The Matrix (1999)
87%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
4 wins & 33 nominations total
Thanks to the Wachowskis’ imaginative vision, The Matrix is a smartly crafted combination of spectacular action and groundbreaking special effects
The Matrix is like a wild ride on a rollercoaster, but instead of loops and drops, you get mind-bending concepts and epic fight scenes. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are the ultimate duo, kicking butt and taking names in their iconic roles. Sure, some of the special effects may be a bit outdated now, but that doesn’t take away from the sheer awesomeness of this movie. Plus, who doesn’t love a good dose of hyperreality and philosophy mixed in with their action? The Matrix is a classic for a reason, and it’s definitely worth a rewatch (or ten).
Production Company(ies)
Jolly Film Constantin Film Ocean Films,
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Berlin, Germany
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence and some language
Year of Release
1999
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Atmos Dolby Surround 7.1
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 16m
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Language(s):English, French, Spanish, Japanese
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 31, 1999 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 15, 2007
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, Gloria Foster, directed by Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, written by Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, action, sci-fi, box office, budget, reviewed by Bill Stamets, Peter Bradshaw, Adam Kempenaar, David Hunter, Keith Simanton, David Denby, Danilo Castro, Brian Phillips, David Nusair, David Hogan, George Fenwick, R-rated, Joel Silver, Warner Bros Pictures, Dolby SR, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, DTS, Dolby Digital, Scope (2.35:1), Morpheus, Trinity, Agent Smith, Cypher, Mr Reagan, Oracle, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, destiny, martial arts, bullet-time, groundbreaking special effects, hyperreality, Christ, Marx, Lewis Carroll, L Frank Baum
Worldwide gross: $156,575,035
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $170,292,060
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 783
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 18,570,563
US/Canada gross: $37,686,805
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $40,988,422
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,156
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,749,011
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $11,690,697
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 908
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Laurence Fishburne – Morpheus
Carrie-Anne Moss – Trinity
Hugo Weaving – Agent Smith
Joe Pantoliano – Cypher, Mr. Reagan
Gloria Foster – Oracle
Director(s)
Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Writer(s)
Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Producer(s)
Joel Silver
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
4 wins & 33 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Editing Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Sound Editing Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Sound Mixing Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Visual Effects Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (160) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (141) | Rotten (19)
The Matrix does a good job of repackaging Baudrillard’s critique of hyperreality, as well as riffing on Christ, Marx, Lewis Carroll, and L. Frank Baum.
June 16, 2022
Bill Stamets
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The Matrix still stands up as a fiercely exciting and discombobulating futurist drama, which pioneered breathtaking “bullet-time” action sequences inspired by Asian martial arts.
July 13, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Neo offers Reeves the perfect combination of Ted Theodore Logan’s curiosity and wonder, Johnny Utah’s earnestness and the badassedness of Jack Traven.
February 23, 2019 | Rating: 4.5/5
Adam Kempenaar
Filmspotting
TOP CRITIC
A technologically stunning movie that furthers the genre and features crowd-pleasing performances to go with the frequent scenes of gunplay and violence.
October 3, 2015
David Hunter
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
Extremely violent, extremely preposterous, extremely entertaining, The Matrix succeeds at two extremely difficult tasks: as a vast, exciting virtual-reality movie and as a defibrillator for Keanu Reeves’ big screen career.
October 21, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4
Keith Simanton
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
The movie is nonsense, but it does achieve a brazenly chic high style — black-on-black, airborne, spasmodic.
October 21, 2013
David Denby
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
A cinematic landscape without The Matrix would be as barren as the scorched earth above Zion.
May 17, 2022 | Rating: 10/10
Danilo Castro
Next Best Picture
The Wachowski sisters tackle the most gigantic questions known to humanity-reality, identity, knowledge, causality, memory-with a spirit of play.
December 31, 2021
Brian Phillips
The Ringer
…generally as intellectually rewarding as it is viscerally captivating.
December 29, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
While certain aspects have now lost their shine, either due to outdated CG or just being parodied so damn much, they can’t take away from the original’s pull, even in 2021.
December 8, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
David Hogan
hoganreviews.co.uk
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are brilliant in their iconic roles.
November 5, 2021
George Fenwick
Stuff.co.nz
Overall, for a complicated scenario, things are pretty tight story wise and the film noir feel adds to the aesthetics.
February 16, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
James Croot
Stuff.co.nz…
Plot
Return to a world of two realities: one, everyday life; the other, what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for The Matrix.
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