The Matrix was basically the worth of modern, effects-laden action movies as we know them today. Back then, the swirling-camera bullet time effects were mindblowing and new. Now, we see them used in Twix commercials like it’s nothing. How times change.
The one thing that this movie did better than some of its competition, like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, was to use these new elements tastefully. Yeah, we have a bunch of wire work done where the characters take advantage of the matrix environment to do otherwise impossible things. But it’s used pretty sparingly overall in this first film. As the series went on – and went to total shit – all of the humanity was taken out of these fights.
By the time we get to the final battle between Neo and Smith in the final film of the trilogy, it’s just nothing but CGI. Two CGI models flying around a CGI city and having a ridiculous fight that has no oomph behind it whatsoever. Here, in this first fight where Neo stands his ground against Smith, there is real gravity.
The actors are competent and trained enough to put on a good show here, which means you don’t need bullshit “shakycam” work to hide the fact that your actors can barely fight. Reeves and Weaving both look super solid, and because what we’re seeing is actually REAL, there is some real emotion behind this fight. It happens for a reason, and it tells a story as it goes on.
We see Neo’s confidence growing, even in the face of small repeated defeats throughout the confrontation. We see Smith starting to show anger and frustration for the first time. The visual storytelling done in this fight is top notch, and the fight choreography is excellent.
This is one that’s definitely worth a few minutes to watch. I bet it’s been a while.