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UHD Blu-ray

Review: The Matrix Trilogy

The Matrix Triology

review | The Matrix Trilogy

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The imminent arrival of the first Matrix film in 18 years makes this the perfect time to revisit the original trilogy

by John Sciacca
December 17, 2021

You might ask yourself why we’re reviewing The Matrix Trilogy a full three years after its 4K HDR disc release. The answer is simple—with the new The Matrix: Resurrections dropping next week both theatrically and on HBO Max, it seemed the perfect time to revisit this sci-fi classic. 

To be even more honest, it had been years since I’d watched this trilogy and I’d never sampled the 4K HDR release with the new Dolby Atmos audio soundtrack. I couldn’t even remember exactly how the story finished, so I decided to take the Red Pill and once again head down the rabbit hole with Neo, discover how these films hold up some 20 years later, and get ready for the exciting fourth chapter!

Released in 1999, it’s no understatement to say The Matrix was groundbreaking. Everything from the ad campaign (“Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.”), to the look and style, to the visual effects was intriguing and mind-blowing. I can remember turning to my wife in the theater just minutes into the movie and saying, “I’m not even sure what is happening but I am loving this movie!” I’m happy to say that feeling holds up and the films are still a blast to watch!

And while the innovative “bullet-time” effects have been widely copied since, and even showed up in commercials for a while, the effects are still amazing to watch and, bolstered by the new Dolby TrueHD Atmos mix, are more immersive and impactful than ever.

Ultimately, though, what makes The Matrix work and hold up so well it is that it is just so damn cool. The world is cool, the concept is cool, the style is cool. But most of all, the characters are cool. With lesser actors, some of the lines could have been laughable, but this cast committed to the Wachowskis’ vision, and they inhabit their roles and the world so well it’s easy to go along for the journey. Laurence Fishburne as the all-wise and believing prophet Morpheus walking around with arms folded behind his back in a leather duster and spouting things like, “My beliefs do not require them to [believe].” And Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity, in her skintight, shiny black bodysuit, is never sexualized but rather an incredibly strong female lead every bit as vital to the story. Hugo Weaving as trilogy Big Bad Agent Smith brings gravitas to a character that is really just a computer security program. 

And then there’s Keanu Reeves as Neo. Of course, now, after three successful John Wick films, it’s easy to separate Reeves from his “whoa, dude!” past performances but in 1999 he wouldn’t have been an obvious choice for this role. Of course, it’s impossible today to think of Neo as anyone other than Reeves, and he plays the part with the perfect amount of curious/confused, “What the hell?!” that we as the audience are experiencing; and the underlying excitement of lines like, “I know kung-fu” after an entire day of having fighting skills uploaded into his brain come across as wide-eyed discovered excitement rather than silly. 

The first film, The Matrix, is still the best. It was a wholly original experience, and while the second and third films fleshed out the world—and completed the experience—the first one stands head and shoulders above the others. Though I actually enjoyed the third film, The Matrix Revolutions, this time more than I did on first viewing. (There is definitely something to be said for being able to view an entire story back-to-back-to-back instead of needing to wait years between releases.) 

The parts I remembered as being great from the second film, The Matrix Reloaded—namely the scenes with the Merovingian (Lambert Wilson) and the amazing freeway chase rescuing The Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim) from The Twins (Adrian and Neil Rayment)—are still fantastic, while the bizarre and way too long club-rave scene in Zion still goes on far too long and The Architect’s (Helmut Bakaitis) convoluted speech with “ergo,“ “concordantly,” and “assiduously” is still a bit of a headscratcher but a very cool concept presented in a cool Matrix-y manner. 

The films all have different feels while still feeling and looking like parts of the same whole. The Matrix is more a think-piece divided into three distinct acts of Neo discovering the Matrix, learning his role, and becoming The One, and introduces the concept of this other world and what is possible when you become unplugged and learn how to control it. Reloaded builds out the mythology of who Neo is and what he can do and introduces the new threat replicating and emerging in the computer world, with Zion under imminent attack by the machines. And Revolutions is an all-out action assault as most of the characters are defending Zion while Neo and Trinity go off to confront the machines in Machine World. 

