The Matrix Trilogy The Special Effects

The matrix trilogy took its place among the best action films of all time for a number of different reasons

. The plot, the ideas, the characters, the design, and the action all played an important part in the success of the franchise.

The special effects, however, pushed the film to a new level of awesome that other popular action films like the Lethal Weapon movies lacked. The movie set the new standard for revolutionary special effects and raised the bar higher than it had ever been before.

Taking CGI to the Next Level

In the late 90"s CGI (computer generated effects) had become more and more common in film. Backgrounds were easily replaced, explosions faked, and objects manipulated to fit the premise of the film. Prior to the success of the matrix, James Cameron had been the standard bearer with his work in movies such as the Abyss and Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

The Matrix took advantage of its plot surrounding a computer environment as a perfect setting to push the boundaries of what special effects could do on film. They were used not only to add characters or explosions, but to bend and warp the very environment the film existed in.

Bullet Time

The most iconic image that comes to mind when anyone thinks of the matrix trilogy is without a doubt, bullet time. Neo discovers in the film that while in the virtual world of the Matrix, he has the ability to manipulate space and time as needed. This is shown in the pivotal action set piece of the movie atop a skyscraper when the villain agent Smith fires a gun at Neo.

Time seems to freeze as the bullets fly towards the protagonist. As the time slows, the camera begins to spin in a circle around Neo as he leans backwards to avoid the bullets path. The effect caused audiences around the world to drop their jaws in awe the first time it was seen. In the years that followed, sadly, the effect was beaten into the ground by so many copy cat films that it became more punch line than spectacle.

Sequel Effects

Not surprisingly, any film with the level of success the Matrix enjoyed is bound to spawn sequels. The most common plan to apply to sequels of an action movie is to take everything about the first film and do it bigger and better. The second and third films in the Matrix trilogy featured far more computer generated effects and made them much more complex and elaborate.

The main scene that epitomizes this in the second film, the Matrix Reloaded is what is commonly referred to as the "Burly Brawl." Neo is once again confronted by the villain Agent Smith who has grown powerful enough to clone himself into a literal army to battle Neo. Neo fights all of the Agent Smiths at once. The computer effects are staggering when dozens of Smiths, all portrayed by Hugo Weaving, are on screen at once battling the hero.

by: Sagbee

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