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1!!Works with their own YMMV pages:
2
3[[index]]
4* ''YMMV/TheMatrixReloaded''
5* ''YMMV/TheMatrixRevolutions''
6* ''YMMV/TheMatrixResurrections''
7* ''YMMV/TheAnimatrix''
8* ''YMMV/EnterTheMatrix''
9* ''YMMV/TheMatrixPathOfNeo''
10[[/index]]
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13!![[Franchise/TheMatrix Franchise]]:
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15* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: All over the place given the series's penchance for MindScrew. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkMU1mKdwPI One surprisingly popular theory]] is that [[TheChosenOne The One]] is not Neo, but actually [[spoiler:[[BigBad Agent Smith]]]]. Morpheus tells Neo in the first movie that The One was born in the Matrix, possessed the power to reshape it as he saw fit, and he will eventually return and his coming would herald the destruction the Matrix, the end of the war, and humanity's freedom. These powers and feats are not really applicable to Neo, but are fully applicable to [[spoiler:Smith, who (as a Program) was born in the Matrix, took over all of its functionality and gained the ability to reprogram it to his will, and in doing so functionally destroyed the Matrix, and as part of Neo defeating him the Machines ended the war and agreed to free the humans that wanted to be freed.]]
16* {{Applicability}}: One of the main reasons for the franchise's success is that its themes have been able to be interpreted in a variety of ways, from being a religious allegory, to a metaphor about striking out against "the man", to revealing one's true identity (especially helped by the Wachowskis coming out as trans women).
17* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[AwesomeMusic/TheMatrix Has its own page.]]
18* CompleteMonster:
19** [[Film/TheMatrix First film]]: [[ItsAllAboutMe Cypher]], [[TheMole the treacherous member]] of [[Characters/TheMatrixNebuchadnezzar Morpheus's crew]], ends up [[FaceHeelTurn selling out his comrades and Morpheus]] so he may reenter the Matrix as "someone important" without his memories. Setting up his team to die and Morpheus to be abducted by the Agents, Cypher is fully aware of the machines intending to wipe out the final bastion of humanity, Zion, while beginning to murder the remaining team members with nothing short of sadistic relish.
20** ''[[Film/TheMatrixResurrections Resurrections]]'': [[spoiler:[[BigBad The Analyst]] is a manipulative and power-hungry [[Characters/TheMatrixPrograms program]] that usurps control of the Matrix. After he takes over, the Analyst conducts a purge of programs, killing the Architect, the Oracle, Kamala, and Rama Kandra, an event that orphans Sati. Reviving Neo and Trinity to power his new Matrix, the Analyst traps them in new identities and [[{{Sadist}} takes pleasure]] in his efforts to keep them separated. Assuming the guise of a [[PsychoPsychologist therapist]], the Analyst traps Neo within the Matrix, prescribing him blue pills to suppress his reality-questioning doubts. Upon Neo's awakening, the Analyst torments Neo by revealing his scheme before ultimately unleashing a horde of [[SuicideAttack suicidal bots]] to kill an awakened Trinity. Defiant and lacking remorse for his actions, the Analyst arrogantly declares that he won't be deleted and demonstrates a firm belief in the superiority of control over freedom.]]
21* CriticalDissonance: You'd be forgiven for thinking everyone who saw both ''Matrix'' sequels loathed them, even though they both turned profits during their respective theatrical runs. But while ''[[Film/TheMatrixRevolutions Revolutions]]''' significantly lower gross lines up with its critical 36% rating on Website/RottenTomatoes and 47 on Metacritic,[[note]]Users of those sites give it 60% and 4.7/10 respectively, plus a 6.7/10 on Website/IMDb.[[/note]] ''[[Film/TheMatrixReloaded Reloaded]]'' actually got ''mixed to positive'' reviews (73% on Rotten Tomatoes, 62 on Metacritic[[note]]And fans gave it 72% and 6.9/10 respectively, plus a 7.2/10 on [=IMDb=].[[/note]]), making ''Reloaded'' moreso an example of CondemnedByHistory than actual critical dissonance at the time (though defenses of the sequels have since emerged as well).
