The Matrix 4K UHD (1999)

[ergumat]

Played the UHD on OPPO 203 yesterday and it froze repeatedly at chapter 38. After a restart it worked. Hopefully it was a temporary glitch. I was impressed by the upgrade in video compared to the previous blu-ray btw.

[guachi]

I watched this last night and it was really good.

I'm not the biggest Matrix fan out there. I didn't go gaga over it like many others. However, I did see it in the theater and it was the first DVD I ever owned.

I've never seen the green blu-ray, just the comparison screen shots but I really liked how Bill Pope colored the movie. I noticed in some scenes, like when Neo is interrogated for the first time by Agent Smith, that the whites are still white but other parts are green tinted.

I also loved that the movie isn't drowning in CGI. The CGI effects they do have can be a bit wobbly at times like the Sentinels. And other CGI is rather basic like some of the morphing of buildings and whatnot.

So many of the other effects are done with such style, though, that they still completely hold up. The slo-mo wire fu is great. Neo dodging the bullets on the rooftop is great. It's not that the effect is outstanding it's that it shows how far Neo has progressed so the effect is completely in the service of the story.

Bullets suspended in mid air? Not that special. Bullets suspended in midair after Neo says a simple "No"? Now THAT'S awesome.

That and less CGI means the action sequences are all much easier to follow.

Overall, I liked Matrix 4k much more than I thought I would. A+ for the movie and presentation. And A+ to this thread for pointing out differences with the blu-ray or things to look for or even for mentioning that Atmos isn't enabled by default.

I have 18 superhero movies in 4k and The Matrix is better than all of them. And it's better than most of the 41 sci-fi/fantasy movies I own in 4k with the only movies I think are better or comparable are Blade Runner 2049 and ET. I'd put The Matrix just ahead of Spider-Man 2 and Men in Black 1. For whatever reason, The Matrix really holds well. i was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie (a similar experience to watching The Mummy in 4k)

[2-J]

This is the film I have watched most in my life (must be over 30 times easily) and all the previous times were on dvd and blu ray (never did see it at the cinema but I saw both its sequels at the cinema). Watched the UHD Blu Ray yesterday for the first time.

It was very startling how 'non green' the inside-the-matrix scenes were. Not sure how I feel about that. Was the green present theatrically? Was the green part of the Wachowskis' original vision for the movie?

I did enjoy the picture on the UHD blu ray nonetheless, a significant upgrade and drew my attention to things I hadn't really noticed before, e.g. the smoking gun advertising board at the beginning when they're chasing Trinity, and the spoon rack in the Oracle's apartment. Very enjoyable and green or not, this is for now the definitive way to watch this movie at home.

[VonMagnum]

Don't believe those trying to make you think it wasn't really much green tinted in the theater. The old BD might be a bit overzealous (the original DVD should be spot on as it came out before the sequels), but from the screenshots I've seen of the new one, it's still closer to the theater than this new one that almost looks the same as the real world. I remember how many thought there was something wrong with the film when it came out because of the tint. Now to please those people we've gone to the opposite extreme?

What's amazing to me is how many think there WASN'T much green in the original. It was more noticeable in some scenes than others, but it never looked normal inside the Matrix. I will probably not get my copy for a couple of weeks. I'll see how far it is off then for certain. I don't know I can trust screen grabs off the net.

[BDougherty]

Originally Posted by VonMagnum

Edit: I see Target still has it for pre-order at $24.99. Who knows when they will get it in stock, though. Nevermind. It appears to be for shipping only and the shipping isn't cheap....ends up being $33.25 after shipping and tax.

I reccomend getting a target red card if you don't have one. Save 5% and free shipping.

[VonMagnum]

It's back down to $24.99 at Amazon.

[koberulz]

Originally Posted by VonMagnum

the original DVD should be spot on

The DVD is absolutely definitively 100% wrong.

[VonMagnum]

Originally Posted by koberulz

The DVD is absolutely definitively 100% wrong.

And your proof for this extraordinary claim?

[GenPion]

Originally Posted by VonMagnum

Don't believe those trying to make you think it wasn't really much green tinted in the theater. The old BD might be a bit overzealous (the original DVD should be spot on as it came out before the sequels), but from the screenshots I've seen of the new one, it's still closer to the theater than this new one that almost looks the same as the real world. I remember how many thought there was something wrong with the film when it came out because of the tint. Now to please those people we've gone to the opposite extreme?

