Why The Matrix Still Looks Like a Billion Bucks

[@kirk1968]

My buddy and I saw this in 1999 when it opened, walked out of theater asking each other, "WHAT DID I JUST WATCH?!" So, naturally, we went right back and watched it again. Such an amazing time.

[@M4L1y]

Envy you

[@juilescieg]

I had the same feeling after watching the Final Fantasy 8 Intro as a kid.

[@wanderingseth]

Yeah wasn't it incredible? I remember how WTF it was back then. Some of my friends left the cinema part way through because they were too disturbed by it. It was so mind-blowing. That was a peak cinema experience. The Lion King was another.

[@calleX]

Saw this back then too. Couple of guys at work had seen it and told me to go see it straight after work. I asked what it was about and they just told me I needed to see it to understand. I did and was blown away.

[@christianmyx7596]

The same i felt when i saw at the cinema Terminator 2. It was way to real and out of the normal movies with karate,Rambo and Co.

[@kopde]

At age 12, our computer science teacher played this for us in class instead of following whatever he was supposed to per curriculum. I'm still grateful till this day.

[@MajorAddiction]

nice!

[@deanchur]

CompSci teacher had a hangover that day lol

[@LeTtRrZ]

I'm not sure what's cooler, playing the Matrix in class or being a teacher at 12.

[@MrFlyingguy]

@@LeTtRrZ funny as

[@JSXSProductions]

Man, I didn't have a computer science teacher until I was 18... in college... for my computer science degree. 😂 But when I was 13, our technology class teacher had me teach a lesson on HTML for the rest of the class lol

[@davidmclean6264]

I saw the Matrix when it was released in 1999. To say it was groundbreaking is an understatement. The cinema was packed and the entire audience burst into applause when the credits rolled - the only time I've ever experienced such a thing.

[@TEAMGETHELP]

Wish i saw it in theaters. My only similar experiences were Survivor & Passion of the Christ.

[@TheThingoftheSky]

Omg truly a mind fuck And I saw it on my friend's 15" pc monitor haha and it didn't take away from the fact. Very unique experience

[@DwayneMaxwell]

This Film and LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring are the only films i've seen in theaters where that happened.

[@wanshurst2416]

i experienced the same at Inception

[@trazyntheinfinite9895]

Top gun maverik had my theatre roaring

[@atenistaako9672]

That Trinity scene at the start was truly something to see in the theatre. Goosebumps!

[@SheilaPatterson]

Such a brilliant cold open!

[@SydneyDrums]

Come to Sydney & see it for yourself

[@metagaminguniversemgu2240]

Never before or since have I been so invested in a movie based on that opening. It really grabbed your attention.

[@anamiacdm]

I sincerely thought she was the villain when I saw the opening.

[@kedrickswain6509]

The bass drop when we first saw bullet time…. Chefs kiss

[@tomsonpl123]

When as a teenager I went to the cinema and saw a first scene with Trinity, I thought I was going crazy. I'm almost 40 years old and I still remember that feeling. I'm glad that I get chance to saw it in the cinema when there was no youtube and watching trailers was very limited. Thanks to this, I had no idea what adventure awaited me. For me, it's one of the best films of the twentieth century.

[@chadarra]

The Matrix was the greatest theater experience ever. The only movie i ever went to see twice in the theater.

[@TheBeeFactory]

I worked at a theater when I was a teenager and when the Matrix came out, I must have watched it like 20 times. It was so different and visually amazing when it first came out.

[@ian.swift.31614]

a sassy obese black woman refused to allow me to see the movie when i was 15.

[@samsherwen6912]

Have to agree - the cinema experience in the 90's was something special, particulary as not many people knew what the internet was about. Most folks thought you were sketchy if you had your own e-mail account or used chat rooms - this was before search engines so essentially the whole thing was percieved as what we now call the dark web. That context was important at the time.

[@achimdemus-holzhaeuser1233]

I still remember the moment the Helicopter crashed into the Building and the shockwave went trough the subwoovers and the whole cinema.

[@deltablaze77]

What blows my mind is it was 1999, it was quintessentially perfect timing heading into the dawn of the new millennium. It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen and still one of the best movies I've ever seen.

[@annakquinn7084]

Millennium was after 2001

[@PeacEDevriM]

@@annakquinn7084 You must be fun at the parties.

[@ihatemyjob9502]

anna is right though the official start is in "2001", but yes delta is right too everyone was anticipating the year "2000" thinking we would have flying cars by then the movie's release was perfect timing

[@kaahzvi5820]

Right when people were all freaking out about Y2K

[@Liusila]

Having grown up with movies like The Matrix and Fight Club coming out I really expected that movies will only keep getting more innovative, clever, and imaginative. Well… it’s not always been the case.

[@hotkayz]

Dude this is too true

[@erockbrox8484]

For a movie like the Matrix, its rare that another movie has such quality.

[@zuriyel5368]

Matrix 1-3 had fight choreographers and action directors from Hong Kong. Hollywood doesn't have experts on that level. That's bcos Hong Kong specialized in martial arts movies for decades. Then after the reunification, Hong Kong's fight choreographers spread their knowledge to several other Asian countries, which upped their game as well. For example, Kenji Tanigaki (only Japanese guy in HK stunt association) learned from Donnie Yen, who learned from Yuen Woo-Ping, the guy responsible for the fight choreography and shooting the fight scenes in the first 3 Matrix movies. Kenji Tanigaki spread his knowledge to other Japanese people through video games and movies, such as the 5 Rurouni Kenshin movies. The people working on those productions learned how to apply it to action in other Japanese properties such as the live action Yuyu Hakusho.

[@jon.a]

Inception was cool

[@ashleybanks-wm4cg]

They have you guys just aren't appreciative no matter how good the CGI is y'all critique it as "bAD cGi'

[@asspirin108]

I was 15 when The Matrix hit the cinemas and age restrictions in Germany are quite strict. So my friends and I forged our student IDs in order to get admission. Smartest thing I ever did!

[@coolbaj]

You are so lucky you got to go! I was younger and had no way of getting to the theater then. I just watched the preview over and over 😅

[@soulwarrior]

I was 16 and I can say with confidence that it was the best time to watch that movie. Another big factor for its success was the marketing campaign; I don't think I've seen a movie since that was marketed in such a smart way. I went into the cinema and I had no clue what "the matrix" was and even when I came out, I wasn't 100% sure I got it all right. I wanted to go back and rewatch the movie right away. 🙂 One of the best cinema experiences I've ever had.

[@Reffidex]

I was 8yrs old. Mum had a cool, computer nerd friend who played Quake II and stuff, and talked her into taking me along. Bless that dude, forever. One of the best cinematic experiences of my life (besides seeing all of the LOTR trilogy at the cinema). I remember going home after watching The Matrix and was "dodging bullets" onto my bed lol. Neo became my version of Superman, kinda thing. Now, at almost 34yrs of age, The Matrix is still my favourite movie of all time; it's only gotten better as I've matured and have explored the concepts and philosophies as an adult. Fuckin' love The Matrix.

