THE MATRIX
- Thread starter Kodiac
- Start date
spark@onestopknifeshop.com
Wise Guy
I just saw it, and it was pretty cool.
Not as much gun stuff as your typical John Woo movie, but when they showed up, they went all out.
Lots of cool visual effects, martial arts work on wires, modified still photography, and other neat stuff.
The movie is worth it just for the Kung Fu.
Spark
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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com
www.bladeforums.com
Not as much gun stuff as your typical John Woo movie, but when they showed up, they went all out.
Lots of cool visual effects, martial arts work on wires, modified still photography, and other neat stuff.
The movie is worth it just for the Kung Fu.
Spark
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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com
www.bladeforums.com
Yup, cool flick! Saw it last night m'self. Loved it, even. True, not much gunplay, but what there was was fun, as well as all the other really well done special effects. And, hey, even if Desert Eagles are a wee bit big to carry in reality, it's fun to see people carrying 'em in movies 
.
Aahzz
.Aahzz
Okay - as stated above - This film ROCKED.
One of the best action/science fiction films ever. Think of a Dark City/Johnny Mneumonic mix that is much better than both.
Fishburn is SOLID - Reeves' acting ability matches his role perfectly.
I am wanting to go buy a black trench coat and sunglasses... The styling is very slick.
The movie grabs you right off the bat, and brings you in deep.
The gun play - very well done - not every gun film needs to be compaired to John Woo - this is a different flavor... and it tastes good.
I say its a MUST SEE. When "Trinity" the hot leather clad babe says "DODGE THIS" - it doesn't get any cooler.
If you havn't seen this movie - GO... While its in the theatre. It is WORTH the 7 bucks. I had to see it twice in a row.
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"I got a bad feeling about this..."
One of the best action/science fiction films ever. Think of a Dark City/Johnny Mneumonic mix that is much better than both.
Fishburn is SOLID - Reeves' acting ability matches his role perfectly.
I am wanting to go buy a black trench coat and sunglasses... The styling is very slick.
The movie grabs you right off the bat, and brings you in deep.
The gun play - very well done - not every gun film needs to be compaired to John Woo - this is a different flavor... and it tastes good.
I say its a MUST SEE. When "Trinity" the hot leather clad babe says "DODGE THIS" - it doesn't get any cooler.
If you havn't seen this movie - GO... While its in the theatre. It is WORTH the 7 bucks. I had to see it twice in a row.
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"I got a bad feeling about this..."
Thanks for the reviews guys. I've definitely put it on my must see list. It was already almost there when Gene Shallit trashed it on the Today Show on Thursday. After all, if Shallit trashes something it must be worthwhile. Your comments have moved it way up the list to a must see. I'm not looking for great drama. I am looking for good action, and if its on a Sci Fi background, so much the better. There is a review of The Matrix in the latest edition of Sci Fi Weekly, issue 102 at the following URL.
http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue102/screen.html
Jim in IN
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-- TANSTAAFL
[This message has been edited by JJB (edited April 02, 1999).]
[This message has been edited by JJB (edited April 03, 1999).]
http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue102/screen.html
Jim in IN
------------------
-- TANSTAAFL
[This message has been edited by JJB (edited April 02, 1999).]
[This message has been edited by JJB (edited April 03, 1999).]
Of course Gene Shalit hated it. There were no effeminate frenchmen and angst filled lesbians!
We say The Matrix last night and my wife's been walking around all day saying "Damn good movie!" I agree!
Great story, well written, and fantastic scenes of "Ballistic landscaping." Rearanging the scenery with full auto fire has always held a special place in my heart.
Best lines in the movie,
"Dodge this." -Trinity.
"I know Kung fu!" -Neo
"Have a cookie." -Oracle
With all the great writting, they missed one thing that I thought was going to be important. The Oracle gives Neo a cookie while he's "logged on" to the Matrix. Now we all know what cookies are and that we get them all the time online. It was pretty funny, but I thought for sure that this was going to show up again in the movie.
GREAT FLICK!
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Your mind is your primary weapon.
