Review of Matrix, The

Introduction

"The Matrix" was the film that sold a ton of DVD players in the run up to Christmas 1999. And it`s also the film that caused many of those to be returned early in the new year due to "incompatibilities". The disc producers blamed the hardware producers and the hardware producers blamed the disc producers. And little did we know that this sort of thing would keep happening with DVD. Although we probably could have guessed that it would!

Video

"The Matrix" was also the film that caused loads of people to return the disc to the shops because there was "something wrong with the picture". During certain scenes there`s a green tinge to the image. And it`s intentional so there`s nothing wrong with the disc, your DVD player, or your television.

The anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer on this DVD really helps to showcase some of the excellent visuals on offer in this film. This is a film that needs to dazzle you with visual tricks in order to work. And it just keeps on dazzling.

Audio

A DD5.1 soundtrack which many people will have used to show their system off to their friends. Bullets are flying everywhere (and there`s a *lot* of gunfire), explosions are happening all around you and it`s just one big wall of sound. The score also helps the movie along and the song selection is well suited to the slick visuals.

Features

Lots of extras here (mostly for DVD-ROM owners though), but it must be noted that there are less than the region 1 and region 4 versions. Due to small cuts to the film itself, the commentary track is ditched from the region 2 release. If you`re buying this film, both of these facts may be important.

The most talked about feature is probably "Follow the white rabbit". If you watch the film with this switched on you can jump to behind the scenes features on key scenes when the rabbit appears. This is a good feature that we`ve seen more and more of in recent times, and it`s the thing that caused problems for certain players.

You`ll also find some more documentaries which are worth watching and your standard filmographies.

Conclusion

So, plenty of action, lots of great stunts, top class special effects, lots of guns, martial arts, PVC, sunglasses. What more could you want ?

Well, how about a bit of a better plot, and a film which didn`t leave me with the over-riding feeling that everything was nicely set up for "The Matrix 2 : Revenge of the Killer Agents".

This is certainly an enjoyable way to spend a few hours if you disengage your brain and engulf yourself in the visual and sonic feast. But it`s not "the greatest sci-fi movie of all time" as some have described it. Definitely worth a rental though so that you can see what all the fuss is about.

If you want to own this film then region 4 is really the only way to go, as it is identical in content to the region 1 version, uncut, yet PAL like the region 2 version. And you can import it for a lot less than you`ll find it on the high street or at most region 2 retailers.