[@Traumglanz]

@@soulwarrior I find it always highly ironic when people had no idea what the matrix was, when the term Matrix for Cyberspace had been a thing in Cyberpunk for like about 2 decades at that point. It speaks volumes how much more influential for the mainstream The Matrix had been when compared to Gibson or Weisman or Stephenson.

[@soulwarrior]

@@Traumglanz Oh yes, I read pretty much all the Gibson and Stephenson books, but only did so much later AFTER having seen the Matrix. So I'd wholeheartedly agree with your assessment. 🙂

[@Lutinpofin]

1999 in movies was CRAZY: The Matrix Fight Club American Beauty Being John Malkovich Magnolia The Sixth Sense Matrix and Fight Club were my gateways to cinema that makes you think. I'll always be grateful and put them in my 10/10 list

[@ПопулярновБългария]

Matrix and Fight Club

[@KetsitsengRamagole-f6b]

American Beauty was truly a work of art also....

[@reddmst]

When this came out in 1999 you couldn't really tell what you were getting yourself into. You sat through the usual ads, ate your popcorn... and then the Trinity kick sequence _kicked in._ That's when you knew this was not going to be a yet another watch and forget kind of flick. What a masterpiece.

[@SeraphsWitness]

That opening fight scene just hooked you immediately. What a ride

[@PantsofVance]

I remember the trailer that played during the Super Bowl and it featured the famous Neo dodging bullets scene. Everyone was shocked.

[@SeraphsWitness]

@@catmoonkenobi Nobody would care that Morpheus is black, give me a break. And Trinity being better makes sense in the context of the story. So nobody would care about that. Think about Edge of Tomorrow. Same thing. Nobody cared. Her being stronger made sense, she was already adapted to that world. Contrast that with the new Mario Bros movie, where Peach just outright says she didn't struggle with the obstacle course at all, she just completed it the first time. That's stupid. That's untouchable girlboss crap. If you're going to lambast the "anti-woke" stuff, at least understand what the view is. It has nothing to do with people being black or female. It has to do with their context in the story.

[@coyotelong4349]

Much like what Star Wars was for moviegoers 2 decades before

[@walexia]

indeed! it gave us hope for the new century!

[@habitatone]

I'm 38 years old now and i feel like The Matrix is the last movie that really defined things on every level. Concept, music, art style, combat, characters, story..............Everything about this movie is memeable.

[@TwiztedMedia]

yup

[@David-we3sb]

I would agree. Though, I think my number one is Terminator 2!

[@broklee]

Memeable or memorable?

[@ivandenkov7446]

Fight club is there too.

[@Hexagonian]

@@broklee bro used the actual definition of meme as in "a snapshot or reference of culture communicated to others through imitation (as a model)"

[@majorzipf8947]

I saw this movie at the exactly right time. I was old enough that I was becoming curious about the world and reality but young enough that I hadn’t made up my mind about anything. Nothing has blown my mind, or changed it, like this movie did.

[@foreignwarren7361]

Top 5 movies ever made

[@kuruptzZz]

Even the wachowskis themselves have never been able to follow up with anything comparable. Everything came together beautifully to give us this classic

[@YellowFlash002]

Didn't they steal the story from someone else? If so then it is obvious why they never made another great story because they are parasytes and sad little thieves.

[@zacrahman2241]

because most of the ideas of the first movie didnt come out from them actually. There are many evidence that they stole the ideas from a comic book which i forgot the title of it

[@kuruptzZz]

@@zacrahman2241 Well I was referring to the entire package, the execution, pacing, etc. I think idea wise, I see a lot of the movie "dark city"

[@jonathantan2469]

Even the sequels were a dud. It became a formulaic cliched movie series that was a cashgrab. I have always thought they should have just stopped at the first, leaving the question of the outcome of Neo & Morpheus goals to start a revolution & free humanity from the Matrix ambiguous to the viewer...

[@KaRmAs.Corner]

It was meant to be.

[@notyourdad]

The Matrix is one of my favorite movies of all time. I've seen it a million times, but only recently did I notice something interesting - basically every shot does something unique and interesting, whether that be in the camera movement or the framing - they never phoned it in or settled for anything less than great. There are so many shots that could've just been static or uninterestingly framed, but they decided to go the extra mile and I think that really helps with the rewatchability of the film.

[@Spenceley]

That's my main critique of Reloaded compared to #1, how many times they rely on shot-reverse-shot exposition scenes to get through the plot.

[@cjkalandek996]

Every shot was meticulously planned.

[@purefoldnz3070]

@@Spenceley the best spiritual successor to the Matrix was Inception

[@beyondlimitationsvideo]

@@Spenceley And then Matrix 4 came along and made all 3 look like the best movies ever.

[@asgads]

what they did right is basically taking every legendary scene from anime ( especially GITS ) and somehow put it into a movie. plus I remember the trailer and nobody knwe what the matrix was. simply incredible

[@fadingdimension]

Another 90's movie worth mentioning with similar ageless effects is Terminator 2: Judgment Day. It's unbelievable what they did with the technology available to them and it's interesting how the CG they used was totally proprietary, which is similar to the "bullet-time" techniques, purpose made for the film.

[@_Jay_Maker_]

I just rewatched this over the weekend and you are absolutely spot-on. It's so solid and believable, and the amount of excruciating detail and effort they went into on literally everything was just insane. Cameron gets a lot of criticism for the severity of his style of directing, but you can't deny its effectiveness.

[@AR_112]

Aliens also holds up well

[@NorthWestPvPlolrektnoob]

someone did bullet time for a smirnoff commercial like in 1996, you can find it on youtube

[@MarcinWanago]

It's amazing that the scene where the T-1000 terminator passes through the bars was improvised. The gate was meant to be opened, but Robert Patrick surprised everyone by transforming into liquid and slipping through the bars. A superb performance.

[@philbaxley493]

@fadingdimension Check Jurassic Punk and you'll see there much more into it. There were no "CGI" at that date, they were experimenting something which was never done before. T2 was first movie which was made out with CGI and even with it they didnt believe Jurassic Park can be done with it.

[@vinigmoura]

"You're empty." "So are you!" Love it!

[@DanDanOreo]

oh wow, i never realized the double meaning in these lines.

[@Jetsudo]

In the VHS version, you didn't see Agent Smith holding a gun as it was cropped out, instead it looks like he glares at the camera, toward the audience like "Oh snap" Hehe.

[@rossguerin6517]

This line was taken from John Woos film "Face Off" with John Travolta and Nic Cage

[@davecorry7723]

_"I ... hate ... this ... place."_

[@francoisleveille409]

... this zoo.

[@makatron]

... The smell

[@Aeronaughtica]

⁠… If there really is such a thing.

[@s0nnyburnett]

One of the best villain speeches ever.

[@francoisleveille409]

IMHO the message here is that the Matrix is an allegory to the capitalist career market. From the outside everybody wants in to get a good job with a salary, a sense of purpose (as repeated in 'Reloaded') and the pride of accomplishment. However once you are in it, you are coerced into doing very demanding things, sometimes morally questionable things to keep and push your career so you just want to be done with this important last task your boss asks of you and then have your retirement. You can also see this in the movie Kate and Leopold when Leopold figures the (diet) food Kate is promoting isn't really good. Her answer speaks volume.