I also can’t recall a film prior to Reloaded that ended on such a drastic cliffhanger, literally just ending and setting up the opening for Revolutions. (Much the way The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 1 concluded years later.) 

All three movies were originally filmed on 35 mm stock, and these releases, taken from new, true 4K digital intermediates, look fantastic. The movies have the perfect balance between clarity, sharpness, and detail without scrubbing away noise into waxy softness. Only occasionally did I notice any grain/digital noise, usually in scenes with loads of all-white, like inside The Construct.

Edges are sharp and defined, and closeups have tons of detail. (I’d never noticed the pock marks on Reeves’ cheeks before—though certainly nothing to compare with Fishburne!). Whether it’s the texture aboard the interiors of the ships, or the construction of the human world of Zion, or the weaving of clothing in the “real world,” or the detail of the mechanized robots, or the stone and pebbled finish outside Neo’s office building, images are terrific-looking throughout.

You just get clean beautiful images that are the best these movies have ever looked, and the HDR grading makes this an entirely different visual experience. Blacks are deep, dark, and clean; colors are punchy, vibrant, and vivid; and bright highlights shine off the screen, especially in Resurrections during the final battle, which has plenty of eye-reactive lightning strikes. Right from the opening credits, the brilliant green text leaps off the screen, then there are plenty of highlights from lights aboard the ships or of autos, or brilliant orange-red flames or sparks of electricity. 

Sonically, the new Dolby TrueHD Atmos track is another massive improvement and launches this series into the hallways of legendary demo material that showcases some of the best of dialogue clarity; massive, tactile bass; subtle atmospherics; and fully overwhelming immersive audio.

Take a listen to subtler moments, such as aboard the crashed ship in Revolutions. You’ll hear creaks and groans; venting gasses; crackling sparks; buzzes, clicks, and hums; and sounds of dripping fluids. There are other moments with deep rumbles of rolling thunder where you can pick up the individual droplets of rain falling. They are subtle but literally all around you, truly the hallmark of what an immersive audio track should deliver.

Of course, the movies’ huge action moments deliver the goods, and each film has its own truly demo-worthy scene, from the lobby shootout in The Matrix and the freeway chase in Reloaded to the attack on the dock in Revolutions. The gunfire is big and explosive, with reports and ricochets that wreak havoc and destruction all around the room. You’ll hear things collapsing and crumbling overhead, feel the ripples as bullets streak through the room, hear the race of cars blasting alongside you as Trinity races in her Ducati, and hear Sentinels crawling all around, behind, and overhead in a truly 360-degree surround field. 

The Matrix Trilogy belongs in every collection, especially in 4K with the new Atmos audio mix. It is the epitome of exciting home theater viewing that is not only engaging but also highly entertaining. If you haven’t seen it recently, give it a rewatch so you’re caught up for Resurrections, the first new Matrix film in 18 years!

Probably the most experienced writer on custom installation in the industry, John Sciacca is co-owner of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, & is known for his writing for such publications as Residential Systems and Sound & Vision. Follow him on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets and at johnsciacca.com.

PICTURE | The 4K HDR transfers have the perfect balance between clarity, sharpness, and detail without scrubbing away noise into waxy softness.

SOUND | The new Dolby TrueHD Atmos mixes launch this series into the annals of legendary demo material, showcasing the best of dialogue clarity; massive, tactile bass; subtle atmospherics; and overwhelming immersive audio.

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Review: The Dark Knight Trilogy

The Dark Knight Trilogy

review | The Dark Knight Trilogy

The UHD Blu-rays of Christopher Nolan’s iconic superhero trilogy make these films as vivid as they were when first seen in theaters

by John Sciacca
December 6, 2021

As my daughter Lauryn has gotten older—she just turned 15—it has been wonderful revisiting classic films as a family now that she’s old enough to appreciate— and not be scared by—them. We’re caught up on all the Star Wars films, she’s a huge fan of virtually everything in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), she loved the six-season journey that was ABC’s Lost, and we’ve sat through the new 4K HDR extended versions of The Hobbit and Rings films. As a parent and movie buff, it’s really great to relive these classics through her eyes, getting a chance to experience them again with someone who is watching for the first time—especially when some of these are movies I’ve previously watched multiple times. 