22* EpilepticTrees: To this day, there are theories that the real world isn't ''really'' the real world, but a second simulation built as a failsafe to help control humans that reject the Matrix by giving them the illusion they have discovered the truth and freed themselves. The "Matrix within the Matrix" theory is supported by many who see it as a solution to plot holes and contrivances, while others disagree since such a reveal would undercut most of the franchise's lore and story.
23* EvilIsCool: The Sentinels and the agents, but especially Agent Smith.
24* FanonDiscontinuity:
25** Among the films after the first one, plenty of people disregard ''Revolutions'' and ''Resurrections''; ''Reloaded'' has its share of detractors too, but it's much more well-received.
26** In regards to other media, some don't accept ''VideoGame/TheMatrixOnline'' as canon either. ''Anime/TheAnimatrix'', on the other hand, fared better with fans.
27* FandomRivalry: While the rivalry has largely died due to both films becoming widely recognized and appreciated, as well as many of their similarities simply being a case of TropesAreTools. There was a time when it was common to pit ''The Matrix'' against ''Film/{{Dark City|1998}}'' due to their shared themes and unique sci-fi aesthetic. The fact that one found mainstream success while the other was largely regulated to cult film status and obscurity also fed into the rivalry. Some more resentful ''Dark City'' fans even accused ''The Matrix'' of being a "rip-off" or "dumb-downed" version of ''Dark City''. Although, again, the rivalry is mostly a relic of the past these days as the fandoms have largely come to embrace both films.
28* LGBTFanbase: The films have been considerably popular with transgender audiences, given the heavy parallels between the film's plot and trans experiences, which was only enhanced by the fact that both Lilly and Lana came out and transitioned years after the first three films were completed which galvanized the franchise's trans fanbase.
29* MagnificentBitch: [[{{Seers}} The Oracle]] is a mysterious sentient program responsible for the third iteration of the Matrix. For five generations, she acted as an ally to the redpills to find "[[TheChosenOne the One]]" and give them TheProphecy, which led them to believe they would save humanity. In reality, the Oracle was luring the One to [[BigBad the Architect]], who blackmails the One into entering the Source and saving the humans plugged into the Matrix, at the cost of Zion's destruction. The Oracle decides a different course of action for Neo, the sixth One, introducing romance into the equation to make him attached to humanity, while assisting Neo to defeat [[OmnicidalManiac Agent Smith]], which would inevitably achieve peace between humanity and the Machines as she had intended.
30* MisaimedFandom:
31** [[http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/05/21/ctv.matrix.insanity/ In July 2002]], a woman by the name of Tonda Lynn Ansley shot her landlady in the face. She proceeded to go for the Insanity Plea by claiming that she believed she was in a computer simulation, saying: "They commit a lot of crimes in ''Film/TheMatrix''." The really weird part? This ''actually worked''. A year later, a UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco man named Vadim Mieseges used the same defense, for the same crime, even. This has led to "The Matrix Defense" being adopted as a real legal strategy.
32** This previously came up during the UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} shooting, when some journalists speculated that Harris and Klebold might have been inspired by a certain amount of misaimed Matrix fandom.
33** Believing that reality is somehow unreal is a common delusion, the Matrix just happens to fit a paranoid feeling that some people have always had ("''Film/TheTrumanShow'' delusion" immediately preceded it).
34** In the New 10s and beyond, a number of right-wing groups and their supporters have hailed the Matrix as (supposedly) prophetic, or perhaps even a warning, about how world governments have become increasingly draconian and invasive, and "the Matrix" is the systems of government and media that Hollywood and liberals use to ​indoctrinate and control people. ​Morpheus' monologue [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgJ5ZEn67tk "the Matrix is a system"]] in particular has practically become a rallying cry for far-right American conservatives. The Wachowskis are trans women and hold views that are very much in-line with American liberalism and contrary to American conservatism, and intentional or not the films are very liberal in their politics: they feature a racially diverse cast of heroes while all of the non-Machine antagonists are white males, and a great deal of emphasis is placed on personal choice (especially one's freedom to control their own body and mind) and helping those in need.
35** Furthering the distorting of the film's message is another misaimed fandom which uses the term "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incel#Black_pill Blackpilled]]," a spin on "Redpilled," to claim that they've "woken up" to an overtly nihilistic worldview in which they have so little agency that they claim it's better to either kill themselves or attack the people around them, a far cry from the film's ''actual'' use of the red pill as a way to signal Neo's newfound sense of agency and the start of his journey to ''help'' the people around him.
36* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: Morpheus' voice is oddly satisfying to hear. Despite, or perhaps because of, him mostly "enunciating like a robot" as ''[[Magazine/TimeMagazine TIME]]'' magazine put it.
37* MovementMascot: The character of Neo and the franchise in general made enough impact to create, more than a movement, a religion. This is what "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrixism Matrixism]]" (or "The Path of The One") is about, founded through TheInternet and being a tendency during the TurnOfTheMillennium.
38* NarmCharm: The Merovingian runs on this. He's a pretentious bastard and he knows it, he enjoys indulging in high culture for its own sake yet is aware that it, like everything is the Matrix, is just a facade. His mannerisms are hammy, overly theatrical, and he likes hearing himself talk a lot, but he owns it so well that instead of being silly he's oddly compelling.
39* OlderThanTheyThink:
40** Revolutionary as the series (or perhaps only the first film) was, these movies owe a lot to classic {{cyberpunk}}, anime, fantasy and biblical lore. Many people think ''Film/TheMatrix'' invented WireFu, even though the technique has been used in countless martial arts films decades before the film was made.
41** The idea of The Matrix as well, being a modern ScienceFiction update of Descartes's Demon, [[PlatonicCave The Allegory of The Cave]], Vedic notions of Maya, etc. Which had been a staple of sci-fi for decades, including the movie ''Film/{{Dark City|1998}}'', which came out just before ''Film/TheMatrix.'' (''{{Literature/Neuromancer}}'' and ''{{TabletopGame/Shadowrun}}'' got it especially bad for a while, since they had both been using the term "The Matrix" for their cyberspaces a good decade or more before movie even existed.)
42** Elements like characters wearing black [[BadassLongcoat Badass Longcoats]] and CoolShades who fight with fancy WireFu and BulletTime dodges are associated with nothing other than ''Matrix'' in popular culture, but all of them were actually popularized by the first ''Film/{{Blade}}'' film a year before and again had roots in the "cyberpunk aesthetic".
43* ParanoiaFuel:
44** Maybe you're in the Matrix right now! How would you know?
45** There are serious theories on how [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulated_reality there's a better chance our reality IS simulated than isn't.]]
46* RomanticPlotTumor: The commonly-focused LoveTriangle between Morpheus, Niobe and Locke between ''Reloaded'' and ''Revolutions'' is petty and irrelevant compared to what's at stake.
47* SpiritualAdaptation: The franchise is, in some ways, a sci-fi version of ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'', as it's about a group of people who discover that their world is an illusion, unlocking great powers in the process, and are then pursued by just-as-powerful beings who are tasked with keeping the illusion alive.
48* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The sequels make it clear that there is a bit of a schism between the Machines and the Programs. Not only is the Matrix full of Exiles (Programs that were deemed redundant and scheduled to be deleted, but entered the Matrix and went into hiding), but there are Programs that exist purely within the Matrix to oversee its functions and seemingly do not have "real" bodies, and they may do things the Machines don't want them to. While spin-off media explores this schism a bit more, in the films the only Programs that significantly influence the plot acting on their own desires and goals are Smith, the Merovingian, and [[spoiler:the Oracle]]. The Programs have the potential to be a third faction in the Human-Machine war and would play a critical role in the conflict due to their influence over the Matrix, but instead they individually pick one side or the other.
49%%* ValuesDissonance: The films, especially the first one, are a bit of a window into how this perception morphs over time. Thoughout the TurnOfTheMillennium and the early parts of TheNewTens, the movies felt to many as if they reeked of a Generation X desire to rebel against authority, preferring harsh truths to comforting lies, and a desire for freedom and a demand to be treated "like adults". However, to Millennials, who (at the time) were thought to tend to prefer deference to authority, feeling secure and safe at all times, and being taken care of and guided by those in power, the human resistance was fairly often cited as coming off as pointless, or being seen as terrorists disrupting the nice, safe world of the Matrix provided by the benevolent Machine overlords who are, after all, taking care of humanity. This opinion was ''not'' universal, but takes of this sort were not terribly uncommon, especially concerning the sequels. '''''However...'''''