[@frettychervil]

I was there in the theaters. There will never be another experience like seeing the Matrix for the first time at the movies back in the 90's when nobody knew what the hell the movie was about. The experience was mind-blowing.

[@chrisquarrie]

I remember when the trailer came out in 1999... I thought to myself "This looks great, but there's a new Star Wars movie coming out which will probably be even better". Boy was I wrong!!

[@LewisDecodesAI]

To this day, I do not know the story of Star Wars and I am 40.

[@zacgrierson]

@@LewisDecodesAI Get yourself some popcorn and a free day.

[@LewisDecodesAI]

I'm not sure why, but it doesn't keep my interest. I'm massively interested in robots, space and future tech, but Star Wars and StarTrek were never things that peaked my interest. ​@@zacgrierson

[@Blehstor]

@@LewisDecodesAI only the original 70's film is worth it imo

[@Durwood71]

No, you weren't wrong. They're both great movies.

[@Peter12390]

For me the subtle marketing of this film really worked. I'm not sure if I was just lucky, but I heard just enough about it to make me want to see it, but also very little about the plot. The line "What is the matrix?" was thrown out there. When I actually saw it in the cinema I was blown away. It was so revolutionary for it's time.

[@alanmacdee]

I was 18 at the time, and the marketing was indeed subtle, probably too subtle to the point where it nearly helped tank the film. If I remember correctly, it didn't actually do too well in the box office and took a long time to build up steam. To this day, I STILL regret not seeing it in the cinema.

[@FjorimDerHuene]

This kind of marketing won't work anymore today, sadly. It'd be spoiled immediately by the instant-gratification-crowd.

[@kilobitti]

I went to see the film with a bunch of friends, having not heard anything of it prior, except that the film is supposed to be really good. I was sceptical just because of the name, then totally blown away.

[@donaldbayley4162]

My memory is that the TV commercials were about 30 seconds long, mostly showed the agent bullet-dodge on the roof and the POV shot of Trinity slamming into the side of the glass building, and Morpheus saying 'Unfortunately no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.' over a black screen. And you could tell just from that that it was going to be fucking amazing.

[@MichaelNNY]

Compare that to the over the top trailers we have today, same formula, same thump thump music, show most of the plot and highlights in the trailer, ruining any sense of mystery.

[@RichardSelvaratnam]

This made me want to watch it again! Great video Wolfcrow 👏🏾

[@derekroper3168]

I was 18 when it came out. It changed me. I saw it in the theater more than 25 times. I’ve watch it hundreds of times and it is still my favorite movie of all time.

[@marcusstephen5872]

Same, it is my favorite movie of all time and I have watched it more than 100 times.

[@monkeysausageclub]

To this day it is the only movie I have come out of the cinema awe struck. I went back the next day to watch it again.

[@sirtompo2]

Same

[@nattila7713]

I watched a pirate cam copy every day for 5 days.... had no idea about the movie before :( Then days later I watched it in the cinema 3 times :D Then I got a US import of the dvd at release when I had no dvdplayer for a while... Stupid me.... I never watched any cam version since.

[@PEZ1514]

topgun maverick?

[@warwickscram1656]

​@@PEZ1514 Utter garbage.

[@PEZ1514]

@@warwickscram1656 ur not edgy but cringe

[@HR-yd5ib]

Possibly the most mind blowing movie ever.

[@sonacphotos]

The matrix changed the way we colour grade movies forever. It was a masterpiece.

[@MGMan37]

That deserves a video of its own, the DVD releases made it green tinted while it was not that way in the theatrical run. But the recent 4K release gets rid of the green tint again

[@errgo2713]

The Trinity kick scene was cool. But, for me, it was the helicopter crash kicking a WAVE through the glass building that melted my mind into a new era. No CGI has had a shock of the new like that since.

[@pon1]

I agree, that scene was mindblowing!

[@RobislaDOG]

It’s not CGI from what I can remember. They looked for a type of glass that would have that effect and found it!

[@antipop885]

In the theater I saw it in, the bass was so strong you could feel those ripples 😍

[@cinematic_monkey]

I saw it probably 20 times or more. Still find something new every time I see it. It's even more relevant now than when it opened. Mr.Smith's monologues are so well written! And the music is unforgettable.

[@northernbrother1258]

Can't believe it's been 25 years! 😱

[@JayBigDadyCy]

This and the LoTR movies still look absolutely incredible because they both used CGI so tastefully. It was an accent, not the entire movie. They used practical effects and creativity for everything else and it just makes the movies suck you in.

[@SolWake]

Toy Story: Am I a joke to you?

[@downundabrotha]

​@@SolWake Toy story was Trash

[@SolWake]

@@downundabrotha Sure kid, sure.

[@H33t3Speaks]

I must just have a much different set of eyes. Parts of LoTR look closer to hot garbage, year by year: None of the practical effects suffer this issue, but anything related to computer graphics is just so du jur by the very nature of how computer visions continues to evolve as a technology, that it's just factually really starting to show its age. You're telling me the Balrog looks slick in 2024/2025? I mean, really?

[@Walamonga1313]

​@@H33t3SpeaksIt does. However there's some shots, mainly with the large armies where they do look off

[@Nifava]

I watched The Matrix at 17 in 1999 and didn't find it confusing or convoluted at all. It felt like someone was eloquently putting into words and images the uneasiness of the human experience at the brink of the 21st century.

[@jamesstaggs4160]

It's impossible to communicate the feeling of seeing this in the theatre for the first time when it came out. I was 19 and everything about it blew my young mind. I'd had the Internet for a few years but it's nothing like it is now so information wasn't anywhere close to as readily available as it is today so going into the theatre I knew almost nothing about it. I'd never seen a movie that messed with your head about what was real and what wasn't like this one. I'd seen Dark City which gave me similar feelings but this took that concept and really elevated it.

[@loganmedia4401]

You'd have known very little about it regardless. They kept details of the film tightly under wraps.

[@F355]

Harsh Realm came out a month later than The Matrix, it was good but Matrix was a revolution. Still to this date I haven't witnessed any other movie that made the same impact. Before Matrix, The Terminator 2 had made that impact for me personally but still The Matrix is on another level and this comes from someone who loves the Avengers films, most of the Star Wars and majority of the new sci fi and fantasy movies. If I had to rate movies, there would be a lot of 9s and 10s for me in the sci fi genre. However, none of them hyped me up and then delivered the way The Matrix did. Avatar had the same hype, it wasn't as discreet as Matrix was but still it had the hype and I loved it, but it did not back up its hype.

[@amsf1]

You still never understand unless you were there. Beautiful

[@sunkid86]

The fact that you put the thumbnail in the video with exact same words behind it in the video and in the same context, no bs, is such a pleasing move. Should be a standard on youtube, but hardly ever happens.

[@claytonkennedy4187]

I second this! What a fantastic video. Thank you!

[@ondrejpalata8979]

💯

[@fetB]

tbh, wouldnt have notice if not for the comment, but thats very neat

[@wparo]

Not everyone understands what "bucks" means.