Another great benefit is that many of these films are now receiving 4K HDR makeovers, making it a perfect time to go back and rewatch a favorite in a way you’ve likely never experienced it before. And, as is likely the case with many readers, my entertainment system has progressed by leaps and bounds since I’ve watched these movies years ago, which certainly makes it feel like a completely new experience in many cases.

The latest series of films we watched was Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, which started in 2005 with Batman Begins, followed in 2008 with The Dark Knight, and concluded in 2012 with The Dark Knight Rises.

I remember watching Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989 and loving it. It was hands-down the best Batman we had at the time—especially with the ultra-campy ‘60s Adam West version as our previous touchstone. But, let’s be honest—time hasn’t been as kind to it. And watching it some 40 years later—even with a new 4K HDR transfer and Dolby Atmos sound mix—things like Prince’s soundtrack, the dancing, the goofiness, and even some of the Burton-ness just feel dated. 

Prior to watching Nolan’s trilogy, I told Lauryn that beyond being just great superhero movies, these are just great movies, specifically The Dark Knight with Heath Ledger’s fantastic Academy Award-winning portrayal of The Joker, which transcends the superhero genre by exploring depths and boundaries rarely attempted in movies with characters wearing capes.

There are several things Nolan does that elevates this trilogy above others. First, he weighted the cast with fantastic actors. Throughout the three films we have Christian Bale in the double role of Bruce Wayne and Batman, Michael Caine as butler-cum-conscience Alfred, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Jim Gordon, and Morgan Freeman who runs Wayne Enterprises’ Applied Sciences Division as Lucius Fox, anchoring the principal cast. Each of them has won at least one Academy Award and been nominated for multiple—a ton of firepower to build your franchise around. For villains, we get Ken Watanabe, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Heath Ledger, and Tom Hardy. And that doesn’t even mention the multiple other characters that weave through the story, like Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Nestor Carbonell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Aaron Eckart. The films are packed with A-listers and the quality of the acting shows throughout.

Second, Batman has always been the hero most grounded in reality, and Nolan really makes that feel real here. Bale is believable as billionaire playboy Wayne—buying hotels, dating supermodels, and driving Lamborghinis—but he’s also not invincible, and is a complete physical wreck by the third film. But Wayne isn’t alone in his endeavors, and it’s the equally important team of Alfred—who handles many of the logistics and runs things behind the scenes to allow Wayne to keep his secret identity—and Fox, who gives the perfect (and plausible) answer as to how and where Batman gets all those wonderful toys—that really make the story work. Between the three of them, it’s far easier to buy into the action and that Batman would have this tech at his disposal and be the savior Gotham needs. 

Third, Nolan manages to walk the style line between Marvel and DC, even before they existed as such. Coming in three years before Iron Man (the first film in the MCU) Batman Begins was the first modern big-budget superhero film, and Nolan set the tone, again choosing to ground it more in reality and shoot with a mentality towards making a great movie instead of just a great superhero movie. Where Marvel’s formula leans towards being light when it needs to, and DC—especially with the Zack Snyder films—tends to go overly dark and somber, Nolan found a way to be serious and mature but still fun. The light moments are far more a well-placed clever comment from Alfred or Lucius than something gratuitously placed for a laugh. 

Finally, and perhaps the most important thing, Nolan doesn’t rush things. The shortest film in the trilogy is 140 minutes, with the longest running 165, giving Nolan plenty of time to let things develop and unfold. This is particularly evident in Batman Begins, where we don’t even see Wayne as Batman until an hour into the film. Think about that—for the first 43% of a superhero movie, we don’t even see the superhero. Instead, Nolan takes Wayne and us on a lengthy journey lasting years to get the training needed to believably transform him from a soft socialite into a hard vigilante, while interspersing the history of Gotham and the Wayne family along the way. The same is true with The Dark Knight Rises, where the first 45 minutes pass without a Batman sighting, instead letting us see the toll it has taken on Wayne. Nolan lets the story build, develop, and speak for itself, instead of feeling the insecurity of needing to insert the hero into every scene. And by including the same principal cast throughout the films, we have nearly eight hours to become invested in these characters. 

