will slow the action around him, while allowing him to aim his weapons in real-time. This ... even allows Max to dodge oncoming bullets.
  74. ^ "Comics". whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2007. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
Bibliography
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