5th April 1999 - It may rule the box-office, but does that mean the film itself rules? Here's what DH readers have had to say about "The Matrix" (my review will be up tomorrow):

"WOW!! What a movie! Special effects were excellent and acting was superb. This ones gonna be a classic sci-fi. ***** 5/5" - DirkDig

"I just saw The Matrix. To put it simply, an excellent, stunning and inventive sci fi action film. Could be a classic. Warner Brothers finally has a hit on their hands. Keanu, Fishbourne, Weaving, and Carrie Anne Moss are all excellent and the effects are mind blowing. Definitely a must see and possibly the best action film since Terminator 2." - Cyrus Stormbringer

"Amazing! I have not seen a movie like this since the Usual Suspects.. I was constantly left with my mouth wide open at the special effects, the great use of the camera, and the intelligent story -- with all its awesome twists and turns.. This is a non-animated anime film and it is great! With this outing the Brothers Wachowski prove they are as good as any one in the industry! My highest recommendation.. anyone into sci-fi should love this film.. anyone into great film making should as well." - Matt

"Man, I saw The Matrix opening night, and it was one of the most jaw-dropping films I've ever seen. The action literally numbed me and had me walking out with a dumb, gleeful smile on my face. I found myself giggling at the sheer coolness of the movie. A great entertainer." - DJ

"I saw the Matrix last night and I've got to tell you, I'm still blown away! This movie rocks!!! The story, while sharing similar elements to other genre films, is great; the acting is tight (and I normally don't even like Keanu Reeves!) and it has to have one of the largest action sequences I've ever seen. The effects are beyond description. I just don't know how Phantom Menace is going to top this!!!!" - Anonymous

"Oh My God!!!!!!" - SHmEE

"Just got back in from seeing "THE MATRIX"...WOW! WOW! WOW!, it truly is the greatest pure Science Fiction movie since Ridley Scott blessed us with his classic film version "Blade Runner", everyone must see this movie. GO SEE "THE MATRIX" AS SOON AS YOU CAN! Cinematic Perfection!" - Lee-Norman Williams

"To put it in simple terms, The Matrix rocks the house. Everything about the film was fantastic. The plot, the characters, the action, and best of the best, the special effects were top of the line. To me the plot was comprehensible. Keanu, Laurence, Carrie, and the guy who plays the bad guy were awesome. Best sci-fi action flick ever. 10 out of 10." - Zac

" This Is The Best Movie I Have Seen. People Who Haven't Seen It Go Out And See It. It's The Best Sci-Fi Of All Time I Give It A ten." - MalaChi15

"Just caught "The Matrix" today and was thoroughly entertained. It was a visual feast and a very good and engaging story. Good performances all around. I look forward to more films by the Wachowski Brothers." - Mike St. Louis

"The movie was superb and beyond what I had imagined. I went in with low expectations and was amazed at how HUGE this movie was. It had amazing special effects, but the thing was, they all served a purpose. They all added to the story, and what a complex story it was! I thought I wrote and thought-up bizarre stuff for my stories. This thing is just so complex, yet easy to follow." - Nicolas

"The Matrix is a combination of the force, T2 and hackers that turns out very satisfying. Not even Keanu could bring this one down, as he gives his best performance (probably because less talk-more action) since Bill and Ted. Fishburne reestablishes himself as a bad ass, and the overall concept is very intriguing. Definitely the best movie of this year so far." - mal2330

"All I have to say is that I saw the Matrix tonight and it was FUCKING AMAZING!! Never have I seen action scenes as entertaining as in this movie. While people might say the acting was bad, I beg to differ. Although Keanu isn't going to get an Oscar, his acting was enough to keep myself still in joy. My jaw was on the floor once this movie was over. 5 stars/5 stars" - Morpheus

"Two words come into one's head upon viewing The Matrix: 'Wow', shortly followed by 'bitchin!' Incredible mix of action, effects, and story! . . . but that's what the Matrix wants us to think" - Joe

