I lovin it as always.

A must have for any Sci-Fi/Action fans collection. Ahead of it's time for concept and effects.

Kenny J

Actually every single conceptual aspect of "The Matrix" can be found in earlier sci-fi from "The Terminator" to "The Invisibles" and stuff like the "revolutionary" bullet-time effects had been used in commercials for about 5 years before popping up in "The Matrix".

The first movie YES! It's a classic that set the stage for dozens of other action movies and video games that followed. The lobby scene is the main reason I bought the collection on HD-DVD.

I loved every movie since they came out, nothing has changed for me.

The 1st one is a classic, my #5 on my top ten list of all time. The 2nd is pretty good and the 3rd is crap, hate it.

I thought it was a ridiculous geek masturbatory fantasy. At least it was better than the sequels, which had to be among the worst sci-fi movies ever made.

I watched it in theaters and enjoyed it. Then I watched it again at home and thought it was awful.

Actually, I've had this discussion before, and the effect that appeared in commercials only about 1 year before "The Matrix" wasn't bullet-time, but a predecessor to the effect, called "Deadtime".

An article about the "Deadtime" effect:
http://www.vfxhq.com/spotlight98/9806b.html

Here's a newgroup post about the GAP ad that appeared in May of 1998:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.m...aaf9719fa63525

Some other posts about the effect:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...ce35dca535d3b4
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...6cc76e3bdfb96a

In the Matrix the still cameras fired in a sequence, meaning the objects in the scene are still moving, albeit slowly. In all the previous films/commercials mentioned, the still cameras all fired at once, meaning the objects in the scene were frozen. Adding motion to the effect is what separated 'bullet time' from its predecessors.

Just out of curiousity...but does anyone remember who Neo was talking to at the end of the first film (before he flew off into the sky from the phone booth)?

...you don't watch many scifi movies, do you?

I have been watching Reloaded more and more. Originally, I thought that the highway chase really killed the momentum of the film, but now my problem with the pacing is the cave dance scene. After that, it moves along nicely.

The original = very good movie.

The sequels are best summed up as "unnecessary." That being said, Reloaded kept my interest, although I felt it was overall too self-aware and pretentious. Revolutions, though, was simply boring, contrived and contained just about every action movie cliche that the others somehow missed. The final fight with Smith was the worst action scene in the entire trilogy. Also, when that one kid said "Neo, I believe" and then shot through the wall, I just about puked myself. (Unfortunately, Reloaded can't really stand on its own, since it is attached at the hip to Revolutions.)

Still love the first Matrix. 2nd/3rd should be one movie.

The first movie holds its own as as great.

I thought he was talking to the machines.

It was okay, but it needed a ten minute "rave" sequence. Luckily, the filmmakers took this to heart and added it to the superior sequel.

I truly cannot understand all of the hate for Revolutions. It is flawed and rushed, I will not argue that point. Seeing it on TV made it lose some of its luster, I will not argue that either. But I still find it pretty damn entertaining and paced pretty well when viewed as the third act of the story. I seem to remember reading that in a three act structure the whole point of the last third is to wrap everything up and focus on action. That's exactly what this one did. I loved the whole Zion battle, as I loved the whole fight with Smith at the end. Guess I'm just a freak. Didn't care for the "I believe in you Neo!" stuff myself though.

In short, it was neither great nor brilliant, but not the suckiest bunch of suck that ever sucked either.

So Reloaded was "among the worst sci-fi movies ever made", but Wendersfan still decided to show up for #3

I'm really bothered by people who think "films" can't be spectacular action movies. Just because it's not some foreign melodramatic drama about the pain of living life in this cruel, cruel world doesn't mean it's a "ridiculous geek masturbatory fantasy". Especially one that you feel "compelled" to watch all three parts of.

My issue with Revolutions include: poor action sequences (the upsidedown gunfight was particularly poorly done, the Dragon Ball Z fight was fairly mediocre, and the 20 minute machines vs. zion sequence was a bore.), unconvincing plotline, horrible dialogue ( is amongst the most unintentionally hillarious I've seen) that seemed like it was spoofing an old war movie, and just an all out poor way to conclude what could have been a very good series.

The 1st is still probably my third favorite film of all time. The second is still in my top ten. But I like to pretend the third never happened.

For me, The Matrix is one of those films that I will always love. I remember the first time I saw it, the lobby shootout totally blew me away. Right up there with the original Star Wars trilogy, Aliens, and Blade Runner.

My wife wanted to watch it, so I watched it with her. But please, continue to pass judgment on something you know nothing about. And while you're at it, why not insult some people who have the temerity to have tastes in things that vary from yours.

Posts like this really chap my hide. They present a silly either/or situation.

Like all genre of film, there are good action movies and there are bad action movies. Most people considered the Matrix sequence to be in the latter category. They didn't hate it because it wasn't some "foreign melodramatic drama" -- they hated it because they felt it was a big letdown from the first film.