Vice recently ran an article about The Matrix that called it "dated and embarrassing." Though a number of points mentioned in the piece have some validity, for the most part the author seems to miss the point of what makes the Wachowskis' movie so great - pure and simple, The Matrix is a hell of a lot of fun. Sure, some of the technological aspects don't ring anywhere near as true as they did back in 1999 when we were all still using dial-up and wearing leather trenchcoats was deemed to be genuinely cool (though to be fair, we're not even sure that was cool back then). As a slice of unadulterated, sci-fi entertainment, it has few peers. If the plot feels a little bombastic in retrospect (what with its "chosen one" mythology), does it really matter much? In a time where Inception is constantly branded as "intelligent sci-fi," The Matrix looks positively genius. Because whereas Inception doesn't make use of its complicated narrative structure to say pretty much anything except "isn't this neat and clever?", The Matrix combines action and spectacle whilst posing questions about the nature of reality, perceptive and the advancement of technology. And taken as a blockbuster movie, it delivers in droves: the kung fu fight scenes are practically cheer-inducing. Dated? Embarrassing? Nowhere near!
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
