Dog Pants wrote:I agree that The Matrix is an influential film, and a good film, but it's still what it is because of the action rather than the plot.
The fact that it's an action film with a plot is a mini-feat in itself; same with the fact it warrants more than one watching.
If your main complaint is that it is what it is because of action ... then you're not an action movie fan???
Comparisons to Wanted are valid simply because the action in Wanted was comparable in most respects ... still the film sucked because there was no substance to it. Action alone doesn't make an action movie awesome.
It has also lead me to the conclusion that my eyes are not quite right in some way: Yeah, it looked 3D, but I don't think that actually added in any way to my enjoyment of the film. It did give me a little bit of a headache though.
It's probably more what's right with your eyes. You can depth check stereoscopic footage without glasses by crossing your eyes really oddly; doing that gives most people who aren't used to it a headache.
The old anaglyph method (or however the word was spelt) was even worse. Your eyes just aren't meant to function that way. I have the same problem with 3D, it just feels like effort instead of watching.
Wanted...hmm, all I can remember is Jolie almost getting shot in the face, stoopid healing baths, and silly ending. There is nothing valid about that movie...
I'm not complaining about The Matrix, I like it, I'm just disputing that the plot was revolutionary or the reason why it's as successful as it is. If I didn't like action movies I'd hate The Matrix. As it happens I only hate action movies (or any other movie come to think of it) when they break my suspension of disbelief by being outrageous without any real explanation.
I always enjoyed the Matrix, but haven't watched it again recently - the last time I did my faaabulous mate pointed out a bit where you could see Keanu's pubes and I'm trying to forget that before I revisit it, lest I should be distracted.
I enjoyed it at the time, but always thought it was a bit "emo". That word wasn't really in general circulation at the time and I think I used "teenage suicide squad" in its place, bundling it with The Butterfly Effect and Donnie Darko in that it had undertones of teenage angst - feeling that one is special and different and what would happen if one never existed type thing.
3D glasses, though - they hurt. I can kind of make them "work", but the technique of your eyes adjusting feels not dissimilar to magic eye pictures or the floating finger trick - changing your focus and trying to relax, allowing your brain to ignore the red/blue edges to everything.
I can do it for a bit, but for an hour and a half it becomes quite painful and I worry what I'm doing to my sight. Taking off the glasses to go to the bog means you have to start over with the acclimatisation and even looking at your hand picking up your pint tends to break the spell somewhat.
