|
What is the Matrix? Good question. I’m still not sure. The
virtual world conceived by filmmaking brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski
out of Japanese anime and manga, Hong Kong wire work,
philosophy and cutting-edge special effects spawned three films that
made a ton of money (over $1.5 billion worldwide), an animated companion
(The Animatrix), a video game (Enter The Matrix), and untold
hours of debate about the merits of the trilogy and the very nature
of existence.
Let me go back to the beginning. I exited a preview
screening of The Matrix in late March 1999 walking on a cloud,
so pumped up was I by what I had seen. I hadn’t felt so exhilarated
since seeing Purple Rain back in 1984. But while repeat viewings
of Prince’s celebrated debut poke holes in that gauzy web of nostalgia
(the music is phenomenal and Apollonia is hot but it’s not a great
movie), each viewing of The Matrix revives those first magic
moments and I inevitably see something I missed before.
And I wasn’t alone. Rapturous word of mouth pushed
The Matrix’s box office past $171 million in the US alone.
Spoons, the woman in the red dress, The One, lots of guns: these images
and phrases became the common lexicon of a generation that spent much
of its life online. Its signature special effect – bullet-time
– was copied and parodied everywhere, from Scary Movie 2
to Shrek. And the idea of the Matrix – that our everyday
lives are just simulations constructed by the Machines – was provocative,
frightening and too close to reality for comfort. The best-selling DVD,
with its branching technology and Easter eggs, pushed the then burgeoning
format’s boundaries, and its success allowed The Wachowskis’
to fulfil their initial conception of The Matrix as a trilogy.
Then – finally – after 18 months of Australian
filming (the sequels were shot back to back) and nearly four years of
special effects work, came The Matrix Reloaded. Again I found
myself in a preview screening days before the film’s release last
May high on adrenaline and nervous with anticipation. Would it fulfil
my expectations? Would it blow my mind? Exactly how disappointed would
I be?
Really, the Wachowskis had no hope of topping The
Matrix. That film crystallized a particular moment in time when
interest in Asian filmmaking techniques, special effects and online
culture was peaking. Four years later, the plight of Neo, Trinity, Morpheus
and Zion against the Machines had taken on an importance in the lives
of fans that arguably could not be satisfied by any film.
That critical and fan reaction was muted didn’t
stop Reloaded from making US$281 million in North America alone.
Released six months later in 80 countries simultaneously to stem piracy,
The Matrix Revolutions would rake in US$139 million on this continent
alone.
So what — if anything – went wrong? Certainly
The Wachowskis surpassed any visual expectations. Reloaded’s
Burly Brawl, where Neo battles hundreds of Agent Smiths, and the highway
chase, where Trinity and Morpheus fight multiple agents in order to
help The Keymaker escape The Merovingian, were state-of-the-art computer-aided
scenes that proved that filmmakers were no longer bound by the physical
reality of where they could – or could not – place their camera.
(Is there a parallel there to Neo’s bending of the "rules"
of reality inside The Matrix? Of course. Remember, there is no spoon.)
But nothing could top the original, no matter how
good. The sequels are entertaining and well worth the time of anyone
who enjoyed The Matrix. If Reloaded and Revolutions
didn’t meet audience expectations, it was because, with The
Matrix, there were no expectations. We took the red pill along with
Neo and enjoyed the ride from the safety of our armchairs.
So what is the Matrix? After three films, is there
a definitive answer? To quote Morpheus, "No one can be told what
the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself."
Indeed.
THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss,
Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett-Smith
Number of discs: 2
Selected Special Features:
• ‘Revolutions Recalibrated’: a behind-the-scenes overview
• ‘CG Revolution’: explores the film’s extensive
computer generated special effects
• ‘Super Burly Brawl’: the final Neo/Smith showdown revealed
• ‘Follow The White Rabbit’: select the White Rabbit
icon to go further into the making of the movie
• ‘Neo Realism: The Evolution of Bullet Time’: taking
the series’ groundbreaking signature special effect to the next
level
• ‘Double Agent Smith’: a look at the work that went
into replicating Hugo Weaving, including body casts, life-like mannequins,
head casts and costumes
• ‘Before The Revolution’: a 3-D timeline of the Matrix
timeline incorporating the trilogy, The Animatrix and Enter The
Matrix
|