We say The Matrix last night and my wife's been walking around all day saying "Damn good movie!" I agree!
Great story, well written, and fantastic scenes of "Ballistic landscaping." Rearanging the scenery with full auto fire has always held a special place in my heart.
Best lines in the movie,
"Dodge this." -Trinity.
"I know Kung fu!" -Neo
"Have a cookie." -Oracle
With all the great writting, they missed one thing that I thought was going to be important. The Oracle gives Neo a cookie while he's "logged on" to the Matrix. Now we all know what cookies are and that we get them all the time online. It was pretty funny, but I thought for sure that this was going to show up again in the movie.
GREAT FLICK!
------------------
Your mind is your primary weapon.
Son of a Gun! I loved this movie. I concur, one of the best Sci-Fic action flicks ever. The plot on this is not a thin one, like in most action movies. The directing was unbelievable! That look-down shot in slow mo as the Agent fires his Desert Eagle into Keanu, with the Magazine round in plain view, Damn! that was cool.
I loved how that traitor guy was willing to give up reality for Beef. (want to know why? click here http://www.angelfire.com/ny/beefclub )
Any movie that has a scene with chain fed/belt fed machine gun, makes me smile.
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Live Free or Die
[This message has been edited by othermarc (edited April 08, 1999).]
I loved this movie. I concur, one of the best Sci-Fic action flicks ever. The plot on this is not a thin one, like in most action movies. The directing was unbelievable! That look-down shot in slow mo as the Agent fires his Desert Eagle into Keanu, with the Magazine round in plain view, Damn! that was cool. I loved how that traitor guy was willing to give up reality for Beef. (want to know why? click here http://www.angelfire.com/ny/beefclub )
Any movie that has a scene with chain fed/belt fed machine gun, makes me smile.
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Live Free or Die
[This message has been edited by othermarc (edited April 08, 1999).]
The only SMALL problem I noted was the use of two Skorpion machine pistols. The guns weren't the deal, as much as the .223 shells they were dropping on the ground. But hey any movie with an M-134 Electric Gattling Gun is fine with me. Like I said Small insignificant problem.
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I want a Heckler&Koch MP-5K with the tactical briefcase for my birthday!!!!
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I want a Heckler&Koch MP-5K with the tactical briefcase for my birthday!!!!
Jeff Thomas
New member
Perhaps I was in a bad mood. My 15-year-old son loved it. I thought it was so improbable it was more fantasy than science fiction. What I've always enjoyed about science fiction is that it takes current reality and stretches to show potential events / realities. Films like this seem so wildly beyond reality that it takes some of the fun out of it, for me.
Perhaps I'll give it another chance one of these days.
Perhaps I'll give it another chance one of these days.
The Matrix:
There is a lot to this film - I had to see it twice. Right off the bat you get the since that this movie has style. Cool flows. You get a good sense of all the charicters very quickly - and your questions also. This leaves plenty of room for the action. Action... Thats what the Matrix is... All about action, Babe.
The special effects are amazing, and add to the film in a way we havent seen since Jurasic Park.
One effect however I wish they left out is the 3D stop motion with a 180 degree pan. This effect is used in commercials for shampoo, Subaru wagons, Gap Kahkis, Chevy trucks and other things... It has no place in a real film. But even though thy used it here - admittedly it was pulled of very, very well. One such effect using this stop - slow flow effect - the one where NEO throws himself backwards to dodge some bullets - took TWO YEARS to make! One reason it took so long was the fact they were inventing the technology for the shot! The results are amazing.
Another effect this film has - is going to be a big boom effect to the sales of black trench coats and sunglasses. Even I want some now - and I hate movie hyped fads! I even sold my Ninja sport bike just 'cause of Top Gun. Seriously - even though I had my bike 6 months before the Tom Cruise, Sheople would say "Oh, you got that bike cause your a Maverick Wanna-be." Yeah, Right. Every one who knew me, they knew I really wanted to be Goose! But that was mainly cause he had a hot woman tell him "Take me to bed or loose me forever!"
I digress...