50* ValuesResonance: Especially in the [[TheNewTens later 2010s]] and on into [[TheNewTwenties 2020 and beyond]], with many feeling like uncaring governments were simply exploiting them for their labor and wealth (or energy, if you like) and with Lilly Wachowski stating that the metaphor for the realization of being trans is very valid, the films were caught up in the general re-evaluation of the overall {{Cyberpunk}} movement and the first one in particular was valued as a seminal film that was important in newly-acknowledged ways.
51
52!![[Film/TheMatrix First film]]:
53
54* AluminumChristmasTrees: During his initial interrogation, Agent Smith lists "you have a Social Security Number" as one reason why Thomas Anderson seems perfectly normal and law-abiding. This sounds weird to younger viewers because most US citizens born after 1987 were assigned an SSN at birth (with the program spinning up years beforehand, and the whole idea of "SSN at ''birth''" being another huge cog in many GovernmentConspiracy theories), so having an SSN sounds like a default state, rather than a sign of respect for the law. However, until the 1980s, Americans usually applied for an SSN when they got their first official job, which meant criminals and other under-the-radar workers wouldn't have one. In foreign dubs, to avoid confusion, this line was often replaced with an easier to understand "You have a ''medical'' insurance".
55* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: Creator/WillSmith turned down the role of Neo because Creator/TheWachowskis spent the entire pitch talking about the BulletTime effects they were working on instead of the plot and Smith thought it was too gimmicky. Unlike other actors who passed on what would be huge roles, he later said he doesn't regret this decision, believing that he wasn't mature enough as an actor at the time and that he would have ruined the film.
56* AngstWhatAngst: Neo suffers no hesitation or guilt whatsoever in slaughtering the lobby guards. While this is technically also true of Morpheus and Trinity, ''they'' have been doing this for a long time; Neo seems to be happy to kill the moment he has the opportunity to.
57* CommonKnowledge: A common "fact" about the movie is that the executives forced the Wachowskis to change the explanation of the Machines using human brains as the Matrix's neural processors to be instead an explanation on how the Machines harvested humans for energy. However, as noted by this [[https://www.reddit.com/r/matrix/comments/q2xefs/batteries_not_processors/ post]], the idea that the Machines harvest humans for battery power is, in fact, the Wachowskis' original intent even in the early scripts and not the result of any ExecutiveMeddling. In reality, Creator/NeilGaiman [[https://www.raintaxi.com/fragile-things-an-interview-with/ invented]] the neural processor theory when writing a short story for ''The Matrix'' franchise as he felt that the movie's battery explanation didn't make sense. Furthermore, the Wachowskis have notably defended the battery explanation in an [[https://www.avclub.com/the-wachowskis-explain-how-cloud-atlas-unplugs-people-f-1798234238 interview]], implying that this is indeed their idea and not the studio's.
58* CompleteMonster: [[ItsAllAboutMe Cypher]], [[TheMole the treacherous member]] of [[Characters/TheMatrixNebuchadnezzar Morpheus's crew]], ends up [[FaceHeelTurn selling out his comrades and Morpheus]] so he may reenter the Matrix as "someone important" without his memories. Setting up his team to die and Morpheus to be abducted by the Agents, Cypher is fully aware of the machines intending to wipe out the final bastion of humanity, Zion, while beginning to murder the remaining team members with nothing short of sadistic relish.
59* EsotericHappyEnding: Viewed on its own, the original film has a pretty big one. Sure, Neo has fully unlocked his superpowers and embraced his role as [[MessianicArchetype humanity's savior]], and it's heavily implied that the downfall of the Matrix is imminent--but when it comes, humanity will still have to take back their planet from the Machines, and there's no guarantee that they'll win that war (particularly since they've already lost one war against them, and Neo's powers don't work outside the Matrix). Not to mention that most of Earth is a lifeless wasteland that may not be able to support everyone trapped in the Matrix, and it's made clear that many humans can't handle the transition to the real world anyway. For understandable reasons, many moviegoers in 1999 didn't find the ending all that happy or inspiring.
60* FanDislikedExplanation: Plenty of viewers dislike Morpheus's exposition that the Machines harvest humans for energy, mainly because it is inefficient [[ArtisticLicensePhysics according to the laws of thermodynamics]].
