The Matrix: Films (1999-2003)

The Matrix (1999)

Dirs. Larry and Andy Wachowski

It probably has its haters (even though I've never met one), but no one could legitimately deny that part one of The Matrix trilogy was a milestone in film-making. It shattered existing technical barriers and changed forever how action movies were made. It's not its fault it spawned a barrelful of inferior, soulless clones.

It throws in a smorgasbord of references to Eastern and Western philosophy, mythology, religion and spirituality to give people that like to scratch beneath the surface something deeper to explore, but if you'd rather enjoy it simply as an action movie you can do that, too, because it finds a comfortable balance.

Anime fans will spot many references to some of Japan's most famous works; even the framing frequently mimics the genre stylings.

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Dirs. Larry and Andy Wachowski

The lofty analytical concepts got loftier and consequently the relatable human story got buried, which is ironic because it's the fate of humanity that's at stake. Also, upping the philosophical concepts necessitated some hefty exposition from some new players that greatly upsets the film's narrative flow.

Beneath the clumsy pacing and obligatory slow-motion fight scenes is Neo's story, the reluctant hero figure beset by inward and outward potentialities. The secondary characters' two-dimensionality can then be explained away as being representative of challenges and fake ideals that Neo must overcome. It's not the best way of looking at things, but it's certainly a credible one

Reloaded forms a necessary bridge between Part I and Part III and while it does eventually justify its incompleteness as far as story goes, it's problematic as a standalone film because it's essentially one half of an extended coda with an ambition that overwhelms its execution.

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Dirs. Larry and Andy Wachowski

With no proper opening Revolutions jumps directly into the story that was left hanging at the end of Reloaded. The rabbit hole doesn't go as deep as that ending pretended it did; instead, it spirals around the satisfyingly obvious conclusion and gets lost in flimsy tunnels of incredulity.

The leather outfits reach fetish proportions, making everything feel kind of ridiculous. The silliness isn't helped by the addition of some gunfights that are like a parody of the first film.

It's hard to believe that what you're watching is created by the same people as before.

The film gets further bogged down by a noisy, non-interactive video game-esque shooty siege that gave me an actual headache.

Elsewhere, Neo goes full Maud’Dib, becoming the only thing worth caring about as he advances toward an ending that I found both half-heartedly pleasing and simultaneously vexing.

The Animatrix (2003)

Dirs. Peter Chung / Andrew R. Jones / Yoshiaki Kawajiri / Takeshi Koike / Mahiro Maeda / Kôji Morimoto / Shinichirô Watanabe

An anthology of nine short tales set within the world of The Matrix (1999), four of which were written by the Wachowski brothers.

Some of the works fit snugly into chronological gaps in the original film trilogy, while others are less directly linked (but still largely relevant).

Anime fans should recognise many of the names attached. Each creator brings a unique voice and vision (sci-fi, noir, chanbara, etc), meaning it's full of diversity and if you don't like one there's another along shortly that may rub you happy.

My personal favourites are Kôji Morimoto's Beyond, which explores glitches in the Matrix, and Peter Chung's mind-bending Matriculated. I really wish there had been a Volume II.