10 Movie Moments That Look Like CGI But Aren't
3. The Lobby Shootout - The Matrix
The Wachowskis gave the world the science-fiction thriller The Matrix back in 1999, and it quickly blew everyone's minds. Its ambitious premise was frighteningly topical for the time, and the cheogoraphed fight scenes based on old styled martial arts movies were a breath of fresh air for the industry. It also gave the world some of the most impressive special effects, with the slow-mo 'bullet time' shots becoming legendary moments in cinema history.
One of the best sequences in the opening film comes when Neo and Trinity walk through a lobby inside the Matrix and are ambused by the local security agents. A shootout ensues, with Trinity and Neo busting out all manner of kung fu kicks and tricks, whilst seemingly the whole building is blown to pieces by a flurry of gunshots.
It's an amazing setpiece that highlights the absolute badassery of the two main characters, but an audience member would be forgiven for thinking this whole sequence was only achieved via extensive CG work.
Not true.
The entire fight sequence in the lobby was done completely using practical effects, with trained stuntmen, clever camerawork and a lot of strings on hand to create the truly jaw-dropping moments. The whole scene took over ten days to film, but was undoubtedly worth the effort.