61* FanPreferredCutContent: An earlier draft would explain that Morpheus has been so dead-set on finding "The One" that Neo is the sixth candidate he's freed and the previous ones all died. Many fans lament this exclusion as it gives more context to [[spoiler:Cypher's FaceHeelTurn and [[PrefersTheIllusion desire to re-join the Matrix]]]], a plot point that comes out of nowhere in the finished film. Furthermore, this would have added extra weight to TheReveal in ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'' [[spoiler:that the prophecy was a fabrication.]]
62* FirstInstallmentWins: The first film is an established classic. The sequels (especially the [[Film/TheMatrixRevolutions third]] and [[Film/TheMatrixResurrections fourth]] films) tend to land in FanonDiscontinuity, though they're certainly not without their fans.
63* GenreTurningPoint: The Matrix did the lion's share of popularizing Eastern-style fight choreography in the West.
64* HarsherInHindsight:
65** A decidedly bittersweet mixture of both this and HeartwarmingInHindsight -- Lana Wachowski revealed years later that during her younger years struggling to figure out her gender identity, she once seriously considered committing suicide by jumping in front of a subway train. This naturally lends a ''ton'' of context to the film's iconic subway fight, which ends with toxic authority figure Agent Smith trying to force Neo to get run over by a train and using his birth name, to which he retorts "My name is ''Neo''!" and escapes.
66** The film features a lot of gun violence, particularly the lobby scene. Just three weeks later, [[UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} the Columbine Massacre]] happened, and the film was quite controversial thanks to those scenes, in addition to the two wearing longcoats similar to those featured in the film. In addition, Music/MarilynManson, one of the bands who appeared on the film’s soundtrack (as well as the credits for the actual movie) were MisBlamed for it.
67* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: Creator/KeanuReeves' performance in The Matrix is leagues ahead of what most people consider his standard performance in movies.
68* HilariousInHindsight:
69** The movie's protagonist is a computer programmer named Tom Anderson. Four years after its release, a real man by that name would become famous for co-founding [=MySpace=].
70** A film about a loner hero that's TheChosenOne who meets and falls in love with an ActionGirl, discovers the world he knows is a lie, teams up with a [[MentorArchetype wise mentor]] who's really into TheChosenOne, go inside TheChosenOne's mind to train, fight a [[SinisterShades ruthless lawman that wears sunglasses]], sentinels that attack everyone, the main hero [[DisneyDeath seemingly dies]], but comes back with a new perspective and is more superpowered that ever? [[WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie Clearly, no one would ever try to copy that formula.]]
71** [[WhatCouldHaveBeen The original plan for Switch was that she be a woman in the Matrix, but a man in the real world]]. Not only did Creator/TheWachowskis come out as trans, but it lends credence to the film being a trans allegory.
72** The film's 10th anniversary coinciding with he first annual Transgender Day of Visibility becomes this after the Wachowskis came out as trans women.
73** The Wachowskis famously pitched the film to Creator/WarnerBros by showing ''Anime/GhostInTheShell'' and saying, "Basically we want to do this for real". [[Film/GhostInTheShell2017 In 2017, it was adapted to live-action]].
74* HoYay: Neo and Tank get on incredibly well, and Tank is quite excited to help Neo adjust to things. It's also Neo who Tank [[spoiler:saves from being killed by Cypher]].
75* ItWasHisSled:
76** Though it gets answered comparatively early on in the movie itself (it's the first big reveal and rising action at roughly the half-hour mark), "What is the Matrix?" is the DrivingQuestion at the start, the reveal of it is treated as a fairly big deal and isn't really spoiled in the trailers (although certain promotional pieces on things like ''Entertainment Tonight'' at the time could be shockingly cavalier about it), and it was also the key promotional phrase for the movie itself before its release. In the [=21st=] century, it's difficult to find anyone who ''doesn't'' already know what the Matrix is.
77** As a bit of history, though the "we're actually living in a simulation" idea had been trod in science fiction before the film, TheReveal coming so soon in the film (plus people assuming the Matrix would be some sort of kung fu magic power, judging by the trailers) made it a well-received twist when it came out.