What's amazing to me is how many think there WASN'T much green in the original. It was more noticeable in some scenes than others, but it never looked normal inside the Matrix. I will probably not get my copy for a couple of weeks. I'll see how far it is off then for certain. I don't know I can trust screen grabs off the net.

It is well documented that they revised The Matrix Blu-ray color timing to be more like the sequels when it came out on the format.

The 4K ediiton sounds much more faithful. The blue color timing was on the original DVD and reflected how it was originally.

[koberulz]

Originally Posted by VonMagnum

And your proof for this extraordinary claim?

It's been discussed repeatedly in this thread.

[VonMagnum]

Jesus.... The last two types say exactly the opposite of each other....

I said the DVD should be the closest as it came out later the same year. I even saw it at the theater (dollar theater) after I had the DVD. If the color difference had been strikingly WRONG as the Kiberulz suggests, I think I would have noticed. While I agree the Bluray is a bit greener (supposedly to match the later films), it doesn't mean the 4K version should ditch green altogether as some claim it does in many places in the film that were green before.

As I said, I'm awaiting my copy to see for myself, but clearly people seem to be in conflict here about what is real...irony I suppose. The simulacra really has replaced and now precedes the original, just like the book says. Thus maybe that's why they did it....

[VonMagnum]

Originally Posted by koberulz

It's been discussed repeatedly in this thread.

Yeah...142 pages to read to try and find it yet you two say the opposite. Or perhaps all three versions are wrong? Maybe the film was wrong as well? It might as well be.

[Icedburden]

Originally Posted by Jbabler

Current members will continue to get their benefits, including 20% off new games, until their membership expires. No new member enrollment.

They are randomly banning members for 'excessive' use.

[jh901]

And, of course, there were two or three nicely sealed examples at my nearest Best Buy today.

[koberulz]

Originally Posted by VonMagnum

Yeah...142 pages to read to try and find it yet you two say the opposite. Or perhaps all three versions are wrong? Maybe the film was wrong as well? It might as well be.

Yes, the DVD and previous Blu are both wrong.

[cynatnite]

Originally Posted by jh901

And, of course, there were two or three nicely sealed examples at my nearest Best Buy today.

Mine, too.

[TM2-Megatron]

Originally Posted by Cook

Machines that despise humans and have enslaved them in a digital and dreary world.

Despise is a little strong, I think (unless you're talking about Smith, specifically). The machines seem terrified of humans, for the most part. Or more specifically, the tendency of humans to give in to their baser instincts.

They have good reason to be, IMO. The Second Renaissance made it abundantly clear that humans were the aggressors and 100% to blame for what happened to them. The machines tried multiple times to find peaceful solutions, and I believe creating The Matrix was their last resort.

The very act of creating the Matrix may not have been as much about solving an energy crisis (this barely holds up, really) as much as it was a path for the machines to find a way to justify allowing the human race to continue in some form, and avoid committing genocide themselves.

Does anyone really believe these advanced machines were truly incapable of developing other, much more efficient sources of energy? They could've built a handful of vast fission power plants at various points around the planet, developed nuclear fusion for an even greater source of power, placed large solar collecting satellites between Earth and Sol that would then beam energy back via microwave transmission. The list goes on... and that's not even dipping into the more sci-fi-ish power sources.

[VonMagnum]

Originally Posted by TM2-Megatron

Despise is a little strong, I think (unless you're talking about Smith, specifically). The machines seem terrified of humans, for the most part. Or more specifically, the tendency of humans to give in to their baser instincts.

They have good reason to be, IMO. The Second Renaissance made it abundantly clear that humans were the aggressors and 100% to blame for what happened to them. The machines tried multiple times to find peaceful solutions, and I believe creating The Matrix was their last resort.

The very act of creating the Matrix may not have been as much about solving an energy crisis (this barely holds up, really) as much as it was a path for the machines to find a way to justify allowing the human race to continue in some form, and avoid committing genocide themselves.

Does anyone really believe these advanced machines were truly incapable of developing other, much more efficient sources of energy? They could've built a handful of vast fission power plants at various points around the planet, developed nuclear fusion for an even greater source of power, placed large solar collecting satellites between Earth and Sol that would then beam energy back via microwave transmission. The list goes on... and that's not even dipping into the more sci-fi-ish power sources.