"It took Blade Runner several years to be recognized as a classic. It's opening day and I've already seen it twice. It only took me once to realize that this sucker is a keeper. 9.5/10" - CHUD

"This movie kicked ass. I love it so much that I am getting ready to go see it again. It has the feel of dark city story wise but none the less what a great job they did creating such a complex story. Top notch directing and special effects creates a believable world. 4 stars out of 4" - TWSTDCROW

"An all out, full fledged AWESOME movie, start to finish. My expectations were more than met on this film, and everything that you could possibly want out of it delivers. Incredible" - Pug

"This is the movie that will make the wait for Episode 1 a lot easier. Mind-blowing, jaw-dropping special effects and quite simply the coolest action sequences I have ever seen. Do not miss this movie. A+" - Slater

""Wow" "Wow"...that is the only thing I can say about "The Matrix." This movie kicks butt! Better then anything that came out last year. Too bad it came out so early in '99 though, everything is going to look pale in compared." - RDanSch

"I just wanted to say that I enjoyed "The Matrix"! I was really surprised by Keanu Reeve's effort in this picture with all the fights and stunts. I was expecting him to be aloof like in "Chain Reaction", but he was exciting to watch again! Although it was a bit confusing in the beginning, the whole theatre really got into the film by the second half. Really exciting stuff!" - Jerky

"The Matrix is the coolest, smartest sci-fi movie since Blade Runner. The visuals are astounding and the story, while not COMPLETELY original, is executed in a way that has never been done before. See it as soon as humanly possible. " - Rob

"What a thrill ride!! The first words out of my mouth to my friend were "I can't wait to see that again"! He called it the Star Wars of action pictures...and that means a LOT coming from him! The action is balanced out with the perfect amount of story and special effects. My jawed dropped at least five times during the movie." - The Davis

"Very cool movie to watch and enjoy. Great special effects and Keanu actually did a decent job! A good sci-fi appetizer to prepare us for the main course on May 19th. 9/10" - Kuato

"What a fantastic feast for the senses. Some of the most thrilling action sequences that American cinema has seen in years. Although the story gets a little light when the action takes a breather, the visual and auditory bombardment will knock you over. The cast does great! The effects are second to NONE. See it.. Amazing movie-making! 8.5 out of 10 stars!" - Wade

"Just saw The Matrix, and it comes SO CLOSE to being the most kick-ass movie of all time. DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU THE DETAILS BEFORE YOU SEE IT. All I can say is there are pieces that are the best ever of their kind. There are totally new innovations in the use of special effects. There are things that kick so much ass it isn't even funny. BUT... A) the movie gets very cheesy/corny/cliche'd in places. Dialogue especially. B)There is no big follow-through. C) The final image is unsatisfying (even if the song is). But in the two+plus hours of movie, there is maybe an hour and fifteen minutes of the best genre movie ever... and its EVERY genre. The Wachowskis have decided to take their favorite elements of kung-fu, science fiction, film noir and gun-fight action and make them one movie. And they take the influence of John Woo, Jet Li, anime and all the CGI ever, and they top it. But the movie is far from perfect. It might have been, but as it stands, it provides new standards that now have to be topped. If this is a Star Wars, I hope the Wachowskis now make an Empire Strikes Back." - Fake Shemp

"The Matrix is the movie I was just waiting for to see. When I saw it the opening night, I was stunned and blown away by all the action, special effects, sound, and the story. Am I in the Matrix? It sure as hell got me and I give it 4 out of 5. THE MATRIX rocks !!! " - The Matrix4

"Matrix is one of the best sci fi movies in years. The movie grabs a hold of you in the beginning and doesn't let go. The story is one of the most original and just plan fun in a long time. The movie isn't perfect. The script has some lines that you've heard a thousand times before. But none of that matters. All of this shot in Garth's hometown. DO NOT MISS THIS MOVIE! ****/****" - Jerry