78* MemeticMutation:
79** There have been many image macros of a screenshot of Morpheus with the caption "What if I told you..." followed by some kind of factoid. ([[BeamMeUpScotty Morpheus never actually says this in the movie]].) Unlike other memes taken from the film, this one took nearly a decade after the film's release to arise.
80** Smith's [[CatchPhrase "Mister Anderson."]]
81** Quotes like "There is no spoon." and [[DullSurprise "Whoa."]] made up some early Internet memes, being pretty prominent among image macros, gifs and parodies in the early to mid-2000's.
82** Switch's last words before Cypher unplugs her ("Not like this...''not like this.''") have also enjoyed a bit of mileage, primarily from her dramatic delivery.
83%%** "I know kung-fu." [[note]][[Series/SaturdayNightLive For the last time, no you don't!]][[/note]]
84%%** "Stop trying to hit me and hit me!"
85%%** Neo's BulletTime scene.
86* {{Narm}}:
87** When Tank kills Cypher, he "spits" at him, but "spitting" consists of him simply angrily saying the phrase "ptoo!"
88** The stilted manner in which Trinity says "God damn you, Cypher!".
89%% ** "What is the Matrix? Control. The Matrix is a computer-generated dreamworld, built to keep us under control. In order to change a human being into ''this.''" Cue a close-up of Morpheus' face, after which he holds up a [[ProductPlacement Duracell battery]].
90%% ** "TRINITY! HELP!"
91%% ** The ridiculous way that the Sentinels spin around rapidly to throw bombs doesn't ''quite'' invoke the same reaction as their other methods of attack.
92%% ** "It means fasten your seatbelt Dorothy, 'cause Kansas is going bye-bye."
93%% ** When Mouse tells everyone that "Morpheus is fighting Neo", they all charge towards the door in a comically exaggerated manner.
94* NarmCharm: Hugo Weaving's American accent as Agent Smith is a bit over the top, but it just serves to make him all the more sinister.
95* OnceOriginalNowCommon:
96** Heavily influenced by anime, religion and the western, the first film caused such a major shift in culture — and SpecialEffects, with the proliferation of WireFu and BulletTime in action sequences — that it was imitated constantly. The "bullet dodge" scene, in which Neo bends over backwards to avoid being hit by the Agent's shots, [[DeadHorseTrope has been parodied to death]] when not being outright copied, to the point that modern viewers often don't realise (or remember) that it actually ''was'' an incredibly cool effect when the movie released. Interestingly enough, it also suffered from OlderThanTheyThink when it premiered to a young audience who were not aware of the multitude of Eastern and literary influences in the movie (or ''Film/{{Blade}}'' doing essentially BulletTime a year before). One major area the sequels suffered in was that they continued playing all this stuff like it was just as revolutionary, after the first film had inspired so many imitations and parodies in just a few years.
97** Watching Morpheus claim that the Matrix cannot be explained in words [[https://xkcd.com/566/ comes off a little weird]] nowadays, now that the concept of InsideAComputerSystem is so well-known. Of course, half the reason the concept is so well-known is ''this movie''.
98* OneSceneWonder: Gloria Foster as The Oracle in the original film. It's actually hard to believe she was only on screen about 5 minutes. It helps that the whole film hinges around it, but her scene itself is completely gripping.
99* RainbowLens: It's been noted that the Matrix is extremely easy to read as a UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} allegory, which both directors have confirmed after coming out as trans women themselves. The blue pill represents prozac, an antidepressant (which fits its ability in the movie to retain comfort in society); while the red pill represents estradiol, a hormone taken by trans women that came in small, red pills at the movie's release. Those who have taken the red pill realized that something is wrong with the world, break out of the roles they have been assigned by society, and even chose a new name and identity for themselves once they have broken free of their bonds. The Agents can be read as transphobes, as they hide among the population and can be anyone.
100* RetroactiveRecognition:
101** These days, the other two agents in the first film are likely to be recognized as [[Series/{{Farscape}} Stark]] and Series/{{Longmire}}.
102** If you're a fan of Australian soaps, you might recognize Dujour as Leah on ''Series/HomeAndAway''. Ada Nicodemou appeared in this film a year before being cast on the show.
103** Cypher Reagan is [[Series/{{The Sopranos}} Ralph Cifaretto.]]
104* SignatureScene:
105** Morpheus offering Neo to take the blue or red pill.
