--- title: "The Matrix: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-matrix/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-matrix" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 6 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Matrix (1999): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 6 reviews: 5 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to The Matrix, with praise concentrated on its visual effects, martial arts choreography and stylised action. Bullet-time photography and the combination of wirework with computer effects are recurring strengths: the reviews credit the Wachowskis with finding fresh ways to stage familiar action. Several also welcome the film’s handling of science-fiction ideas, while Hugo Weaving’s performance draws approval even from a detractor. The disagreement centres on how much substance supports that spectacle, and the spread is wide despite the positive lean. The New York Times finds the plotting potentially pretentious, while Sight and Sound sees little originality in the ideas about reality and control but admires their presentation. Time Out is the clearest dissenter, arguing that an ingenious opening gives way to routine action, thin characters and simplistic heroics. The divide is over whether the action develops the premise or wastes it. ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 June 1999. The Wachowskis deliver a dazzling sci-fi action spectacle that reinvents the cyberpunk genre with groundbreaking visual effects and non-stop excitement. The film stands out for its innovative 'flo-mo' technique and perfect fusion of style, content and cool factor. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/matrix-review/) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 June 1999. The Matrix is the action movie of the millennium, a mind-bending sci-fi thriller that pushes the boundaries of the genre with spectacular effects and intelligent plotting. The Wachowskis craft an ultra-cool, no-limits filmmaking experience remembered alongside Star Wars for 1999. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-matrix-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Hunter Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). The review is highly positive, calling the film a technologically stunning cyber sci-fi thriller that will be a big hit and further the genre with its visual effects and storytelling. It singles out the stylish action sequences, including wirework and bullet-time photography, along with strong performances especially from Hugo Weaving. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/matrix-thrs-1999-review-743651/) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). The first hour works as an ambitious dystopian fantasy with ingenious reality switches and slick visuals, but the promising premise is wasted as it becomes a routine action picture with paper-thin characters and facile heroics. It ends as overlong high-concept hokum despite some engaging elements like Weaving's performance. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-matrix) ## Sight and Sound — Philip Strick 1 July 1999. The Wachowskis deliver a visually innovative spectacle blending martial arts choreography with computer effects, creating astonishing images in a wonderland of tricks and stunts. The film offers little originality in its message about reality and control but excels in method and unexpected perspectives. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/151) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin 31 March 1999. The critic praises the film's visual bravado, martial arts stunts, and inventive special effects as its strongest selling points. She notes the pretentious plotting as a potential drawback but highlights its stylish cyberescapism and action dynamics. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/31/movies/film-review-the-reality-is-all-virtual-and-densely-complicated.html) ## Collider — Meredith Loftus Rating A-. 11 October 2022. The critic praises the film's groundbreaking visual effects, particularly bullet time, its integration of philosophical themes, and its enduring cultural relevance. They single out the strong chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss as a highlight amid some weaker subplots. [Read the review](https://collider.com/matrix-review-wachowskis-keanu-reeves/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2001. The critic calls the film a complex, visionary sci-fi that transforms Keanu Reeves into a lithe master of his craft and features astonishing visuals, balletic slow-motion, and audacious gun battles. It urges viewers to be seduced without demanding explanation, likening it to Blade Runner for the computer-literate generation. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-matrix-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-matrix.md