[@err_4O4]

If you use youtube on desktop, there's an extension called DeArrow that disables these click-baity thumbnails. The thumbnails are replaced by stills from the video itself that are provided by the community, or if there is none a random frame will be selected.

[@stevenlarson3316]

One of the few times I left the theater more excited than when I went in. Another time was after watching Contact.

[@YasminB-u9d]

Those are the only two movies I've felt awestruck by.

[@srhintz]

No one I know shares my love of "Contact". Same with "Arrival" and "The Man From Earth". Now I am obsessed with "Dune 2".

[@armandb.8737]

@@srhintz dune is complete teenage crap, didn't even fisnish.

[@srhintz]

@@armandb.8737 Porkies was teenage crap. Dune is a great adaptation of a great story. What was crap?

[@TheAmazingest]

@@srhintz Both Contact and Arrival are two of the best sci-fi movies I've ever seen. There's another one you might like called Another Earth. It's an independent film, but very well done, and the story is damn good. I would love for you to watch that, if you haven't already, and come back here and let me know what you think of it.

[@theslicefactor4590]

0:14 I remember the audience going nuts at this scene because we'd never seen anything like it before. It was so mindblowing watching this as a kid in primary school because you had no idea what the hell was going on. Watching it for the first time then was an amazing experience.

[@DwainDwight]

saw this on release in London one Sunday morning with a hangover. I didn't really know anything going in. just needed to relax with my double shot latte. It was something else, different, unique. right from the start was simply a remarkable film. unlike anything before it. I walked out completely overwhelmed. mind blown. a wow moment for sure.

[@asgads]

I dont think there has been a mainstream movie as intelligent as this since its release

[@Garbageman28]

Manchester by the Sea

[@asgads]

@@Garbageman28 my bad; should have been more exact: mainstream as in "action"

[@Skanda1111]

Inception.

[@isaackmojica8302]

Tenet is so ahead of its time .....people will appreciate it in the years to come

[@asgads]

@@Skanda1111 great movie

[@elmad2153]

A problem i have with 2001: A Space Odyssey is that some scenes are too long. Like in many older movies. I guess they had this thing that a long motionless scene builds up tension, intensity, but nowadays that doesn't work anymore.

[@aalborgfantasy]

Even after 20 years, it looks like gold, and I know; after 20 more years later, it will be still gold...

[@DaveSmith23]

The Matrix is my absolute favorite film. It aptly served as the white rabbit that led me down a 25-year long rabbit hole. Great commentary!

[@ashwaths]

Amazing video, the fact Wachowskis achieved all of this in the '90s shows their technical prowess. Their first movie Bound laid the foundation for the Matrix, in Bound we can see all the stylistic choices of the Wachowskis that were reused, refined and improvised on the Matrix trilogy. I still wish Wachowskis made Assassins though, the original screenplay feels far more terrifying and shocking than the movie Richard Donner made.

[@saturn_fpv]

Bound was just a request by WB to prove they can direct a movie. They had everything figured out already for The Matrix.

[@ashwaths]

​@@saturn_fpv You are both right and wrong. Where you were wrong: "The popular mythology is that Bound was an audition piece for the Wachowskis to secure the job of directing The Matrix - an idea that caused both Andy and Lana to roll their eyes. "Joel made that up," Lana said with a sigh. Instead, after metaphorically washing their hands of Assassins, the Wachowskis said they decided to focus on making their directorial debut. The film was a sleek - and relatively inexpensive - neo-noir thriller about Violet, a gangster's moll (Jennifer Tilly) who starts an affair with Corky, a butch ex-con (Gina Gershon). Together, they scheme to steal a fortune from the mob and pin it on Violet's boyfriend Caesar (Joe Pantoliano)." Also, we should not forget that only during the filming of Bound did the Wachowskis get acquainted with Don Davis, Bill Pope, Joey Pants and Dane A Davis. Where you were right: "The Wachowskis actually wrote The Matrix before they wrote Bound. They initially conceived it as a comic book, but as they showed the script to their friends, they realized the material demanded more dynamic visuals." www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/the-wachowskis-jupiter-ascending-the-matrix-cloud-atlas

[@loganmedia4401]

The stylistic choices may have been theirs, but the technical prowess that made the look and effects possible was not. The Wachowskis are undoubtedly to blame for the much weaker second film and the abysmal third.

[@YOBAMUSTDIE]

Big part of this was Joel Silver as producer. He goes back to Warriors, and many other big action movies including Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, conspiracy theory, swordfish, commando, predator etc, he also was producer behind last good movies from Wachewski - V for vendetta and Speedy Racer. Without him Wachewski never managed to do anything good. Also if you would watch latest of Joel movies - Roadhouse remake, you will notice that it looks and feels more blockbusterish and epic (just compare combat choreography in roadhouse and matrix 4 and you will understand that it was Joel who pushed boundaries in Matrix production and wanted everything to be perfect, this man pushed actor to real fight with real fighters just for 5 minutes footage in movie, surely only he can come up with idea to build few kilometers of real road for matrix 2 just to make 10 minutes footage of chase scenes look realistic and perfect, this is something you can't see in matrix 4 without him) that recent failure of wachewski called Matrix 4, which shows that oversight and producer vision of Silver was big part of what made Matrix trilogy so great. Actually you can find original Matrix draft and Joel Silver critical notes to Wachewski about what works and what doesn't work in original Matrix draft from 1994, and you can see big difference between what Wachewski wrote before Silver input and how they rewrote it under his influence and with his input. Original matrix draft felt more like some Terminator in future and felt less original that final movie. So we all should thank Joel Silver for what Matrix become and should stop giving all praise and credits to Wachewksi only. Also Joel Silver managed to bring all the best professionals from Hollywood to production and Matrix was also good because everyone from camera man to prop and cgi artist and even sound designer and music composers was the best and most talented professionals in industry back in the day, and Joel wa ready to invest tons of money on best people, and that played a big role as well. Yet again Matrix 4 without Joel didn't manage to assemble all the best Hollywood professionals and felt very amateur and cheap without Joel, and wachewski writing was real crap without his critical input in Matrix 4. There was nobody behind their back to tell them that it doesn't work and they should do this and that to make a better movie, and should hire all old crew of professionals to make matrix 4 better.

[@dohdoh2430]

@@ashwaths Buzzfeed lol..

[@stevenirby5576]

Perfect timing. I *just* watched this for the first time in many years, in 4k. I thought to myself, my god, does this movie still look amazing and hold up amazingly; timeless.

[@dilukshanmahendra]

"Trinity jumps and freezes mid air.." this wasn't something you have ever seen in your life at that point, nor you would expect, but you know that you're going to experience the extraordinary now on! Just phenomenal!

[@thefearofg0ds758]

One thing that is refreshing when rewatching the original movie is how Trinity actually looks and acts human. She shows emotion, fear, panic, anger etc. You can see her eyes and connect with her character. Idk why but in the sequels they told Carrie Ann Moss to maintain this robotic, stone face and never remove her sunglasses. One of The Twins has a razor blade to her throat: 😐, an agent is strangling and pummeling her in the face with punches: 😐. A lot of the characters in the sequels have this robotic, "prop" look to them. In the first movie they all looked and felt more natural. 5:42 look at Switch, Apoc, and Trinity in the scene where Cypher betrays everyone. You can see their eyes, they emote and have facial expressions. They appear human. Trinity was like a dead fish in nearly all the matrix scenes in the sequels. Idk what happened with the direction of those movies.