"When I first heard about The Matrix oh-so-long ago, I dismissed it as another bad Keanu Reeves sci-fi flick (Johnny Neumonic). The first previews changed my mind, and when I saw it today, I was blown away. The Matrix is simply the most AMAZING movie I have seen in years. Mind you, I didn't say BEST movie, just AMAZING. Unreal action scenes, and a star-making role for Carrie-Anne Moss. The only film that has a chance of blowing this out of the water this year is Episode I." - Jay Gunn

"I went to see "The Matrix" this weekend... and I was thoroughly impressed. First off, kudos to the people who constructed the trailers and commercials. They caught my interest without revealing ANY of the real plot. The movie itself started off unclear to the viewer what exactly was going on. This allowed the suspense to build where the viewer actually WANTED to know exactly what is the Matrix. The special effects were sharp, timely and necessary (I hate it when other films use that stop-time circling camera trick for NO reason whatsoever; The Matrix used it effectively to further enhance the viewer's take on the scene). Add some great one liners ("Dodge this!"), original plot and contexts, throw in some unnecessary romance but a kicking soundtrack, and you've got one hell of a ride that makes last year's summer movies (Armageddon, Godzilla '98, Deep Impact) look retarded. Won't win any Oscars for acting (Mr. Reeves, I presume) but worth your admission price. **** out of five." - CNE

"Whoa. Fast track the sequel NOW. One of the few movies I'd intentionally see again. I hope The Phantom Menace can live up to this. 5 stars." - MeteoMaune

"A brilliant concept executed in an entertaining way. Unfortunately, the plot had holes the size of garage doors, and this film was written with "sequel" in mind more so than even "Blade." Still, that action sequences were killer, and I enjoyed myself when I wasn't thinking too deeply about any of it. Clearly worth the price of a matinee ticket, and the concept haunts me still." - Bill Cable

"I saw the movie The Matrix yesterday... Wasn't bad but it wasn't excellent... It has some interesting stuff and ideas but the story well... Is something of a déjà vu... But with amazing special effects and a pretty good soundtrack I give The Matrix a 4 out of 5." - Exodore

"I'm slightly disappointed because this film had the potential to be a phenomenal combination of story, ideas and effects. It's a phenomenal film overall, but it could have been so much more. 3.5/4" - Sony Boy

"Wow!  The special effects were amazing.  The story was cool (if not entirely original).  Keanu was definately better than he has been in some of his other films. (Johnny Mnemonic)  The treatment of the idea was great.  It was scary!  It was thrilling!  It was visually awesome!  In fact, as my brother and I left the theater last night, we were remarking how the effects in this film looked cooler and more realistic than some of the ones in the Star Wars trailers.  If you like visual feasts and a decent storyline to go with it, check out this flick!" - Review by 'jhnewman'

"A very badly structured, incomprehensible storyline ruins some nice visuals in this followup to the great film "Bound." When will filmmakers learn that Keanu Reeves is a horrible, horrible actor, no matter how much malarky you surround him with? There's so much idiot-philosophy and pseudo-hipness that I felt like gagging. Laurence Fishburne has gone severely downhill, and the usually wonderful Joe Pantaliono has absolutely nothing to do. Plus, there's a bizarrely copious amount of gay subtext, which has nothing to do with the story, and if anything, is severely distracting and absurdly funny. Quite poor in almost every way" - Review by 'Anderson'

"This is probably the best action movie to come along in a long time. And probably what makes it such a good action film is it has one hell of a great story. I mean I rank this movie up there with great action films such as Die Hard and Preditor. The story was almost like a live action AKIRA movie. Actually its almost more believable explaining our existance then GOD is but thats a whole nother argument well its fun to think about anyway. Well this movie is highly recomended." - Review by 'Oxide'

"WHAT A MOVIE!!! For those of you who were befuddled by all the previews and what-not, the easiest description I can think of is "think Dark City on jacked acid". Keanu Reeves might have saved his career and will endear himself to sci-fi afficionados everywhere. Trust me when I say that this movie is a mind-blowing, body-numbing extravaganza of an experience. GO SEE IT! " - Review by 'Prufrock'