The movie was a good role fit for Mr Reeves. This is important because he is able to take advantage of his limited acting ability, and his huge on screen style. If only Kevin Kostner could find a role that fits him this good. The other actors - Fishburn is the best. He did a fantastic job in his last science fiction - EVENT HORIZON - which when I saw it in the theatre was one hell of a scary movie. Rent it and watch it with all the lights off - in stereo sound, and on a big screen... You'll be very disturbed for a week. The others in this movie are lesser known and I dont know the names - but they all did a smack bang up good job. The lead badguy was so evil, he was good. The bad guys had kind of a morphing ability that let them like possess people - making every one dangerous. And making chase secments almost never ending.
In order to escape the heros must answer an incoming phone call - I can't explain why - I dont understand the reasons - but it makes for good action.
I did not like the "reason they must fight the evil." It was a bit too far fetched - but they needed a foundation to base the story on - trust me - you get past it quick, and are able to move on... but the idea is still very horrifying and made me most uncomfortable. Even for being too Wacko.
This movie may become a cult classic - spawning many games, video, board and role playing very quickly. Overplaying, over hyping and marketing kills a good thing for me. Like all that Godzilla crap - and that movie SUCKED... so it was even worse. But this movie was awesome and marketed just enough to have made me want to see it - badly. It was one of the few movies to have lived up to my expectations. The martial arts are very cool, and go with the gun play very well. Lets talk guns here - cause they have A LOT OF GUNS. Almost as many as in RONIN (a must see, if you like action)
The bad guys packed the ever present Desert Eagle. Every one here should know this gun buy heart... This is an Isreali made auto that can fire one of several choices of calibers - .357 Mag, 41 Mag, .44 Mag, or .50 Mag. In the movie it looks like the .357 version firing .38 special loads (they are the same round but the .38 is just a little shorter and less powerful). This is a good choice and fitts with the bad guy image. They good guys use a lot of different types of guns - and they are all used very well - accuratly manipulated... there was only one error I picked up - Neo pulles out two machine pistols and lets loose on the SWAT GUYS, while running at them and dodging fire at the same time... They show fired .223 brass pouring onto the floor as he runs. This is wrong, as the the guns are dressed up Tec22's - .22 rimfire pistols... wimpy guns... Gatling gun scene is worth the ticket - and the resulting helicopter crash is originaly done - whatch for the wave effect there. Every thing else is done great. Well, better than that -for lack of a better word - AWESOME!
The movie is by no means perfect - but all flaws get smoothed over by a good polish of style and visual candy. I mean the line "Dodge This!" with the following image is just too hip and cool.
The music is great too - although the sound track on CD isn't quite as polished as it could have been - on screen the music bites are just plain PUMPING and drive the movie at full speed. Music from various artists all known for razor edged musical riots. This stuff might not sound good to the ears of older gentalmen - but get over it - your buying polymer guns nowdays - see you can evolve like the younger folks! ROB ZOMBIE has a song in here - and the ending song, when the credits roll, is by a nice little band called "Rage against the Machine" The melody may not be to mature liking - but the lirics are hard edged and pointed - promoting ideas all of us here share at some point or another.
Good Lines:
"THERE IS NO SPOON!"
"What do you need?" "Guns... Lots of Guns."
"I know Kung Fu."
"Dodge This."
"Show Me."
All in all, this movie is 5 stars - a must see, and worth seeing more than once.
------------------
"Fear will keep the local systems in line..."
There is a lot to this film - I had to see it twice. Right off the bat you get the since that this movie has style. Cool flows. You get a good sense of all the charicters very quickly - and your questions also. This leaves plenty of room for the action. Action... Thats what the Matrix is... All about action, Babe.
The special effects are amazing, and add to the film in a way we havent seen since Jurasic Park.
One effect however I wish they left out is the 3D stop motion with a 180 degree pan. This effect is used in commercials for shampoo, Subaru wagons, Gap Kahkis, Chevy trucks and other things... It has no place in a real film. But even though thy used it here - admittedly it was pulled of very, very well. One such effect using this stop - slow flow effect - the one where NEO throws himself backwards to dodge some bullets - took TWO YEARS to make! One reason it took so long was the fact they were inventing the technology for the shot! The results are amazing.