[@loganmedia4401]

Maybe because her acting is so fake in the first film.

[@waves5114]

@@loganmedia4401re read the comment again.

[@Drfresh1402]

I had the biggest crush on Trinity.

[@DelfosseFoo]

It's a subtle message to the audience that the film is a soulless money grab sequel.

[@AironExTv]

She was emotional in the real world, but I would agree that the character could have been more involved 'looking', considering what she risks in the Matrix.

[@theo.jovitch]

The green tint wasn't in the original theatrical release. It was added later on for DVD releases once the coloring technology had advanced to a point where digital color grading was becoming more widespread.

[@pendaco]

Exactly! Poor research on the maker of this video because it's a pretty well known fact.

[@cyrusmagnus]

I was going to say, I didn't remember it being this green when I saw it at the theater, but then my memory started to blend the many times I've seen it since in other formats and I thought for a moment maybe I was mistaken. Thanks for that clarification!

[@BHNative]

Yeah I watched this on the movies and remember it looking different. I don't think I've ever paid too much mind to this green version. I find it fitting, though.

[@nesnioreh]

Yeah. I have a scan of the theatrical version, and it's not green at all.

[@solargh]

I thought the green tint was added during a remaster and the Wachowskis weren’t even aware of it at the time

[@Max_Ukas]

The first Matrix is absolute bliss. Second movie - spectacular, sweeping, but not in the direction most of us expected and wanted it to go The third part- a poor sequel to the second, and a very very very epic ending. What this transmutant called the fourth part - a mockery of the studio bosses, but in parallel with this total mockery of Matrix fans. Hi from Ukraine

[@domedwards5256]

I think it should be noted the green tint, although with its own reationalization can't be separated from the original 'Ghost in the Shell' which the Wachowskis noted as a direct influence on 'The Matrix' and and a lot of their work as a whole. That being said, 'The Matrix' is a seminal film, and I would say unparalelled in my lifetime. I was very young when 'Jaws' and then 'Star Wars' came out, and the blockbuster was created. There were movements, fashions and changes in technology but I can't remember or even think of film that not only blended genres (sci-fi, action, horror, martial arts) but made traditionally hokey concepts but though out, better presented and redefined the content that was acceptable in main stream films. Its style, its thrills..its icon making legacy. Great video.

[@BluStarGalaxy]

The Matrix and Fight Club have both aged incredibly well.

[@ColoradoStreaming]

I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.

[@sisqobmx]

Fight club doesnt reach nowehere near the level of Matrix sorry, its kind of disrepectful to even mention it when talking about Matrix.

[@BluStarGalaxy]

@@sisqobmx I was meaning that the visual effects of Fight Club look very good even today. I brought up both because they both released in 1999.

[@Dr_Andracca]

@@sisqobmx They are insanely apt comparisons, both The Matrix and Fightclub are made by LGBTQ+ folk with LGBTQ+ themes that go right over dude-bro's heads when they try co-opting said themes for their dumbass homophobic nonsense. Ffs, Fightclub is blatantly about the dangers of toxic masculinity and how that can lead men down the wrong path and they *still* refuse to get it.

[@TheJacklikesvideos]

@@sisqobmx they had a similar tone in lighting and soundtrack. they were both very much in the Office Space 'reject the status quo' trend of the time. they both broke out into a sort of alternative media universe with comics and such. it makes plenty of sense to bring them up in context of each other or 1999 culture.

[@PikaPetey]

saw it in theaters.. it was the craziest film i ever saw at the time.

[@sethdonut]

A somewhat major point of contention with your essay. The Matrix was *not* green in 1999. The film was re-graded in re-releases, but looked much more neutral in 35mm release.

[@totallylegityoutubeperson4170]

Yep, it was done in 2008 rerelease for the original to match it with the sequels. A simple Google search and pretty much negates half of what this guy is talking about. Also calls him out on the lie of not actually watching it in theaters during its theatrical run.

[@MrAden1307]

@@totallylegityoutubeperson4170 I have loads of things i don't like about what this guy said. The one that really bugged me and sounded so condescending was this. "If you really understand the Matrix. You know it's a horror movie" 🙄 This guy doesn't know the difference between horror and thriller. Matrix has aspects of a thriller. But only in like 2 scenes. You could use the interrogation and what follows. But that's down to lighting and pace I'm actually starting to really dislike this sort of content. These people think they can rewrite classic films to their way of understanding. Forgetting millions of people understood when they watched the film a million times over the years 😂 It's so annoying 🙄 BTW i'm old enough to have went the cinema when it released in 99. This guy is definitely lying about the colour 🙄

[@sqlevolicious]

@@totallylegityoutubeperson4170 This idiot doesn't even know that the matrix is literally an allegory for what it's like to try and come out as trans. The writers/creators literally said so themselves. He's just another idiot that can't comprehend simple/basic physiological concepts.

[@Bottlecap]

You can’t expect KZbin “video essay” channels to do thorough research, or if they do they’ll just disregard anything that contradicts the first draft of their script.

[@StephenStrangways]

The Matrix was still green 1999, just a lot less green than the re-release. It was originally more subtle.

[@cjkalandek996]

This vid seems specifically timed. _The Matrix_ is getting re-released in theaters for a 25th anniversary thing this weekend (at least, where I live). And since I never saw it in theaters, you can bet your ass I pre-ordered tickets and am gonna go see it on the big screen.

[@IvoPavlik]

Oh lucky you!

[@ironmonkey1512]

I worked at a small software place our boss closed it down for the afternoon and we all went to see the premier. Very anticipated movie if you were into film...same fight choreographer of the matrix also did "Iron Monkey"

[@cjkalandek996]

​​@@ironmonkey1512Never saw _Iron Monkey,_ but Yuen Woo Ping's choreography is incredible.

[@mikebernardino534]

​@@ironmonkey1512 Iron Monkey is such an underrated gem. I haven't seen it in at least 15 years (on VHS no less)! I need to find it, now 😅

[@s0nnyburnett]

Probably as an apology for how bad the last (thing we won't talk about) was that they gave us.

[@slimyelow]

The build up of tension to action scenes as well as the escalation within every action scene is cut from the cloth of absolute film making mastery.

[@jamestheredd]

I appreciate how effected the green and blue look was without feeling overly oppressive or muted. The skin tones are still well balanced and the colors are enjoyable to look at.

[@AP90x]

One of my top 5 favorite movies of all time. Watched it probably 15 times throughout my life

[@marlons488]

What are your other top 5?

[@AP90x]

@@marlons488 pulp fiction, scarface, eyes wide shut, the shining, the matrix 1. These are probably my go to top 5

[@ThePatente]

Only 15 times?

