It's time to take the red pill and experience the sci-fi masterpiece The Matrix in IMAX for the first time. The Wachowskis' operatic blend of kung-fu, sci-fi horror and philosophy was a potent experience for OG viewers back in 1999, and it now gains added dimensions in the IMAX format.
As if you needed reminding, Keanu Reeves plays computer hacker Neo who comes to a terrifying realisation. The world he lives in isn't real but is instead a construct named 'the matrix', constructed by machines to keep humans under control as sentient batteries.
Neo's transformation into the prophesised messiah known as 'The One' allows for oodles of trench-coated, slow-mo, visually stylish action, including the now-infamous 'bullet time' camera effect. Laurence Fishburne brings the gravitas as Morpheus, the leader of the human rebels, while Carrie-Ann Moss is striking as Neo's close ally Trinity.
Here are five classic scenes from The Marix that you absolutely have to experience again in IMAX.
1. Trinity chase
Moss' introduction as the tenacious Trinity is the first indication of the movie's physics-defying nature. That 270-degree aerial crane kick into a hapless cop's chest still slaps, as does the pulse-pounding nature of Don Davis' exciting score during the ensuing chase sequence with the deadly agents. No doubt you've seen this scene countless times before – but in IMAX? We thought not.
2. "Welcome to the real world..."
Given this was only the Wachowskis' second film, the visual majesty of The Matrix is something to behold. The chilling moment where Neo awakens in the real world to discover what is essentially a human battery farm both alarms and captivates in equal measure. Again, one must cite the choral majesty of Don Davis' score, and also the CGI effects that have held up surprisingly well.
3. The lobby shootout
The trenchcoats and the boots come out during the defiant and violent assault on the lobby. As Neo and Trinity begin their fight back against the agents, hoping to rescue the incarcerated Morpheus in the process, the Wachowskis' arresting aesthetic takes full flight. Music from The Propellerheads fuses with an overload of slo-mo that helps emphasise the actors' involvement in their own stunts, namely Reeves who struggled on the set with the climactic kick move.
4. Bullet time and the helicopter escape
The notorious bullet time effect hardly needs to be raked over, but can you possibly resist the chance to experience it all over again in the curvature and immersive sound of IMAX? An equally brilliant scene, although perhaps more underrated, is the ensuing helicopter rescue of Morpheus, culminating in the craft crashing into a building with a bold liquid metal effect. It embodies this movie's ability to continually surprise and enthral in equal measure.
5. "He is The One"
Davis' soaring score reaches full flight during the climax as Neo realises his destiny. The dynamic 'green code' effect promises to stand out all the more in IMAX, along with the thrilling music as Neo finally defeats the nefarious Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving).
Are you ready to take the next step? Click here to book your IMAX tickets for The Matrix. The movie is re-released in Cineworld cinemas on 3rd December.
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