What has been lacking in the onslaught of big budget extravaganzas lately? How about sheer visual style and a little bit of originality. This dazzling new cyber-thriller from the Wachowski Brothers (the brilliant film-noir Bound) isn't completely original, but they have fashioned an intricate plot that makes familiar material seem fresh. It also has the privelege of being the first film that's part computer thriller, part western, part kung-fu, part Schwarzenegger action film, and part love story, all rolled into one.

Keanu Reeves (Speed) is an unlikely hero who finds himself leading a group of freedom fighters against an evil cyber-society. Thankfully, the Brothers Wachowski keep Reeves in check, making his performance quite effective--spending most of the film firing guns, doing martial arts, dodging bullets, and running. Also joining him is Laurence Fishburne as the mysterious Morpheus and Carrie Anne-Moss playing the tough-as-nails Trinity. Aside from the energetic direction of the Wachowski Brothers, the biggest star of the film is the cutting-edge special effects.

Although The Matrix is often over-the-top and runs a bit long, it offers energy and excitement that is lacking in so many sci-fi films. It is also beautiful to look at and contains some spectacular fight sequences (courtesy of the man who trained Jackie Chan and Jet Li). This film is obviously one that took a lot of time to bring to the big screen. The actors committed over a year of their time and it looks like all that hard work paid off. Hopefully, it will stand the test of time as Ridley Scott's Blade Runner did in the early 1980's. The Matrix also proves that the Wachowski Brothers are the real deal.