[@oshag3670]

The camera work was half the magic. Phenomenal work and effort in every scene

[@Ironfranko]

Matrix is one of the best movies ever shot. It suffered from its own success, being copied, homaged, and replicated. But Matrix is the OG, and while it builds on an incredible twist in the first quarter of it, it's still so amazing. Don't listen to any snobbish artist, and ignore the sequels. Matrix is perfect.

[@ColoradoStreaming]

Especially considering when it was released we barely knew what the internet was or how it would affect society.

[@SeraphsWitness]

Ignore the 4th at least. 2 and 3 weren't completely worthless.

[@kwl189]

@@SeraphsWitnessthere’s a 4th(!?)

[@SeraphsWitness]

@@kwl189 I try to forget too.

[@kwl189]

@@SeraphsWitness I refuse point blank to acknowledge its existence much less ever reduce myself to watch it. It’s a disgrace to all of the films of the initial trilogy never mind this masterpiece in the matrix.

[@rubyh.4460]

Actually, it's been 25 years since the Matrix was released. What makes it even greater is that if the film was released this year, it would still be ground breaking and would still win all those awards. BTW, so what was the best sci-fi film ever in your opinion?

[@xxZerosumxx]

He likes RoboCop 3

[@jamesphillips2285]

Based on the 1968 release date: "2001: A Space Odyssey"

[@hankstorm3135]

per definition of the genre i think star trek is the best science fiction. but i enjoy most the star wars especially despecialised editions. though not many good recent releases.

[@thetikijam]

Blade Runner. Matrix close second

[@MushookieMan]

@@jamesphillips2285 I choose to believe they meant Planet of the Apes

[@mikanikolic1976]

The video is very interesting. Well done!

[@photoklarno]

The matrix wasn’t color graded with the matrix scenes in green and the real world scenes in blue prior the 2008 blu ray release, which is when it was remastered it to bring it in line with the thematic color grading decisions made in reloaded and revolutions

[@AGthor]

This Yes. I saw double bill of the matrix and The Matrix Reloaded back in 2003. The blue of matrix and green of reloded was very jaring. My nostalgia prefers the blue color grade. Nevertheless the new green 4k remaster of the Matrix truly looks like a billion bucks.

[@jnever9768]

i remember leaving the theatre with my friends after it was over and people were like doing flips in the hallways, everyone was blown away and hyped. i was one of the few back then who had seen a lot of hong kong action cinema and anime. my friends and i were immediately recognizing the homages to those films. so fun. this was before the internet was huge and i literally knew nothing about the film going in.

[@zuriyel5368]

That kinda makes sense since they did have a Hong Kong fight choreographer and action director for the fights in the trilogy.

[@backwrdsmusic]

such a good movie, loved it when I saw it as a kid, still love it today. great breakdown of what makes this movie so special.

[@alexanderzhukov3773]

I remember that after first watching i could recall every scene in the movie. Wachovski's vision was unbeatable in this film

[@TheMonkii5150]

The green tint was definitely an after-thought. The theatrical release was a distinctly colder/bluer

[@wausjackbauer128]

Yep. The VHS version of the movie has a warmer color tone and I think also the first DVD release. But it's a change to the film that makes sense. But the guy in this video is wrong about what he was saying.

[@sqlevolicious]

like 90% of the video, this wolfcow guy is making up BS for views.

[@Lil.Lon3Ly]

I think they chose green to reflect The Matrix codes which is also green which made more sense, thematically and also aesthetically

[@BenRicoMusic]

Great analysis, and great review of the original Matrix film... especially for the younger generations who weren't around in the 90s, or who've yet to take the red pill. I originally loved it for the action, the bullet time, etc etc. I can watch it now simply for the dialogue if I so desire. This film forever changed my life, and still tickles my thinker on a regular basis here in 2024. You've earned a new subscriber, and thanks for the content!

[@RedStarRogue]

I frickin love that still-camera bullet-time rig. They used Canon EOS5 SLRs all wired together with a high speed panavision camera for the final bit of the sequence.

[@Password_1234]

The #1 greatest science fiction film was released in 1968? You are absolutely right! It's good to see other people can appreciate "Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy" as much as I do.

[@Nutzername36]

Its such a classic!

[@lajya01]

Don't be kidding. We all know he meant Planet of the Apes.

[@null_state]

@@lajya01 2001: A Space Oddysey

[@F355]

@@null_state no it's Barbarella

[@pupper5580]

@@null_state Space Odyssey is not a good movie. There's a few interesting concepts, and it's a classic. But I would not call it a good movie, since it is painful to watch: it is painfully slow-paced. Some scenes can be watched in 4x speed - and they still feel boring.

[@gooddoor699]

Great video again ! Thank you!

[@TimVels]

Holy cow this background video of this movie is amazing! Speaking of sound, I haven't watched any other modern movie that has the swooshing sound of the bullet in slow motion and Agent Smith and Neo's punch sound effects. Nothing has matched the effect of this movie 👌

[@Drfresh1402]

I agree and there was also something different about the fighting sounds in The Matrix. It sounded like zippers pitched down and pitched down scratches on textured cardboard. What a sick film man.

[@TimVels]

@@Drfresh1402 ya very true!

[@Retrostar619]

"Once the kids saw the colouring books they were sold" Great Line!

[@baubergo]

awesome video as always wolf. thanks for the nostalgia. matrix is a masterpiece.

[@suryadnb]

Green DOS prompts in the 90s? That was more of a 70s and 80s thing. In the early 90s most of them had color monitors on which DOS was white font on a black background, and the ones that didn't had black and white monitors.

[@ariadnepyanfar1048]

It’s pretty clear if you pay attention that the machines set the year of the matrix/virtual world people are living in an earlier decade in history than when the film came out. People are passing around floppy disks and if I remember right, the mobiles are clunkier than the mobiles owned in real life on the release date.

[@suryadnb]

@@ariadnepyanfar1048 I was 20 back then and let me tell you people were still using floppy disks (even if they were on the way out) and the phones used in the movie were recent models.

[@DareToBeDeviant]

@@suryadnb I was going to say it couldn't have been too far behind. I was still using 3½" floppies mid way through high school (c.2004). Flash drives were on the market but low capacity. First one bought for me was a 1GB. Still have it. The Matrix themed Samsung SPH-N270 released with the movie? Heck, I didn't really know what a cell phone was at the time but fortunately through KZbin some guy found one and reviewed it. The phone "Tom" received in his cubicle? I've seen that one a LOT in cinema/irl. Edit: It's the Nokia 8110. I think.

[@yalu2]

The exact date doesn't matter - what matters is that consoles and a blinking green cursor are associated bith complicated computery wizardry by generations.

[@suryadnb]

@@yalu2 sure. I just wanted to point out that that claim in the video is not factually correct. I understand why Hollywood would use those visuals, but they were not current when the movie was made, as this video claims.

[@snower13]

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is also my #1 sci-fi film of all time!

[@shaquillejohn7384]

Funny, 2001: A Space Odyssey was my thought

[@Vor567tez]

Thanks for making videos on this topic. It's very informative for movie makers. ❤

[@imjakedeason]

i'm sorry but Underworld's blue light is just brilliant 🥰

[@merkury06]

I agree. Don't F with Underworld.

