The Matrix facts for kids

The movie poster for The Matrix.

The Matrix is a famous science fiction action movie from 1999. It was created by the Wachowski Brothers, who wrote and directed it. The main actors in the film are Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving.

The Matrix became very popular and led to three more movies. These sequels are The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Matrix Resurrections.

What is The Matrix About?

The movie follows Thomas A. Anderson, played by Keanu Reeves. Thomas works as a computer programmer during the day. But at night, he is a secret hacker known as Neo.

Neo meets a mysterious hacker named Trinity, played by Carrie-Anne Moss. Trinity then introduces him to Morpheus, played by Laurence Fishburne. Morpheus offers Neo a big choice. He can take a blue pill and forget everything, waking up in his bed. Or, he can take a red pill and learn the truth about the Matrix.

Neo chooses the red pill. Morpheus then reveals that the world Neo knows is not real. It is a computer program called the Matrix. This program was created by intelligent robots to control humans. Morpheus believes Neo is "the One." This means Neo can change the Matrix in amazing ways.

At first, Neo doubts his powers. But after training, he starts to believe in himself. Neo, Trinity, Morpheus, and other rebels work together. Their goal is to free humans from the Matrix and fight the robots.

Deep Meanings in The Matrix

The Matrix is full of hidden meanings and ideas. Many of these ideas come from old stories and thinkers.

• Old Philosophers: Some ideas come from Plato, an ancient Greek thinker. He wrote about "Plato's Cave." This story is about people who only see shadows and think they are real.
• Modern Thinkers: Ideas from René Descartes are also present. He wondered if we could ever truly know what is real. He thought maybe a powerful trickster could make us believe false things.
• Other Beliefs: The movie also uses ideas from Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism. For example, the Hindu idea of "maya" suggests that the world we see might be an illusion.

Philosophy and Reality

The movie also connects to a modern philosophy book. It is called Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard. This book talks about how copies of things can become more real than the original.

For example, if you eat chicken meat from a store, you might not know what a real chicken is like. The meat is a copy of a chicken. Baudrillard suggested that in our modern world, we often deal with copies. This can make it hard to know what the "first" or "real" thing was.

Fun Facts About The Matrix

• The name "Neo" is a special word. If you mix up the letters, it spells "one." This hints that he is "the One."
• Morpheus is named after the Greek god of dreams. This is fitting because he helps Neo wake up from a dream-like world.
• Morpheus's ship is called the Nebuchadnezzar. This name comes from an ancient king of Babylon. This king was known for having many dreams and understanding deep truths.
• The directors, the Wachowski Brothers, often use ideas from "Alice in Wonderland." In that story, Alice falls into a rabbit hole and finds a strange world. "Alice in Wonderland" is about illusions and discovering new realities.

Music Clues in The Matrix

The music in The Matrix often has special meanings.

• When Neo is sleeping at his computer, a song called "Dissolved Girl" by Massive Attack plays. Part of the song says:

This hints at Neo's journey and his special role.

• In the dance club scene, a remix of Rob Zombie's "Dragula" plays. The first line of this song is: "Dead, I am the One." This is another clue about Neo's identity.

• When Neo meets the Oracle, quiet music plays in the background. It is "I'm Beginning To See The Light" by Duke Ellington. This song suggests Neo is starting to understand the truth.

The Music of The Matrix

Don Davis created the orchestral music for the movie. This is the part played by instruments like violins and flutes.

The movie's soundtrack also includes songs from popular bands. These include Rammstein, Rob Dougan, Rage Against the Machine, Propellerheads, Massive Attack, The Prodigy, Rob Zombie, and Marilyn Manson.

The Movie's Impact

The Matrix had a big effect on people. A new religion even started because of the movie. It is called Matrixism or The Path of the One.

This religion began in 2004 with about 300 members. Today, there are around 16,000 people who follow Matrixism.

See also

In Spanish: The Matrix para niños