Another effect this film has - is going to be a big boom effect to the sales of black trench coats and sunglasses. Even I want some now - and I hate movie hyped fads! I even sold my Ninja sport bike just 'cause of Top Gun. Seriously - even though I had my bike 6 months before the Tom Cruise, Sheople would say "Oh, you got that bike cause your a Maverick Wanna-be." Yeah, Right. Every one who knew me, they knew I really wanted to be Goose! But that was mainly cause he had a hot woman tell him "Take me to bed or loose me forever!"
I digress...
The movie was a good role fit for Mr Reeves. This is important because he is able to take advantage of his limited acting ability, and his huge on screen style. If only Kevin Kostner could find a role that fits him this good. The other actors - Fishburn is the best. He did a fantastic job in his last science fiction - EVENT HORIZON - which when I saw it in the theatre was one hell of a scary movie. Rent it and watch it with all the lights off - in stereo sound, and on a big screen... You'll be very disturbed for a week. The others in this movie are lesser known and I dont know the names - but they all did a smack bang up good job. The lead badguy was so evil, he was good. The bad guys had kind of a morphing ability that let them like possess people - making every one dangerous. And making chase secments almost never ending.
In order to escape the heros must answer an incoming phone call - I can't explain why - I dont understand the reasons - but it makes for good action.
I did not like the "reason they must fight the evil." It was a bit too far fetched - but they needed a foundation to base the story on - trust me - you get past it quick, and are able to move on... but the idea is still very horrifying and made me most uncomfortable. Even for being too Wacko.
This movie may become a cult classic - spawning many games, video, board and role playing very quickly. Overplaying, over hyping and marketing kills a good thing for me. Like all that Godzilla crap - and that movie SUCKED... so it was even worse. But this movie was awesome and marketed just enough to have made me want to see it - badly. It was one of the few movies to have lived up to my expectations. The martial arts are very cool, and go with the gun play very well. Lets talk guns here - cause they have A LOT OF GUNS. Almost as many as in RONIN (a must see, if you like action)
The bad guys packed the ever present Desert Eagle. Every one here should know this gun buy heart... This is an Isreali made auto that can fire one of several choices of calibers - .357 Mag, 41 Mag, .44 Mag, or .50 Mag. In the movie it looks like the .357 version firing .38 special loads (they are the same round but the .38 is just a little shorter and less powerful). This is a good choice and fitts with the bad guy image. They good guys use a lot of different types of guns - and they are all used very well - accuratly manipulated... there was only one error I picked up - Neo pulles out two machine pistols and lets loose on the SWAT GUYS, while running at them and dodging fire at the same time... They show fired .223 brass pouring onto the floor as he runs. This is wrong, as the the guns are dressed up Tec22's - .22 rimfire pistols... wimpy guns... Gatling gun scene is worth the ticket - and the resulting helicopter crash is originaly done - whatch for the wave effect there. Every thing else is done great. Well, better than that -for lack of a better word - AWESOME!
The movie is by no means perfect - but all flaws get smoothed over by a good polish of style and visual candy. I mean the line "Dodge This!" with the following image is just too hip and cool.
The music is great too - although the sound track on CD isn't quite as polished as it could have been - on screen the music bites are just plain PUMPING and drive the movie at full speed. Music from various artists all known for razor edged musical riots. This stuff might not sound good to the ears of older gentalmen - but get over it - your buying polymer guns nowdays - see you can evolve like the younger folks! ROB ZOMBIE has a song in here - and the ending song, when the credits roll, is by a nice little band called "Rage against the Machine" The melody may not be to mature liking - but the lirics are hard edged and pointed - promoting ideas all of us here share at some point or another.
Good Lines:
"THERE IS NO SPOON!"
"What do you need?" "Guns... Lots of Guns."
"I know Kung Fu."
"Dodge This."
"Show Me."
All in all, this movie is 5 stars - a must see, and worth seeing more than once.