[@loganmedia4401]

Yes, and it isn't arbitrary. It's part of the overall atmosphere of the film.

[@AcvaristulLenes]

Totally agree.

[@mikeg9b]

100%

[@sqlevolicious]

this wolfcow loser is just spitting lies for views, almost nothing he says is true.

[@lovelywaz]

Thanks for reminding me to see this masterpiece yet again! The Matrix is, unfortunately, mostly considered as a great CGI Action movie. But in my opinion, it's much better than many Oscar winning pure drama and/or thriller movies. CGI and Action for me is just icing on the cake and that cake is well baked and yummy! 😋😋

[@debdootx]

very well explained and informative!

[@iiGerardoii]

Something to note is that the original color choices were quite less green than the ones shown here. Most of these shots seem to be from the 2008 Blu-ray release, this version has too much green in my opinion. The original scan and 1999 VHS/DVD release version have a much more balanced color grading, not as green, more like creamy yellow.

[@litjellyfish]

Yes! Also what I felt missing was a bit more about the use of grading. Not just green. As before Matrix using heave color grading was not so common

[@sotonin]

Agreed... too green. The original was better

[@matthewhall6288]

The Matrix had the best marketing campaign of any movie ever.

[@anielchall9708]

I remember the phone ads they had 6:02

[@Kaarzah]

I was queued up at my local phone shop to get the Nokia 7110 on launch day! It was iconic at the time.

[@peter_parkour]

Bro, I'm a new viewer. This is a great analysis. It's well-researched and explained really well. I hope you improve on your sound work though, it might improve the overall quality. Either way, great work!

[@joshanderson3716]

The Matrix was the first DVD I owned. Circa 2000, watching this on my beige PC with a Mpeg decoder card.

[@funkytaco1358]

The Matrix is why Playstation 2 sold like hotcakes. It was the first affordable consumer DVD player.

[@suddhojitgon5929]

This concept of The Matrix has a resemblance to the classical Hindu text Ashtavakra Gita. The character of Morpheus has resemblance to Rishi Ashtavakra and the character of Neo has resemblance to Janaka, king of Mithila.

[@wparo]

IT support?

[@AdvaiticOneness1]

Yes, it does and more specifically it's inspired from Advaita vedanta philosophy. This is the reason why they included verses from the Upanishads in the songs "Neodämmerung" and "Navras". The lyrics of the songs is the entire philosophy of the Movie.

[@theOnlyMaggux]

thats intresting, The matrix also has a lot of christian reverences.

[@abrucijus]

Really good! Both, the movie and the insights.

[@filmsbydiek7316]

If the Matrix is the 2nd best Sci-Fi film, what is your first best pic? I've been a Matrix junkie since it came out, I revisit it every now and again even after hundreds of viewings. The 20th anniversary remaster in the Dolby Cinema was fantastic, I had to go twice, and it absolutely rocked me anew.

[@artofsam]

For me personally it’s a close call between Matrix, Alien and Terminator 2

[@filmsbydiek7316]

@@Gomtu Ah! A solid choice, I missed that clue!

[@filmsbydiek7316]

@@artofsam I can get behind Alien for sure, but I prefer the OG Terminator personally. Also love T2 and Aliens. Bladerunner...

[@lymphomasurvive]

Blade Runner.

[@stupidgameprizes]

Not hard sci-fi like Matrix, but Independence Day and Armageddon were solid.

[@MeepMeep88]

If you liked Matrix, Equilibrium was pretty badass too. Came out 3 years after The Matrix. One of the last movies that didn't give into the slo mo hype but still crazy good.

[@stevepascoe]

Gun Kata!!!!

[@vice.nor.virtue]

Equilibrium pales in comparison to the Matrix. Honestly it's like comparing lead with gold.

[@stevepascoe]

Oh I get that they aren’t on the same level. But it’s themes of questioning the reality around you, courage, challenging authority and the slow building the movie is working towards at the end - that’s an explosive moment. I’m 43 now but I remember watching it 20 odd years ago and at the time finding it pretty epic. That being said I was all in with The Matrix.

[@MeepMeep88]

@@vice.nor.virtue Hm k. You still liked both :)

[@TheAmazingest]

The Matrix was still huge when Equilibrium came out, and that caused an unfair comparison between the two. Equilibrium was a great movie, and it may have borrowed some ideas from The Matrix with the way it was shot, but it should be judged just on its own merit, instead of how some people view it, by comparing it to The Matrix and the places it falls short.

[@saulcrypto]

Amaizing edit mate. Best of youtube for sure. Cheers ❤

[@christophergenovese9010]

The color balance on The Matrix was originally way different, the greens & blues were understated, and nearly an exact imitation of Alex Proyas' film Dark City, which is an unsung influence of the entire Matrix "Trilogy". If you locate an original Matrix DVD you'll notice a huge change in the image. Bill Pope updated the color balance in subsequent releases to match the saturated colors of the sequels. Still waiting for a release of the original transfer.

[@IsaacBTTF]

Didn't he fix this in the 4K release?

[@nostalium]

I think they fixed the greens in the 4K release.

[@pendaco]

The Matrix even used some of the Dark City sets, like the staircase and rooftops.

[@robert-j-s]

@@nostalium They fixed jack. Have a gander at the solid cyan sky in the rooftop scene in 4k release, or at the first trinity chase scene, where any highlight gives off strange hue. Green tint was mostly removed, but highlights became weird and certain scenes look washed out, like Morph and Neo in the white room. As if this carefully Bill Pope-supervised grading was one click auto-white balance adjustment. Makes me mad, can you tell?

[@nostalium]

@@robert-j-s I thought it was just me.

[@DiBaozi]

There's some movies that you wish you could wipe your memory of just to watch for the first time in theaters again. The Matrix, The Incredibles and Inception are those movies for me.

[@BHNative]

Incredibles was really super fun, one of my favorite animations of all time.

[@bluestrife28]

That iconic Trinity scene…like every movie possible imitated that for the next few years as well as the slowed bullet dodge. It’s stood the test of time this movie, and I’m glad for that, it’s one of those movies that made everyone feel included even us outcasts and ‘weirdos.’ I felt normal 😊

[@ShivaPrakash]

I don't know how they did the entire building rippling when the helicopter impacted; that had my jaw on the floor as a kid just as much as the bullet time... and really hit home the 'simulation' part of reality, that all is not as it seems

[@mrlightwriter]

It was a mixture of practical effects and cgi: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gp2tZmlveLt6mqc

[@loganmedia4401]

Computers most likely. Special effects had been using them to varying degrees for several years by the time this film was made.

[@Nutzername36]

@@loganmedia4401 yes, but the impact was a miniature smashing into glass :)

[@mercuryman9142]

If you check out the "extras" on dvd/bluray, they show you exactly how. It was CGI

[@mhagelst]

The Matrix is (most likely) the last movie, where I came out from the cinema and truly wondered "How the [insert exclamation] did they actually do...most of the whole thing..." Now you can, more or less, create what ever you want. But I have not seen ANY movie after The Matrix that filled me with such....awe...in both script, style and masterful execution.

