This pic opens with an amazing fight sequence, featuring a leather-clad super-studette named Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), who ends up eluding numerous cops and strange men in suits.

The action then shifts to computer geek Thomas Anderson aka Neo (Keanu Reeves). It seems that "they" are after him, or so says Trinity. "They" are the suits, led by Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving). As accurate as Trinity's warning is, it's a bit late, as Neo is nabbed at his office.

The suits implant an electronic bug (that looks and slithers like a real bug) in Neo, hoping that he will lead them to Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). Supposedly, Morpheus is a dangerous terrorist, but when he gets to Neo, and removes the bug, he explains that the suits are operatives of The Matrix, a virtual reality environment created by the evil machines that have conquered mankind. Morpheus, then, is a freedom fighter, who, with Trinity and other sidekicks, circles the earth in a hovercraft called the Nebuchadnezzar.

Neo is offered the chance to free himself of the illusion, and sees the grim truth: Humans are stored in vats, and are bred by the machines as a power source! The humans THINK that they are in the late 20th century, but actually the year is more like 2199--as near as Morpheus can calculate.

Morpehus believes that Neo is "The One," as prophesied by the Oracle (Gloria Foster), who will be able to defeat the machines. We find out if Neo is as advertised, by the end of the film.

The production design and special effects are nearly overwhelming, with bravado kung-fu action choreographed by Hong Kong master Yuen Wo Ping. The plot is somewhat derivative, drawing on such sources as Dune (1984), The Terminator (1984), Total Recall (1990), Strange Days (1995), and Dark City (1998), but has enough originality to pass muster.

The performances are decent all-around, with Reeves at his low key action hero best. At 136 minutes, the movie is at least 15 minutes too long, though it is not slow in the least.

Beyond pure entertainment, the pic raises some real issues. Take a look at 1999 America. Are we not NOW slaves to machines? What is reality? The electronic media is cramming stuff into our head at a breathtaking pace--and for whose benefit?

Is the information superhighway really The Matrix?