"The Matrix" Legacy

I was interested to see "The Matrix" near the top of the list of "most popular movies" on Zaadz. I enjoyed all three Matrix films myself, and now that some time has passed since the finale of "Matrix: Revolutions," I thought it might be interesting to examine the cumulative impact of the trilogy. There were, as always, the extremes: the fanatics who started basing their lives (or at least their doctoral theses) on the movies, and - at the other end of the spectrum - critics who rolled their eyes at the notion of violent action movies airing out Philosophy 101 essay questions. What went largely unnoticed though, is the fact that the brothers Wachowski did something completely innovative: they literally sold philosophy to the masses. Never before had we seen blockbuster movies in which characters literally sat around and discussed the nature of man and universe. Was Neo successful in his quest because he had free will? Or was it his destiny? For the first time, the question of human agency became a central theme of a box-office-record-breaking action movie. That viewers returned in droves - not once, but twice - to sequels that they knew would be chock-full of overt discussions of Western metaphysics (augmented by generous helpings of Eastern symbolism), illustrates not only how palatable the Wachowskis made their cerebral affectations, but also hints at a greater, unaddressed thirst for thought-provoking entertainment. It will be interesting to see if the "Peaceful Warrior" movie profits from this unaddressed desire. What, exactly, "The Matrix" movies had to say about the Cosmos is open to interpretation, but the fact that they inspired debate, discussion, and thought in their audience is reason enough to praise them ... and to look forward to future filmmakers mixing some of the Big Questions in with their Wing Chun.