The Matrix

This is another one of those movies I've just been waiting to see. It is #20 on IMDB's top 250 and I was thoroughly excited when I saw this was what the random number generator gave me.

wikipedia.org

The basic premise of The Matrix is that our entire reality is a construct by autonomous robots that engages us so much we perceive it as reality. All humans are actually encased in devices that allow the robots to live off of our heat and energy produced. Keanu Reeves plays the protagonist who is seen as the chosen one, a person gifted enough to lead the humans in this war against the robots. We follow his journey as he battles to find out if he actually is the chosen one, his coping with this new reality, and the crushing pressure that the future of the human race is potentially all up to him.

The Matrix reminds me of Inception in that it made me reevaluate my entire perception of reality. Just as Inception made me think this life could simply be a dream, The Matrix made me think this life is all made up by evil autonomous robots. This can be somewhat distressing at times, especially late at night when I think the divide between reality and whatever else there may be is thinnest, but I always end up truly valuing the experience. When a film can make someone think about their role in society, what the future of our society may hold, or what society does/doesn't do for them, I think it has the chance to go beyond simply a commercial success. The Matrix offers a fair warning to our future, as the technological advances could end up hurting us (hopefully not in a way that imprisons us for our entire lives). It also warns about the dangers of mindlessly going through life, as this is as good as being controlled by these robots. Overall, The Matrix makes for a great watch and some lengthy discussion afterwards.

Definitely worth your time (if you are willing to possibly question your existence afterwards).