User blog:ARTaylor/20 Years of The Matrix

Today marks the twentieth anniversary of the premiere of The Matrix. The film follows a bored hacker named Neo who discovers he is living in a computer simulation only to be pulled into a war between humans and the machines that would enslave them.

The unique story and innovative special effects made this a hit with fans and critics. It was one of the highest grossing films of the year and became the highest R rated film ever. It won numerous awards, including all four Academy Awards it had been nominated for. It spawned two sequels, an animated spin-off, several video games, a comic, and a planned relaunch. The "Bullet Time" sequences have become one of the most iconic shots in film, being referenced and parodied in numerous other works.

The film features the acting talents of Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus, who brings Neo out of the computer simulation recruiting him in the resistance. Rob Zombie contributed music to the film's soundtrack.