The Matrix is a science fiction movie that takes us through a mind loop with visuals by redefining the nature of reality, an astonishing cyber-adventure to find the truth. The plot involves the protagonist, Neo (Keanu Reeves), a software author during the day – a fearful hacker at night. The superhero breaks through the challenges of being in control of the “program” when it is very difficult to do so, and when other people don’t believe in his ability. He wakes one morning to his computer recruited by a cell of cyber-rebels finding an essential discovery about the world: it is not real. What we see is an illusion to lure us into lives of blind compliance to the “system.” The rebels want to set free the people who are imprisoned by the “system.” We are all willing to go to our terrible jobs, without even noticing, as Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) tells Neo, “Matrix is the wool that has been pulled over your eyes–that you are a slave.” The movie battles are set in virtual reality when the group of rebels gets plugged into the program. The rebels look identical to your standard tough guy trope that you might already know from films like Blue Brothers, and Men in Black: their head-to-toe black tuxedos, and dark black shades.

The leader of this rebellion, Morpheus, gives Neo an option to pick between the red and blue pill; in which if  Neo takes the blue pill he will go back to this ordinary reality that he has been living his whole life, if Neo takes the red pill Morpheus will show Neo ”how deep the rabbit hole goes.” The program that the rebels plug Neo into is not always guaranteed to come back into the real world because if someone dies in virtual reality that person dies in the real world as, “The body cannot operate without the brain.” One of the leaders of the group of rebels, Morpheus, tells Neo he is the “One” who can lead the rebellion which can take a lot of strength not just only physical, as the Oracle (Gloria Foster) does not see what Morpheus sees in Neo, as he attempts multiple times to control the program but he falls short.  I was astonished to see the message: we are currently living in fantasy or fiction and what we define as real isn’t real, it is all just an illusion.

I am always satisfied to see the underdog win (a classic American pull yourself up by your own bootstraps storyline)  Neo (a total newbie to the system) has total control of virtual reality when the agents are shooting at him.   Finally, in a cinematographic feat that has now, because of this film, become iconic, as he sees the bullets going towards him in slow motion, he does the iconic lean back with his arms flailing around as he is actively dodging the bullets. The superhero breaks through the challenges of being in control of the program when it is very difficult to do so, fighting a wave of agents trying to pull Neo into this fake reality. This move even has been used in other movies/tv shows: it is called bullet time. 

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The scene which impressed me the most was Neo awakening for the first time and seeing the real world. The cinematography in this scene is intriguing to view.  Neo disconnects himself from the plug leading to the back of his head while the camera pans up to down to see towers of voltages red capsules of people filled with greenish slime which there was nothing but darkness. As Neo looks around his current surroundings, he is shortly greeted by a robot, the Nebuchadnezzar, that keeps track of these capsules. The robot grabs him and puts him with the rest of the rebels. The camera then pans out to show other people in capsules sleeping so calmly not knowing they are being monitored by a robot.   

I was let down to see the ending of the movie was determined by a shoot-out between the good and bad guy who is trying to take down the good side. I have seen many movies end in this cliche way, especially when we see Neo set into the world. The movie was not bad whatsoever, however, I wanted an ending that gave this movie a proper conclusion. It is a good movie that makes you rethink everything in your daily life and just like Neo, he has been looking for the truth, and what he sees is not what he expected to say the least.