------------------
"Fear will keep the local systems in line..."
The leading Lady- Trinity (I do not know her real name)- is in another completely different movie that is equally wel directed. "Bound" I have seen Boung and I like it a lot, and recomment to all. It's got good actors and actresses, Mafia theme, and a bit of gun play. There is also a strong lesbian theme, but I leave that to the discreation of viewers. Actually, Reegan (the traitor from the Matrix- I'm bad with names) is also in Bound. He does a great job.
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Live Free or Die
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Live Free or Die
I have seen it three times(MOVIE NUT!!!!) and the Tec22's are actually Skorpion machine pistols firing 9mm blanks. You are right the cases hitting the floor are .223brass. If you watch closely you will see the casing from the Eagle is a rimless one, you can also tell from the top down veiw in slow mo that this is a .50AE blank which with movie magic can be made to fire very lightly. This gives the ominous edge that the Agents need to reap terror. BOOM and he hardly moves, even with the softened recoil of a blank .50AE, I'm scared of the bad guy!! My only thought is "Where were the shorty AR-15s????" I wanted to see an AR-15 with the big 90-some round clip.
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I want a Heckler&Koch MP-5K with the tactical briefcase for my birthday!!!!
------------------
I want a Heckler&Koch MP-5K with the tactical briefcase for my birthday!!!!
You could see the DE cases? I wasn't able to - and looking at the bore - it looked .357 to me - you maybe right... I need new contacts. My eye sight is going down hill...
You sure about the Skorpions?
Those little Machine Pistols looked awefully square... I at first thought they were skorpions too - but the mags are very blocky and right up front just like a TEC-22 - with a barrel shroud over what would be a tiny little tube. Something a director would want to cover. I was betting TEC-22s which would be a ringer - Maybe scorpions - but I still doubt it.
And Skorpions are .32 ACP... not 9 or 9Kurtz...
I'm not saying your wrong - just that
TEC-22's are more likely.
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"Fear will keep the local systems in line..."
[This message has been edited by Kodiac (edited April 09, 1999).]
You sure about the Skorpions?
Those little Machine Pistols looked awefully square... I at first thought they were skorpions too - but the mags are very blocky and right up front just like a TEC-22 - with a barrel shroud over what would be a tiny little tube. Something a director would want to cover. I was betting TEC-22s which would be a ringer - Maybe scorpions - but I still doubt it.
And Skorpions are .32 ACP... not 9 or 9Kurtz...
I'm not saying your wrong - just that
TEC-22's are more likely.
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"Fear will keep the local systems in line..."
[This message has been edited by Kodiac (edited April 09, 1999).]
David Wright
New member
Kodiac, I'm gonna catch it this weekend.
One thing I noticed in the commercials for this flick, is that the stop and rotate 3-d effect was razor sharp in the movie, unlike the fuzzy and flat "Lost in Space" attemp or the commercials.
Is it really that sharp looking in the movie?
Also, if you like interesting effects, and try to figure out how it is done, here is a brainbuster!
I saw part of a Shania Twain video the other day, and it took a minute to realize a really wierd effect.
Imagine this. The film looks like they slowed it down a little, and there is a fast, barely noticeable strobe in the background, to boost presence. The interesting part is, even though the film is slightly slo-mo, the singers stay in sync with the song. The song is playing in realtime, and the slowed down video keeps up with the song. Figure that one out!
One thing I noticed in the commercials for this flick, is that the stop and rotate 3-d effect was razor sharp in the movie, unlike the fuzzy and flat "Lost in Space" attemp or the commercials.
Is it really that sharp looking in the movie?
Also, if you like interesting effects, and try to figure out how it is done, here is a brainbuster!
I saw part of a Shania Twain video the other day, and it took a minute to realize a really wierd effect.
Imagine this. The film looks like they slowed it down a little, and there is a fast, barely noticeable strobe in the background, to boost presence. The interesting part is, even though the film is slightly slo-mo, the singers stay in sync with the song. The song is playing in realtime, and the slowed down video keeps up with the song. Figure that one out!