The Matrix

An excellent action film. Very stylish, with a good (not great but good) plot and great action. Such a shame about the sequels being so lackluster but this film really did set a new standard for action films (at least those made in North America).

"Mind-warp stunts. Techno-slammin' visuals. Mega-kick action." The back of the DVD case would never lie! And in fact, it doesn't - this visually innovative, action-packed masterpiece forever changed special effects. Its dark, stylish, graphic novel-inspired world is as involving as any sci-fi world in cinema, and it has mad kung fu. Of course the sequels didn't measure up, but I don't see anyone rating down Psycho because of Psycho II.

Iconic. The supporting characters are particularly unforgettable: Weaving's Agent Smith, Fishburne's Morpheus, The Pants' Cypher and Foster's Oracle are the stuff of legend. Thematically, it's the paranoid skeptic's wet dream. Part sci-fi pastiche, part revolutionary action cinema, 'The Matrix' is equally fascinating for its dense references and its groundbreaking visuals. And it hasn't dated much in the decade and a half since it came out - it's still as cool and as entertaining as ever.

Mediocre action flick with something extra - pseudu-philosophy. That and the big budget were apparently enough to make it an undeserving recent "classic".

A solid, fascinating, exhilarating piece of action sci-fi that still works like gangbusters over two decades later. For your own sake, skip the sequels.