Matrix, The MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +3 Content: -2

Tom Anderson (Keanu Reeves) leads two lives. By day, he's a mild mannered program designer for a major software maker. But he's also Neo, one of the best computer hackers. His life gets complicated when he's contacted by a legendary hacker named Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) who offers to show him the real world because Neo is born to save it. Aided by his assistant, Trinity (Carrie Anne Moss), Morpheus shows Neo that the world he thinks is real is really a big computer program running in his mind. It's really the future and artificial intelligence has enslaved humans for their bioelectric energy. Only a few have escaped, but they can hack into the computer world and fight the slave agents led by Smith (Hugo Weaving). But there's a Judas in the hacker crew. This futuristic, computer Messiah tale is filled with fantastic special effects and lots of action which should attract science fiction/action fans.

This science fiction fantasy often appears like a live action comic book with super heroes who can stop time or survive massive shoot outs because they learn to control reality with their mind. In this case, they control a computer program they get plugged into. Disturbing scenes show babies hooked to machines and characters get probes stuck into their head to connect to the computer world. The battles between the slave agents and the hackers are often extremely violent as people are shot, stabbed, burned and exploded. But this is a video game so the people just get re-animated as needed, particularly the slave agents. Although Neo is slow to believe his status as world savior, he finally accepts the role. One character even calls Neo a "personal Jesus Christ" because his computer abilities save his job. Although no f-words are in the dialogue, 18 s-words are used , along with God's name used in vain 15 times. The frequent scenes of graphic violence and foul language make THE MATRIX a computer game too offensive to play.

Preview Reviewer: Paul Bicking
Distributor: Warner Brothers, 4000 Warner Blvd., CA 91522