[@GodlessXVIII]

Fury Road had the same "How did they do that?" factor I think

[@xl000]

wait until Flux (generative AI) matures and becomes temporally coherent, and you will start wondering again.

[@realsocratease]

Brilliant analysis

[@spacebarwasd9782]

This video wouldn't exist if Will Smith accepted the role...

[@Morning404]

Why?

[@fx7105]

He'd do a good job, Will is a good actor and action star, neither Keanu or him were the reason the movie was good, it was all the people in technical roles that made this a masterpiece. Also people used to hate on Keanu back at this time and say he can't act. Neo was written, not invented by any actor accepting a role.

[@MushookieMan]

@@fx7105 Neo is not a comedy character, the Fresh Prince would not have done the same job

[@UntiltedName]

Will was doing a lot of action-comedy stuff, and having his music videos on TRL. He probably could have done the role properly, but audience expectation would complicate the perception of it. There's no way in 1999 I go into The Matrix (starring Will) and not have "WELCOME TO URF" or a million other quotes from Bad Boys or Fresh Prince buffering in my head. You could not escape goofy-Will in the mid-late 90s. You just couldn't. He was everywhere. Will after his mid-'00s run of serious films could have been perceived better for a more serious role. Timing was not on his side here. Opinions of Keanu weren't exactly beaming back then. I didn't think he was proper for Neo either at the time and felt that he was a weak point in the film, but not enough to break immersion. In hindsight I've just learned to accept that he was good enough at that time, and that's fine. It doesn't hurt the film at all because everything else is so strong.

[@poro666]

Actually, the Wachowski surname should be pronounced as it would be written Vahovsky, with strong "h" like in the word "who";)

[@MarkArandjus]

1:20 It WAS subtle in 1999, because the green tint we all know was accentuated in the 2008 bluray remaster so it fits more with the sequels. Originally the blue/green difference was barely visible, you can see what the film looked like in 1999 if you watch the 2018 4K remaster. The contrast and tones are different. Both version have their charm though. *Edit:* A bunch of replies are claiming that the 1999 release actually was green (a few of your were real pricks about it too :D jeez). I don't know what to tell you, but you're wrong and it's not up for debate: 1. The 4K remaster was scanned from the original 35mm film and the grading was supervised by Matrix cinematographer Bill Pope with the intent of matching the original look. 2. If you think maybe Bill Pope (one of the most experienced cinematographers in Hollywood) botched the remaster then go look at trailers from 1999 or a video called 'The Matrix - 4k/Blu-ray Comparison' which compares the 1999/2008/2018 release. You will see that the green was artificially added in 2008. 3. If you've studied graphics (which I have - MSc of graphics engineering), you know that the dynamics between visuals and perception/memory are incredibly relative from both a psychological and technological perspective. Our memory on this matter is unreliable, studies consistently show this. This is why you remember old games looking much better than they are. Your memory of what the film looked like in 1999 is tainted by years of seeing the green-tinted version and the greener Matrix sequels and everyone pointing out the blue/green difference in videos and documentaries.

[@wolfcrow]

The green and blue is intentional, and was present in 1999. You have to remember it was projected mostly on film (at least that's how I saw it). They probably added a lot more green later to make it easier to distinguish as well as to match the sequels, which are definitely more green. Which is better? Who knows? The theatrical version definitely had richer, deeper blacks. The digital versions isn't as rich. Also, the Matrix was finished in 2K, as most films heavy on VFX are. Any 4K work can only be interpolated. Anyway, none of this takes away from the effort and presentation of the film. Thanks!

[@MarkArandjus]

@@wolfcrow Thank *you* 👍

[@loganmedia4401]

And no-one will be able to accurately remember what it looked like in the cinema. They'll remember it as being greener and bluer than it was.

[@jas_bataille]

@@loganmedia4401 This is correct : no screen will perfectly reproduce those colors. Let's not forget that consumer screens almost always makes the color pop, especially back then. Laser Discs where incredibly colorful and contrasty, and the Blue Rays really pushed the digital look heavily when paired with TVs that boosted the saturation and contrast quite a bit on purpose. I don't think they had to go to the trouble of changing the actual color-grading.

[@jas_bataille]

Let's not forget all consumer TVs tend to be quite a bit more saturated than cinema screens, especially back when Blue Ray was pushing the digital look. The Laser Discs at the same thing going on just way over the top (although it does have it's charm) really locking onto that digital look.

[@ichigen511]

Very well done. Liked and subscribed!

[@TurdFerguson0]

I know nothing about film, cameras, lighting, etc... But this is one of the most interesting and entertaining videos i've ever seen about cinema.

[@SolWake]

If you like video essays on cinema, I'd recommend one of the OG channels: Every Frame a Painting

[@tank-eleven]

the author of this video doesn't know any of those things neither

[@DennkifromRingstreet]

I can't remember having fallen in love with an 8:15 minute long youtube video this quickly and wholeheartedly.

[@mrmogensen]

1:17 the green tint started with reloaded and was edited into the first movie in later releases

[@SoulDelSol]

Sad newer audiences had to have their hand held to tell

[@DobuleDot]

Go and watch it again lol 🤦

[@GregiiFlieger]

Well done! Learned allot about cinematography! Thanks!

[@ishaan863]

In some instagram comments section I was talking about how most of the discourse around The Matrix is poisoned by the fact that the main audience who saw it back in the day were teenagers when they saw it, and they've never gone back and re-examined the trilogy and re-engaged with it. Yesterday someone replies to it with "it's not surprising, because it's made for 14 year olds." Which really tells you everything you need to know about the media literacy of modern audiences, and the level to which people engage with good filmmaking. No wonder a hot piece of garbage like Deadpool and Wolverine can earn a billion dollars in 2024, and why every big budget movie Hollywood churns out seems to be outrageously bad. Our audiences have just...no capacity whatsoever left when it comes to what makes movies good, from a narrative OR technical standpoint.

[@litjellyfish]

Ok so how does that explain the majority of films made for teenagers in the 70's 80's and 90s? I dont buy the teenager argument. It must lie more on higher level and such. Also about the Matrix, was it really teenagers who was the main audience? I would like some proper linked stats to it. As I at least did not see it as focused so sharply on that viewer group. Just curious.

[@litjellyfish]

Also might I add, the should not be any need for the audience to understand the technical aspect of an movie. Not at all.

[@Leathal]

Man I was so down with this comment right up until it became “blame the audience for bad media literacy”. The modern audience is a symptom of a larger dysfunction that combines global markets, no home video sales, and an entire cohort of writers raised on social media. It’s not just cinema, “art” as a medium of expression that can be shared widely through a culture is dead or at least dying.

[@ishaan863]

@@Leathal That's a pretty valid take. It's just that I am desperate for audiences to do their part and to engage with this stuff, art in general, on some level that's not absolutely shallow. And you're right, the whole ship's taking on water fast but the people on top are only giving audiences what they want. The change has to come from the ground up, otherwise it's an endless feedback loop of crap that just ends with all mainstream art becoming less meaningful than the average Spongebob episode (not to drag on Sponge, GOATed show obviously).

[@loganmedia4401]

Only the first Matrix film is actually good and even then the philosophy and ideas in it were nothing new.