The Matrix [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Blu-ray] [1999]

In a world of the future, things are literally not what they seem, where it's Man versus Machine, Reality versus Fantasy, and few who know the truth; among those who do, is Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), who has long awaited the arrival of "The One," who it has been prophesied will be the salvation of the world. Enter Neo (Keanu Reeves), a computer programmer with an innate sense of discrepancy as to the state of things around him; he has questions, most of which are still in the process of being formulated in his own mind. (What is the Matrix). Morpheus has answers. And when they meet, it's Alice down the rabbit hole, and Neo's life is changed forever. Reeves is perfectly cast as Neo, the enigmatic young man who may or may not be "The One," and it's one of the best roles of his career. He conveys a sense of removed, distracted urgency that defines his character, infusing him with both a strength and vulnerability that coalesces as the story progresses into determination and confidence. The underplayed, subtle character development (largely unacknowledged and under appreciated) is a nice piece of work by Reeves. As Morpheus, Fishburne is dynamic; he endows him with a quiet intensity that fairly roils beneath the surface, effectively restrained while leaving no doubt as to the character's power and purpose. You understand his resolution completely by his countenance alone; by the way he speaks and carries himself. It's a memorable performance by one of the truly gifted actors of our times. (What is the Matrix). Other notable performances include those by Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith), who brings a formidable, white-collar sinisterness to his character that is chilling; Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), a strong, vital presence throughout the film; and Joe Pantoliano (Cypher), who is entirely convincing in his role of a Cyber-age Judas. Rounding out the terrific supporting cast are Gloria Foster (Oracle), Marcus Chong (Tank), Julian Arahanga (Apoc), Matt Doran (Mouse), Belinda McClory (Switch) and Ray Anthony Parker (Dozer). A visually stunning, thought provoking, captivating film, "The matrix" is a triumph of movie-making that assures the Wachowski's a permanent place in cinematic history. The special effects are cutting-edge, state-of-the-art; the choreography of the action sequences is top rate and delivered with a style and effectiveness worthy of comparison to John Woo's best; and, most importantly, the story itself is complex, intelligent, and deftly takes you into regions beyond the known. This is Science Fiction at it's best, but beyond that, it's a great movie that transcends genre or category; a landmark film that must be experienced more than once, for new meaning is gleaned with every viewing. Enhanced by a driving soundtrack that completes the package, highlighted by incredible action,outstanding performances and memorable scenes to numerous to mention, this is a movie that absolutely must not be missed.

Using the pantheon of movie iconography from the past 100 years - from "High Noon" showdowns, to bad kung fu, to love's first kiss - the writing/directing team of the Wachowski brothers, Larry and Andy, achieves a fantastic, hodgepodge symmetry using hacker noir, comedy and mindless action. Thomas Anderson (Reeves) is a talented computer programmer at a monolithic corporation during the day, but at night he's an unscrupulous hacker tagged Neo. His work brings him to the attention of Morpheus (Fishburne), a mysterious stranger who tantalizes Neo. Morpheus compares him to Lewis Carroll's Alice, with talk of other worlds and realities. He offers Neo two pills: a blue one, which will allow things to continue on as they have, and a red one, which purportedly will lift the veil from his eyes and allow him to see "how deep the rabbit hole goes." This being a movie, and since the plot would pretty much stop here if he didn't, Neo takes the red one. When the veil does lift, it's Kafka meets "Die Hard," and Neo realizes the awful truth that Morpheus has wanted him to see. It's a truth darker than "Dark City," more memorable than "Johnny Mnemonic" and as terminal as "The Terminator." It's bad for him, but it's good for us. The most critical aspect of this film's success is the creation of the Matrix world, a simulacrum of reality where most of the people in this film work, fight and die. The Wachowskis set up certain rules for this reality and try to stick to them - thus making the realm as important as the "real" world. Of course, they also have a lot of fun working within their construct. Visitors to the world are faster than the other inhabitants and they can jump incredible distances. But they can still be hurt, even be killed, especially if they are attacked by the officious Matrix agents who prowl the streets. Reeves, who in the past has been accused of being kind of a virtual-reality effect himself, acquits himself nicely as Neo. The long, lingering stench of "Johnny Mnemonic" dissipates in the first few moments of the film.