All three films were originally filmed in 35mm but have been remastered for their UltraHD release, and these new transfers are taken from true 4K digital intermediates. As I’ve said before, don’t expect film-to-4K transfers to have the tack-sharp look of modern digital productions, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a ton of detail, especially on closeups. You can definitely see all the fine lines and wear on Bale’s face, the texture in fabrics, the construction of his vehicles, and both the grit and polish of Gotham.

What makes these transfers really pop, though, is the HDR grading. Much of the action takes place at night or in dark interiors, and the HDR gives us a foundation of deep, solid blacks with which to pop bright highlights, resulting in images that are far more realistic. There is also more headroom to pump highlights into reflections glinting off glass or metal, or the brightness of an explosion, or headlights/sirens during night chases. And when you combine the sharpness, clarity, and detail of 4K with the inky blacks and bright pops of HDR, such as in long exterior shots of Hong Kong or Gotham, you end up with images that are beautiful to behold.  

Nolan is fairly well known at this point for his dislike of immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos, so all three of these films make do with a 5.1-channel DTS HD-Master mix. Fortunately, when routed through the upmixer of a modern processor (DTS: Neural in my case), you get a terrific sense of immersion.  While you get some ambient sounds on the streets of Gotham, it’s the big action scenes that really show off your system, with sounds frequently encircling the entire room, including up overhead. Whether it is people under the trippy influence of Scarecrow’s (Murphy) gas, or Batman crushing over things in the Tumbler or flying around in The Bat, or the stadium-filled echo of the young boy (“What a lovely, lovely voice”) singing the National Anthem, the mix delivers.

Explosions, gun shots, and vehicle crashes—of which there are plenty across the three films—also have plenty of authority and weight, with your subwoofers definitely energizing the room to tactile levels. There was one scene where the loud THWACK! of an arrow suddenly slamming into a target made both my wife and daughter jump.  

I also happen to love the Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard scores, especially for The Dark Knight with The Joker’s theme, which has a frantic, crazed quality that drives the tension; and the music definitely gets room to expand across the front channels and overhead. The Dark Knight opens with a bank robbery, and the long drawn out and unsettling string notes inform you something sinister is about to happen. 

Dialogue is mostly intelligible, though there were some moments—particularly in the third film with Bane (Hardy) speaking behind a mask—where the combination of music, mayhem, and on-set recorded dialogue made some lines a bit tricky to hear, but certainly nothing like the sonic mess of Nolan’s Interstellar or Tenet. 

With his Dark Knight trilogy, Nolan accomplished one of the toughest feats in Hollywood—making a sequel that is better than the original. In fact, The Dark Knight is the fourth highest-rated film on IMDB’s Top 250, behind The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, and The Godfather: Part II. And as good as it is, The Dark Knight Returns is arguably better in ways.

This trilogy belongs in any collection, especially now that it has been given the 4K treatment, and if it has been more than a few years since you’ve watched these films, they make for a terrific movie weekend. 

Probably the most experienced writer on custom installation in the industry, John Sciacca is co-owner of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, & is known for his writing for such publications as Residential Systems and Sound & Vision. Follow him on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets and at johnsciacca.com.

PICTURE | The HDR grading really makes these 4K transfers pop. With much of the action taking place at night or in dark interiors, HDR provides a foundation of deep, solid blacks with which to pop bright highlights, resulting in images that are far more realistic.

SOUND | Since Christopher Nolan doesn’t like Dolby Atmos, all three films make do with 5.1-channel DTS HD-Master mixes. Fortunately, when routed through the upmixer of a modern processor, you get a terrific sense of immersion.

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