The Wachowski Brothers, who up until that point had made the talk of the film festival circuit by having written a highly praised script for a lesbian noir film called Bound, went on to tackle a groundbreaking project in early 1997, one which has since set the tone for high intensity, metaphysical science-fiction.
With The Matrix, a tale of mankind reduced to a society of warm bodies plugged into a giant machine (connecting everyone into a false reality designed to keep humanity alive), the Wachowski Brothers released one of the biggest hits of 1999, and turned Keanu Reeves into a much more bankable action star than previously expected.
Now, ten years after the release of this surefire blockbuster, Warner Brothers is giving The Matrix its proper due, by releasing it on Blu-Ray, with incredible results.
The Matrix 10th Anniversary Edition Features and Extras
Aside from the obvious --- the film itself, with pristine video quality and much better color display than the original DVD release --- this Blu-Ray release has all of the extras a hardcore fan could ask for.
Though some features appear redundant if one watches every single bonus feature, there are some which distance themselves from the pack, with good reason. Chief among them is the feature-length docu "Revisiting the Matrix", which runs at roughly 2 hours and change, and takes viewers through virtually every single step of the production process, from the original script, to storyboards, to location scouting, casting, martial arts training, and so on.
The Wachowski Brothers, Andy and Larry, feature prominently in this featurette, as do many of their cast and crew. It is one of the most comprehensive making-of options this reviewer has had the pleasure of watching in several years. To sit through this highly informative documentary, gives new life to a film many have seen often enough to recite by heart.
Another great feature is the inclusion of about 40 or so mostly instrumental audio pieces, which the viewer can play at leisure, on the disc. Most of it veers towards electronica, which is unsurprising given the film's theme.
Fans may want to skip the lesser bonus items, such as "Take the Red Pills", and "Follow the White Rabbit", as many of those are repeats of the original WB standard DVD from late 1999.
The piece de resistance is the aforementioned feature-length docu, which serves as an excellent companion piece to this already complex film.
Finally, as to the overall quality of the Blu-Ray treatment, there is a marked improvement in terms of hues, and contrasts, which really help this version. For example, look for the lobby scene in which Neo and Trinity (Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss) go off to rescue Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). In the original standard DVD, it was difficult to make out shades of black, between the characters' clothing, their guns, and the background elements. In this new treatment, the viewer can easily tell one from the other, in crystal clarity.
If one film truly deserved to set the tone for the Blu-Ray standard, it is The Matrix. The disc is neatly packaged, and will no doubt be a staple of each fanboy's Blu-Ray film shelf.
8 out of 10 for an excellent video transfer, enough interesting features to sustain uninterrupted interest, and a plethora of catchy electronica, to boot.
Dominic Messier - Dominic Messier is a Toronto-based Film & TV writer, Sci-Fi TV and Film Dramas Topic Editor, and creator of PopCultureLandscape.com
