fredericks | The Matrix Explained

A good analysis of The Matrix I found during my perusal of the Rotten Tomatoes website. I've always been too lazy to think too hard about these things. Thank goodness there are people out there intelligent enough to do it for me.

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Originally posted by Earendil The Mariner
First of all, you are not looking too much into the movie as someone suggested, because there is more to it than the action, and it's not a "fanboy delusion". I always say it's like in the movie - some of the people here on the internet are so bound to their online "lives" (like the people in The Matrix), they can't stand a different view, which the Matrix really is - a metaphore of our contemporary dependence on machines.

As for your comments - I can see where you went wrong. The Matrix works with it's own set of rules. Look at it like a computer system - the Agents are not "gods", they are simply sentient programs designed to fight the "hackers" - those who hack into the Matrix from the outside. On the Internet, the network consists of a large number of computers, who are all connected by a much smaller number of machines - let's call them servers. The Matrix itself is a network, created and controlled by the machines, while it's connection with the "users" is much more "intimate" - it connects directly to the brain. So, it is a substitute for the "real" world, done through replacing the sensory input a brain receives from the outside, with artificial signals created by the computer.

Therefore, The Matrix was created to mimic the "real" world as it once was, in order to keep the human race under control - it has the same physical rules, and all of those connected to it are unaware of it. If someone is disconnected and learns it's true nature, when he hacks back inside, it depends on the strength of the mind and the training (basicly - the power of a hacker's computer, and his computer and programming skills) what can he do inside, and how much he can change. The brain-to-computer interface is the one thing adopted from The Matrix that works to the advantage of the humans: it can process all kinds of input, enabling fast learning and "mental training" (the Construct program).

That is why Neo is special - he is not God - he is the ultimate hacker. What is the ultimate hacker on the Internet? The one with the most powerful computer, and ultimate skills and [i]knowledge[/i]. I emphasize knowledge, because that is what Neo gains in the end - the ultimate knowledge of the Matrix, the ability to disregard the signals sent by it, and seeing it as it truly is. At that moment, he overcomes the barrier between the real world and the computer program, and gains [i]control[/i]. That is why he didn't die - not because Trinity kissed him and "brought him back from the dead", but because in that critical moment, he heard her voice, like comatose people hear the people who talk to them, and understood. His mind fought the illusion and he took another breath. Remember, there is nothing physically wrong with any of those who die in the Matrix - it's their inability to separate it from the real world.

About the Agents - they are simply programs, just like The Matrix itself, and they can do only what they were designed to do. Since the Matrix imitates the "real" world, they have to be a part of it - and that is why their appearance resembles ours, as well as their powers - except the connection between every single person in the Matrix and the ultimate knowledge of it's operation, combined with the ability to move instantly between bodies, their can only do what ordinary people can do, but at an extremely higher level. And it was enough to control everything before The One came.

Why can't they do more? Think of computers - programs have limits. An antivirus program can't reprogram the basic functions of a Windows XP or Mac OSX, can it? Of course kung-fu looks cool, but when weapons won't do, what can someone do but use bare hands?! Remember, machines' primary goal is to PRESERVE the Matrix - the Agents need to draw as little attention to themselves as possible, and try to keep the everyday life with as little "unnatural" changes as possible. That is why they can't make buildings disappear, fly, or change their size, or whatever... That is also why they're disguised as unnamed government agents, who have the highest level clearance to do whatever they want, no questions asked.

Now, on to "Reloaded" - it is very simple: what do System Administrators, owners and programmers (the machines in the movie - AI) do when their system's (Matrix's) security has been breached and compromised? They UPGRADE the system. The Matrix in Reloaded is Matrix v2.0, the New and Improved. Agents are new, adapted to respond to the new threat. Now for the big question - just HOW powerful is Neo? Is he a match for the new Matrix? What can he do for the Resistance? Wait and see...

The Matrix Explained

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