The Matrix is 10 Years Old Already? What the Hell?

Rotten Tomatoes has recently done a look back at the science fiction hit movie, The Matrix, and it just occurred to me that this is the film's ten year anniversary. Ten years? Has it really been that long ago? Well... apparently, yes it has.

The Matrix is a uniquely stylistic movie, influenced by Hong Kong shoot-em up films (primarily that of John Woo), anime, and the internet age. It was the fore runner of, then technology, the "bullet time" effect. Which was so cool. It also spawned many rip offs and over-use of that technology in commercials and, if I remember correctly, Charlie's Angels was one of the first movies to totally camp it out.

I also remember that year, 1999, was the year George Lucas was planning his huge long awaited comeback with Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. It supposedly was the first all digital film that created the first all digital character (your favorite, Jar Jar Binks). So much for how that went; it made a ga-jillion dollars ($924 million worldwide to be exact), but whoa man... "Damn it Lucas, You better make the second one better!"

Then Oscar season rolled around, and The Matrix won for best visual effects, leaving George Lucas empty handed and pondering why all his technological advances couldn't beat out the probability of The Matrix.

Anyways, I'm gonna stop myself and not babble more about The Matrix, like a crazy lunatic fan. Instead, I'll just go ahead and watch it for the millionth time.