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Wizard Joined: Jun 12 2009 Posts: 4209

I'm absolutely positive this topic has been visited and re-visited several times, but... fuck it.
The main examples I want to draw your attention to (because they are freshest in my mind after re-watching the series) are the Merovingian and the end of the final battle between Neo and Smith.
First, the Merovingian. The Merovingians, in history, are a clan that believed they were of divine decent, possibly the decendants of Jesus through his coupling with Mary. In the film, it is vaguely implied that, because Neo is not the first 'One', the Merovingian may have been 'One' or the very first 'One'. This is suggested through Persephone's comment that Neo is like what the Merovingian once was. Another suggesting factor is his name. The Merovingians believed they were of divine decent, which implies in the movie that the Merovingian was also a divine figure of sorts--the 'One' of a previous time.
For the second example, Neo and Smith's battle. I will simply say that it reminds me (along with many others) of Lucifer's fall from Heaven. Thoughts?

Joined: May 22 2008 Location: Goshen, VA Posts: 6544

Wat?

2011 SNES Champ Joined: Dec 04 2006 Posts: 1929

I think you forgot to state your point.

Wizard Joined: Jun 12 2009 Posts: 4209

By 'Philosophy behind the Matrix series' I meant the vague references within the movies to real world events and culture.

Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

How about....outside of the first movie, the series was fucking ridiculous and stupid?

Posted: Jun 08 2010 07:26 am

All this talk of hidden meanings and philosophies and such when applied to The Matrix movies just makes me wish the filmmakers didn't try to be deep and clever, and instead just made kick ass sci-fi action flicks. The fight scenes in those movies are legendary, but it's a shame they are sprinkled in between ridiculous, nonsensical scenes and confusing plot lines.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

I spoke in person with one of the worlds leading philosophers about this 7 years ago. He stated something like, "Those movies were stupid and the messages they tried to convey were poorly presented."

I do not speak as eloquently as he did, but that was pretty damn close to what came out of his mouth.

Joined: Mar 18 2010 Location: Tuonela Posts: 299

To be fair, the first movie does works as an introduction to Western philosophy, as it talks a little bit about most of the historically biggest qustions (nature of reality, what can be known, mind-body problem..). I watch it for nice action though. Too bad the sequels were so bad, that I refuse to talk about Matrix trilogy.

Drew Linky wrote:

By 'Philosophy behind the Matrix series' I meant the vague references within the movies to real world events and culture.

Oh. Never would've guessed this from the topic title. Usually people (at least those I know) refer to Plato, Descartes, Kant & friends, when they say "philosophy". My second guess was something like "the movie making philosophy of the makers of the Matrix" .. you know, philosophy behind Matrix.

Anyway, the movie is loaded with easy-to-spot cultural references, especially religious ones.

Posted: Jun 08 2010 09:25 am

Pandajuice wrote:

All this talk of hidden meanings and philosophies and such when applied to The Matrix movies just makes me wish the filmmakers didn't try to be deep and clever, and instead just made kick ass sci-fi action flicks. The fight scenes in those movies are legendary, but it's a shame they are sprinkled in between ridiculous, nonsensical scenes and confusing plot lines.

Even a lot of the fight scenes are terrible.

That scene were Neo fights like a million Agent Smiths and doesn't get a scratch on him? Boring as hell.

The final battle between Smith and Neo? An uninspired DBZ rip-off.

The fight on the highway was pretty cool though.

The problem with Neo is that he rarely bleeds. An action hero is supposed to bleed, dammit. This is one of the big reasons why Seagal was never as popular as Stallone or Schwarzenegger. Those guys always come out of their battles beaten to hell. Seagal just cruises through the movie like he's playing Streets of Rage with Game Genie. Neck snap! Neck snap! Yawn. A lot of the action in Reloaded and Revolutions is the same way.

Posted: Jun 08 2010 12:07 pm

Syd Lexia wrote:

The problem with Neo is that he rarely bleeds. An action hero is supposed to bleed, dammit.

This is definitely why the 2nd and 3rd movies drop down quite a bit from the original. He's basically invincible. He's Superman. He can't be hurt. Who gives a shit? That's why Superman is boring, too.

I like the action sequences overall from the movies, but I do wish they could have done something better with what started out so great.

Posted: Jun 08 2010 12:12 pm

The first movie had a fantastic mythology. I wish they had actually tried to build on it with the sequels instead of doing whatever it was they did.

Posted: Jun 08 2010 06:44 pm

in other words, Bruce Willis in Die Hard w/a Vengeance. that guy gets beat up thru out the whole thing.

Posted: Jun 09 2010 05:54 pm

Here's the philosophy behind the movie the Matrix:

Let's make it really awesome and (potentially) meaningful so we can make tons of money and then produce two unwatchable pieces of shit.

Posted: Jun 10 2010 01:28 pm

I saw all 3 movies, but I honestly can't even remember how the third one ended. Goes to show how much I gave a fuck by the end.

Posted: Jun 10 2010 01:29 pm

Ice2SeeYou wrote:

I saw all 3 movies, but I honestly can't even remember how the third one ended. Goes to show how much I gave a fuck by the end.

It was all just a daydream inside an autistic kid's head.

Posted: Jun 10 2010 01:35 pm

Doddsino wrote:

How about....outside of the first movie, the series was fucking ridiculous and stupid?

i totally agree.

Posted: Jun 11 2010 01:12 pm

The first one was really good, then the 2nd and 3rd one were like a chicken with its head cut off.

The best thing to come out of the Matrix was this....

Posted: Jun 11 2010 01:47 pm

Syd Lexia wrote:

The problem with Neo is that he rarely bleeds. An action hero is supposed to bleed, dammit. This is one of the big reasons why Seagal was never as popular as Stallone or Schwarzenegger. Those guys always come out of their battles beaten to hell. Seagal just cruises through the movie like he's playing Streets of Rage with Game Genie. Neck snap! Neck snap! Yawn. A lot of the action in Reloaded and Revolutions is the same way.

Is that why Seagals only good movies were Under Siege and Executive Decisions? Because in one he gets shot, stabbed, and has a huge chunck of his shoulder ripped off by a grappling hook. And, in the other, he dies.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Ermac, that was awesome.

Posted: Jun 11 2010 02:06 pm

I didn't even like the first Matrix, didn't see the other two.

Posted: Jun 11 2010 02:10 pm

GPFontaine wrote:

Ermac, that was awesome.

surprisingly, it was.

matrix is pretty much a mix up of many religious and phylosphical themes. overall its goodlooking nonesense. at least the first one. 2 and 3 are... like extra long matrix commercials.

Posted: Jun 11 2010 02:19 pm

i'll_bite_your_ear wrote:

GPFontaine wrote:

Ermac, that was awesome.

surprisingly, it was.

not to get too off topic but my fav has to be