Matrix and LotR comparison poll

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

I wont flame you, but I'm wondering what you mean by "didn't really do a whole lot." Does it mean...you didn't feel like you really "got" it, or you didn't feel it was anything more than pop philosophy and therefore not nearly as "deep" as it is somtimes considered?

Pop philosophy. I've had discussions with friends and read many of the online essays over how "deep" it is, and how the Wachowski brothers have supposedly developed this great, new mythology that is supposed to get to the heart of religion, human nature, and what the definition of reality is.

Sorry, but as far as I'm concerned, its not deep, not original, and nothing special. The religious references are obvious, as was the "oppressed minority" angle, and many of the other things they are supposed to be hiding in the films. They didn't make me question what the nature of reality is, they made me think "hmm, they took that from Philip K. Dick and put it together with HG Wells and got... a big plot hole. How will they dig themselves out of that one?" The whole multi-layer "reality" has been written about in SF since the 40s, if not earlier. Comic book philosophy spiced up with guns and special effects doesn't make a movie groundbreaking or deep as far as I'm concerned. I'll enjoy the movies as SF action flicks, but I doubt they are going to change my life.

 

[ergeheilalt]

I gave LOTR a 5 because I can't see how it could have been any better -- every aspect was top notch. I gave Matrix a 4 because I've been enjoying them immensely but there have been things here and there (some of the dialogue, mostly) that I could see room for improvement in.

Ditto. I loved the LotR movies and really liked the Matrix movies; however, the Matrix halted every now and then while (IMO) LotR had a pretty good varriation of high and low points that balance out the piece.

Erge

 

[reapersaurus]

What the heck do people expect in movies, if both of these don't get a 5?
Go ahead and think back over the last 10 years, and ask yourself, "What's been better?"
If you don't come up with more than 10 that are better, than that means that LotR and the Matrix are in the like Top 1/2% of movies.
That doesn't rate a 5? That's a pretty tough scale....

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Go ahead and think back over the last 10 years, and ask yourself, "What's been better?"
If you don't come up with more than 10 that are better, than that means that LotR and the Matrix are in the like Top 1/2% of movies.

I'll agree that the LOTR movies are at the top of my all time favorite movies. As you can guess from my posts above, the Matrix are no where near the top (I voted them a 3 in this poll). In the past 10 years, what has been better? Lets see, just off the top of my head I liked the following much better: Memento, Sixth Sense, Braveheart, Shrek, Slingblade, Men in Black, Fargo, Toy Story, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, A Bug's Life, Saving Private Ryan, 28 Days Later, Good Will Hunting, Minority Report, Pulp Fiction...

 

[Quasqueton]

I wonder if LotR is so highly rated by folks here because it is the first decent movie to bring elves, dwarves, and orcs to the main stream entertainment?

Quasqueton

 

[Tom Cashel]

Memento, Sixth Sense, Braveheart, Shrek, Slingblade, Men in Black, Fargo, Toy Story, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, A Bug's Life, Saving Private Ryan, 28 Days Later, Good Will Hunting, Minority Report, Pulp Fiction...

...The Big Lebowski, Spider-Man, X-Men 2, The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, Adaptation, Being John Malkovich...

 

[Quasqueton]

What makes the LotR movies great movies?

Quasqueton

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

My "3" for The Matrix was my average of "5" for The Matrix and "1" for The Matrix Regurgitated.

Possibly the worst sequel in movie history (though Jaws 2 was pretty horrible).

Seeing M2 the first time, I remember leaving the theater and just hating the film. Unfortunately, I had promised my daughter that I would take her to see it, and had to go a second time. Whereas The Matrix and both LOTR films had great "replay value" for me, M2 did not.

And just to add a few more to the list started by Cthulhu's Librarian and Tom Cashel:

...Spirited Away, Central Station, The Straight Story, The Insider, Der er en yndig mand, Ghost World, Muriel's Wedding...

 

[Kai Lord]

What the heck do people expect in movies, if both of these don't get a 5?
Go ahead and think back over the last 10 years, and ask yourself, "What's been better?"

The first Matrix would rank among the best 10 films of the last decade, but Reloaded isn't even in the top 10 films of this year.

5 out of 5? I think not.

 

[Tom Cashel]

What makes the LotR movies great movies?

The Lord of the Rings films are truly epic, and tap into the deep, deep wellspring of mythology. They deal with loyalty, courage, fate, friendship, life and death...they ask eternal human questions. They depict (mostly) ordinary creatures faced with extraordinary circumstances. They do it with grace, and style, and a simplicity that is not degraded by the wealth of special effects. Rating: 5 of 5.

The Matrix is messianic fetish-leather superpowered gunporn masquerading as an inquiry into eternal human questions. "What Would Keanu Do?" is not, however, the most pressing question in my life. They are special-effects extravaganzas positing a world made of special effects. They are a Möbius strip that mimes infinity while achieving Zero. Rating: 3 of 5.