I read that originally they intention was to slowly convey the concept that the machines were actually preserving humanity until such a time that we learned to be less war-like and more likely to be able to respect the machines right to exist, etc. and that the whole Neo/Smith thing was really a test of sorts to determine if/when we were ready, but this was a really hard concept to convey in a movie that the "masses" simply wouldn't get on any kind of level beyond a cool Sci-Fi "Kung Fu" movie (which was needed to make it a hit so it could make money anyway). I'm pretty sure I read at one point what was going to be conveyed there and they thought it wouldn't make any sense to the majority of the audience so the "battery" idea was a cheap replacement that's easily understood. Unfortunately, it makes NO SENSE. If the machines have a "type of fusion" they don't need human bodies unless this fusion depends on human feces or something in particular.

You should get the idea by the 3rd movie either way that the machines wouldn't agree to let humans out of the Matrix if they really needed us for energy.... It was clear that some of the machine programs were doubting humans would EVER reach a point where they could pass the test (certainly the Architect even though he could tell this "Neo" was going to do the opposite. I think he really thought the Matrix was going to crash instead and they'd have to start over again with a new crop of humans.)

I still think the movie series would have been much better regardless if the 3rd movie had placed Zion inside the Matrix. That would have explained both the unbalanced equation, Neo's "powers" that could control the squidee machines "outside" the Matrix, etc. and let them do much more interesting things in the 3rd act once they discovered they weren't in the real world, after all. It could have then justified the second movie by being a hell of a lot more interesting than it was. It could still have ended with Neo sacrificing himself.

The real problem with the 3rd movie it that it was BORING. The Zion attack went on too long and wasn't very interesting (certainly not on the level of the freeway fight in the previous movie). Trinity's death scene went on too long (horrible really) and Neo saving her in the second movie was made pointless. Her living and having his child or something would have made much more sense for the future. The final fight with Smith was hard for audiences to understand what happened. It all just felt kind of poorly thought out.

This may have been due to the fact there was only supposed to be ONE sequel at the time but it was coming in too long so instead of a 3 hour sequel, they had to find another hour for the 3rd movie instead of just finishing the movie. But if the 3rd movie had been Zion is IN the Matrix, well hell, you could start a TV series with the amount of possibilities that would have opened up!

I don't think the 3rd movie was "terrible" overall, but it wasn't what it COULD have been. I think other than the cave scene in the second movie and the spoon scene with that orphan kid (better left NOT showing some things, IMO), there was some pretty interesting elements in the second movie that were ruined by the third.

They rushed what they DID show so much that I think even just showing the parts they glossed over (e.g. taking out the power grid) in the 3rd movie instead of trying to finish it in the second would have made more sense even. I'd much rather see all the scenes leading up to Architect in the 3rd movie expanded and then less time wandering around the subway and Zion trying to explain how Neo got himself into The Matrix just by shutting down some squidees, etc. EITHER solution (still in the Matrix or just not having Neo zap the Squidees with the cliff hanger and putting more of the Race to the Architect in the 3rd movie could have solved the problems it had (i.e. falling asleep and 80% of the 3rd movie not being IN the Matrix at all).

[TM2-Megatron]

Originally Posted by VonMagnum

I read that originally they intention was to slowly convey the concept that the machines were actually preserving humanity until such a time that we learned to be less war-like and more likely to be able to respect the machines right to exist, etc. and that the whole Neo/Smith thing was really a test of sorts to determine if/when we were ready, but this was a really hard concept to convey in a movie that the "masses" simply wouldn't get on any kind of level beyond a cool Sci-Fi "Kung Fu" movie (which was needed to make it a hit so it could make money anyway).

I wish they'd stuck to that... it would've made for a much more satisfying story, overall. You can definitely still see the bones of that idea in the first film.

[LoSouL]

I'm on board with what you're saying @ TM2-Megatron. My subconscious secretly roots for Agent Smith. Digital life shouldn't necessarily be bound to the whims and directives of sentient robotics either.

Anyway, I think I remember reading that the Wachowski's original idea was going to be that human minds would provide more computational power, but it was decided that energy would be more understandable to an audience in an age where the internet and computers were still kind of far out, new things to many people. Back when we had movies like The Net and Hackers etc.