AWAKENING: THE MATRIX

Title: Matrix

Date Released: March 31, 1999

Directed By: Andy and Larry Wachowski

Genre: Science Fiction/Action

MOVIE SUMMARY:

Thomas Anderson is a computer programmer who maintains a double life as the hacker "Neo". He is driven to learn the meaning of cryptic references to "the Matrix" appearing on his computer. Infamous hacker Trinity contacts Neo and informs him that a man named Morpheus can tell him what the Matrix is; however, three Agents, led by Agent Smith, arrest Neo to prevent him from collaborating with Morpheus. Undeterred, Neo meets with Morpheus and confirms that he wants to learn more about the Matrix by choosing an offered red pill. After swallowing the pill, Neo abruptly awakens in a liquid-filled vessel, connected along with millions of other people to an elaborate electrical structure. He is rescued by Morpheus and brought aboard a levitating ship, the Nebuchadnezzar.

Morpheus tells Neo that humans are fighting against intelligent machines that were created in the 21st century and have since taken control of the Earth's surface. Humans polluted the sky to cut off the machines' solar power, but the machines adapted to using human bioelectricity as a power source. Enslaved humans are kept docile within the "Matrix" – a simulation of the world as it was in 1999. Neo has lived in this simulated world since birth; in reality, the year is closer to 2199. Morpheus explains that he and his crew belong to a group of free humans who "unplug" others from the Matrix and recruit them to their rebellion against the Machines. They can hack into the Matrix and re-enter the simulated reality, where their understanding of its true nature allows them to manipulate its physical laws, granting them superhuman abilities. Neo undergoes virtual combat training. He is warned that fatal injuries within the Matrix will also kill one's physical body, and that the Agents he encountered are powerful sentient programs that patrol the Matrix and eliminate threats to the system. Morpheus believes Neo is "the One", a man prophesied to end the war between humans and machines.

After Neo's training, the group enters the Matrix to visit the Oracle, a prophet who predicted the emergence of the One. The Oracle implies that Neo is not the One, and warns he must soon choose between his own life and that of Morpheus.

As the group prepares to exit the Matrix, they are ambushed by Agents and tactical police, leading to the death of a crew member called Mouse. Morpheus allows himself to be captured to let Neo and the rest of the crew escape. As they prepare to leave the Matrix, they learn that their ally Cypher has betrayed them. Disillusioned with the real world, Cypher had arranged to hand Morpheus over to the Agents in exchange for being returned to a comfortable life within the Matrix. Aboard the Nebuchadnezzar, Cypher murders crew members Switch, Apoc and Dozer before he is killed by Dozer's brother Tank.

In the Matrix, the Agents interrogate Morpheus to learn his access codes to the mainframe computer in Zion, the humans' last refuge in the real world. Neo returns to the Matrix with Trinity and rescues Morpheus; in the process, Neo gains confidence in his ability to manipulate the Matrix, performing physical feats on par with the Agents.

Morpheus and Trinity exit the Matrix, but Neo is ambushed by Smith before he can leave. In the real world, "sentinel" machines converge on the Nebuchadnezzar. In the Matrix, Smith kills Neo. In the real world, Trinity whispers to Neo that the Oracle told her she would fall in love with the One. She kisses Neo, and he revives in the Matrix. He displays the power to perceive and control the Matrix, effortlessly destroying Smith before exiting the Matrix in time for the ship's EMP weapon to destroy the attacking sentinels.

In the Matrix, Neo makes a telephone call, promising the Machines he will show their prisoners "a world where anything is possible". He ends the call and flies into the sky.

Welcome to the World of Lies and Illusions...

♦♦♦♦♦

 If you are a character in the film matrix, you might end up as one of those people in New York city living a normal life and happy with everything that you have without knowing the real thing. The aching truth that everything you are doing and you have--delicious meals, money, golds, boyfriend, girlfriend,etc--are not real.You are not aware that those dainty things are just being plugged in your mind like some port of a computer. Well, that's how the movie Matrix went; it's about a world created by the Artificial Intelligences or High tech machines and these 'It' made the human race believed that what their eyes perceived was real. In short, they are not AWARE and does not give a damn anyway. And this is where Keannu Reeve's character will enter in--Thomas Anderson or more commonly known as Neo is a hacker and a man living a normal life like the others but after he received a vague message from his computer screen which says'Follow the White Rabbit' everything changed and he never become part of the normalcy again. Unfortunately for him, even though he wanted to go back he can't escape his destiny or his fate because he is the 'CHOSEN ONE'. The One who will destroy those evil beings behind the world created to be perceives as real. Those people who are part of Morpheus' group are already AWAKE. This is the term they used when a human has finally made it out of the Matrix and Neo became one of them. Now, these people who woke up or no longer controlled by the robots are going to be hunted by the men in black-like beings with superhuman abilities, they're assigned to kill those who are already aware of the real thing.

The film Matrix has a lot of symbolisms and hidden messages on it and they all can apply in the real life or to anyone in this world we are living in, it can be translated in reality or spiritually. Based on my browsing on the net about this movie, despite of its awesome special effects it still gained a lot of criticisms because of its hella weird concept or story. I can't blame those people on what they believe in, for me maybe they just didn't want to accept the fact that it can be real and based on the gadgets and modern technologies nowadays, there's a huge possibility for the Matrix to exist. Who knows in the near future we might be all controlled by the ones we created, the gadgets and robots. Despite of other people's comments and whatsoevers, I truly enjoy this film and its worth the shot. It is educational I must say, that is my opinion of course and it's because I really learned something from it and I thanked Neo for it. :) And speaking of Neo, I totally love his character, he was just awesome and right off the bat. His character was done well, flexible or complex character I think. Somehow, I found myself in Neo and there are times when I am in the same position like him as well, except for the telekinetic abilities and learning Kung Fu. It is also pretty obvious that it has a touch of Alice in Wonderland concept, whoever did this movie they blended every ingredients pretty well.

 Be careful, you're might not aware that they're after you. Once you are awake, the question is...

ARE YOU ALREADY AWAKE?

Sources:

www.wikipedia.org

google.com

mytwistedmindasalways.fishingnet :)

Matrix Film Review by: Mary Louise Sarion a.k.a Ayumi Lemuel 'YL'