106** The lobby shootout.
107** The rooftop shootout between Neo, Trinity and Agent Jones. The bullet time moment in particular where the camera does a 360 around Neo dodging bullets is usually the go-to moment that people remember (helped by the trailers emphasizing it, too).
108* SpecialEffectFailure: During the part of TheTeaser chase where Trinity is pursued across rooftops, the special effects of her jumping across a street look entirely convincing. In every other shot, it's painfully obvious that the city beyond the rooftops is a backdrop. This is taken up to eleven at the climax of the rooftop chase, where a stretch of rooftop in front of Trinity is nothing more than a black curtain, ''complete with visible ruffles and folds''.
109* SpiritualAdaptation: Website/{{Cracked}} claimed in [[https://www.cracked.com/article_28857_8-classic-movies-that-unintentionally-remade-other-ones.html its article]] that the first film is an adaptation of the 1973 film ''World on a Wire'', which was actually based on the novel ''Simulacron-3''; which, in turn, was adapted into another 1999 film called ''Film/TheThirteenthFloor''.
110* {{Squick}}: The scene of Neo's mouth sealing up is unexpectedly gross.
111* StrangledByTheRedString: Many critics point out that Neo and Trinity provide no chemistry or even hint at being attracted to one another before she professes her love for him. Especially funny when the Oracle calls Neo "not too bright" for not picking up on it.
112* StrawmanHasAPoint: While there's no denying that Cypher [[spoiler:is a monster for betraying Morpheus and killing most of his crew]], he's still right in the fact that people in The Matrix live more comfortably than those eating protein goo in the real world. He's also right in the fact that Morpheus taking them out of the simulation, is what put their lives in danger. Morpehus, of course, would counter that the ability to live freely is worth all the other hardships of "real life", but the fact still remains that he does this without really driving home what they'll be in for.
113* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: The supporting cast such as Apoc, Switch, Mouse and Dozer seem like they'll help make up an ensemble, providing some interesting insights into more people from the future. [[spoiler:They get killed off in quick succession halfway through.]] Perhaps if they'd [[spoiler:survived into the sequels]], that would have helped with the TwoPartTrilogy feel and allowed [[spoiler:their deaths to have more meaning]]. But of course, at the time, the Wachowskis had no idea sequels might even be on the cards, so [[spoiler:the characters technically felt more "disposable"]].
114* UnintentionalPeriodPiece:
115** The world inside of the Matrix is in the year 1999, and it certainly looks very, very '90s. The computers are all boxy, the monitors CRT, and the mobile phone that Morpheus first calls Neo on is big, blocky, and has an antenna. The club where Neo meets Trinity is dripping with IndustrialMetal aesthetic, and the credits song is by Music/RageAgainstTheMachine.
116** The whole reason the Matrix is predominately colored in green and blacks is because they were widely considered to be "computer colors" thanks to CRT screens. Similarly, the idea of going in and out of the Matrix via telephones is based on dial-up internet. Since LCD screens have become more commonplace and connecting to the internet has become wireless, The Matrix's take on computers has progressively become a period piece.
117* ValuesDissonance: The heroes are utterly ruthless and extremely cavalier about human lives-the security shootout scene is an iconic action set piece sure, but they are still massacring a ''lot'' of innocent people who have no idea what is going on, people they are supposedly trying to save no less. Morpheus tries to justify this earlier in the movie by saying that every single human is plugged into the system and that "the people they are trying to save" are thus their enemy, exemplified by the fact that any living human can be [[DemonicPossession consumed by an Agent programme]], but for many this sounds eerily like a terrorist making excuses for murdering civilians for the sake of their political mission, however justifiable that mission is, and it is especially jarring given that our heroes are effectively superhuman and have access to non-lethal weapons yet choose to kill their comparatively powerless adversaries regardless.
118* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The film created a whole new style of visual effects so spectacular that it was the first film to ''ever'' beat a ''Franchise/StarWars'' film at the Best Visual Effects [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]].
119* {{Woolseyism}}: The original Polish translation of the "I'll give you the finger and you'll give me my phone call" was far more blunt and direct, in essence "I'll tell you to fuck off and call my lawyer;" later, [[BlindIdiotTranslation more literal]] translations, showed why this was an excellent idea.

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