The Matrix Movie - Classic Kung Fu Reinvented and Married to Sci Fi and Comic Books

I had seen the movies and was aware of that, but because they were not performed by the Kung Fu artists that I was brought up with and just Hollywood actors, I felt they were pale comparisons even though they were created by Kung Fu fans.

Now, I realize that these Hollywood Kung Fu influenced movies are gateways for people to discover the Classic Kung Fu movies. Not everyone got to see Classic Kung Fu in the theatres like I did as a kid. And these movies help ignite excitement for the Classics.

Watching Kung Fu movies with my girl and seeing her discover her favorite Classic Kung Fu movies while recognizing styles and influences from them in her current favorites makes me appreciate that Kung Fu will live on forever as long as the fans keep making Films referencing them.

I have decided to let my girl write The Matrix Trilogy pages. She has chosen to stay anonymous or you can refer to her as Kung Fu Scorpionetta, LOL!

Hi guys! Well due to an amazing set of circumstances I got to see the premiere of The Matrix movie in 1999 at a screening where Carrie Anne Moss was viewing it for the first time in her hometown of Vancouver, Canada. I didn't know what it was about or anything, a friend just had an extra ticket.

Not only was the entire audience mindblown from the film but you could feel the shift in the room as we all acknowledged that Carrie had just become a legend. It was pretty cool. Needless to say, I am a HUGE fan of The Matrix movie.

Now I could go on forever about the Wachowski Brothers their genius and passion for comic books and Classic Kung Fu and these movies but I won't I'm going to keep it to basics and "Keep it Kung Fu" as The Kung Fu Scorpion would say. As much as I can, anyway.

"The Matrix" is a movie about a man who discovers his reality has been an illusion and his destiny lays elsewhere...and along the way he masters Kung Fu. O.k. that might be an oversimplification. LOL!

But seriously, this movie opens with Carrie Anne who plays Trinity serving some serious Kung Fu to a police officer trying to arrest her. She does an amazing jumping kick (the famous pic of her in the air) and follows it with a over the shoulder kick to the officers face.

I was hooked. Not being an action movie fan, I had never seen a woman do Kung Fu until this moment and I was hooked with line and sinker.

Trinity and her team led by a man named Morpheus, played by Laurence Fishburne, are searching for a man who they believe is 'The One'. The prophecy of "The One" is that a man will be born who will free the human race from its slavery by the machines.

Thomas Anderson aka Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, is living a normal human life working in a cubicle by day and being a genius hacker by night when everything he knew is one day disintegrated when Morpheus and Trinity make contact.

Mr. Anderson has a choice to stay in his 'life' where he is or to follow Morpheus out of this world which is referred to as 'The Matrix'

Mr. Anderson chooses to follow Morpheus to find the answers to life that he has been searching for and thusly gives up his old identity of Thomas Anderson, to begin the process of becoming his alias Neo and discovering some mind blowing truths.

I will try to keep going without giving too much away. For those of you who have seen it... I don't have to tell you anyways, you already know.

Neo is being hunted by the same people Trinity escapes from in the first scene. These people are referred to as Agents and they are headed by Agent Smith, Neo's arch nemesis throughout The Matrix movie.

Morpheus becomes Neo's Master, and begins to train him in Matrix fashion to protect himself. One of my favorite lines during this initiation process is he opens his eyes looks at Morpheus and says "I know Kung Fu" to which Morpheus replies "Show me". Once fully trained, the real battles begin. The outer physical battle of Morpheus' team against The Machines; the mental battle of the Morpheus team against the Agents inside the Matrix and the internal battle of Neo trying to find out if he really is 'The One'.

The Wachowski Brothers hired legendary Kung Fu director and choreographer Yuen Woo Ping to train the actors for this series. They trained for a year before shooting the Matrix movie and their training continued throughout the next 2.

It is important to note that Keanu Reeves underwent a serious spinal surgery right before he started his Kung Fu training. Many people judge his Kung Fu as being too stiff in these movies. Well, it was, he had to adjust everything to learn the intense choreography while healing from major back surgery.

He pushed himself beyond what normal men would do to deliver for us. I think Keanu needs to be seriously commended for his dedication.

The actors trained with some of Kung Fu's most amazing Kung Fu co-ordinators such as Cheung Yan Yuen, Dion Lam and Shun Yee Yuen.

There is so much about this Matrix movie that makes it en par with Classic Kung Fu movies. Great storyline with a strong Hero character with outer and inner struggles; Cool fight scenes (although they aren't as often as in a real Kung Fu movie); Amazing and strong female heroes; and The philosophy of the power of destiny and finding the path.

But of course all of this is only my opinion. I also feel that Bruce Lee's influence is all over The Matrix Movie. If you are a fan of his philosopshy and There is so much about this Matrix movie that makes it en par with Classic Kung Fu movies. Great storyline with a strong Hero character with outer and inner struggles; Cool fight scenes (although they aren't as often as in a real Kung Fu movie); Amazing and strong female heroes; and The philosophy of the power of destiny and finding the path.

But of course all of this is only my opinion. I also feel that Bruce Lee's influence is all over The Matrix Movie. If you are a fan of his philosopshy and quotes you will feel them all throughout this film. I think maybe the Wachowski brothers learned much of their philosophy in their younger years from Bruce Lee and from there entered the rabbit hole that is philosophy.

Well, that ends my page on the Matrix movie. I hope you liked it. I would love to hear your thoughts on it too. please do share. I'll be adding the other movies very soon. :)

Thanks,

Kung Fu Scorpionetta LOL!