Let me start to say this one of the best sci fi movies all time! And it’s nearly 20 years old and it still holds up! I had pretty high expectations for this 4k, while it is a big improvement over the blu Ray it could of been a lot better. I personally hate grainy movies, but this movie was made with grain and they didn’t use hardly any DNR so the grain is pretty noticeable throughout the movie. When I buy a 4k movie I don’t want to see that , but at some point if they got rid of the grain it would make the movie look worse. Granted this movie is 20 years old and made with film grain so not much could be done. I’m very picky when it comes to video quality so take my complaints with a grain of salt.But the colors the blacks, and the action scenes are awesome! The greens really pop out of the screen and you can see every detail of Morpheus face! If your a fan of the movie definitely pick this up!

Like another reviewer posted, this Blu-ray comes with a digital copy of the film. However, the insert with the authorization to access the digital copy was missing from the packaging. At first I was upset, but then I found a link in the digital copy's startup program that enabled me to send a message to Warner Bros. Granted, the previous reviewer stated that the drop down menu does not list The Matrix 10th anniversary, and he is correct. But it DOES have an option to select The Matrix Ultimate Collection. I selected this and sent a message stating that the packaging did not include the authorization code. WB e-mailed me within 2 business days (as they promised) with a new code. I entered the new code and it worked - problem solved. While it may not have been ideal, WB did not give me any grief and they made it right - did not even ask me to provide proof that I bought it, they just e-mailed me a code. Besides, I suspect this is a widespread problem and they probably receive a lot of such requests. This is a workaround and was solved with an e-mail and being patient for 2 days.

The Matrix 4K blu-ray combo pack is the DEFINITIVE version of the film that many collectors have been waiting for! The 4K disc is excellent and much closer to the source with great use of HDR. The standard blu-ray included is indeed also a remaster, but appears to be blown out in color saturation. It is still better than the previous released blu-ray disc. The 3rd blu-ray disc contains the bonus features. However, the bonus features are in SD unfortunately, which was a bit of a letdown. Regardless, if you're a fan of the film, the 4K disc is an ABSOLUTE worth the upgrade and is a must own for your collection!

One of the greatest motion pictures of our time is now on blu-ray disc. It's great to know this essential film will be preserved on a relatively high quality format in addition to the obvious celluloid prints that must exist and will inevitably deteriorate over time. If aliens come to Earth long after our civilization has gone extinct, they will have at least one way to watch this film--blu-ray. By then, the image quality will be poor compared to whatever real-life experiential reproduction format exists at that time. But at least there will be a record. This disc is that record. Of a time when humans thought what it would be like if there were sentient machines and what it would like if and when those very machines would come to control us. It may be those very machines that catch this blu-ray copy down the line. If anything, I'm happy to do my part in preserving a copy for longevity of a must-see masterpiece action film.

The Matrix finally arrives in 4K. As of now, I don't yet have a 4K TV, but am pleased to say the Blu-ray included is sourced from the 4K and not just a rehash of the film's prior Blu-ray release; so we're still able to enjoy quite gorgeous image quality. All special features from the original Blu-ray are now separated on its own Blu-ray disc, but sadly are still in 480p leaving quite a lot of disc space wasted. All 3 discs are housed in Best Buy's exclusive SteelBook that were beautifully printed on along with some spot-glossing on the Matrix ‘coding.’ Overall, a solid package.

Out of 10 the 4k graphics are rated a 4 at best... I had eagerly been awaiting the arrival for the Matrix in 4k so I stepped up and purchased it in 4k but unfortunately I am extremely disappointed because of how much static there is with the bright colors. The deepest dark colors I would rate much better at a 7 or 8 but the clarity just isn't there all together. This movie has been reformatted too many times to where the graphics can't possibly be a High dynamic range. If you would like to add the Matrix to your collection then definitely purchase the movie but I spent over $32 to purchase this movie and I regret every penny because of the graphics.