Neo picked up the Nokia phone, and a call came through—it was Morpheus, the very man he had been searching for.
Morpheus instructed him to escape, as Agent Smith was hunting him down. Neo ran toward the edge of a building but hesitated due to the height. In the end, he was captured by Agent Smith.
One interesting detail about this scene was that Gilbert's father made another cameo in the film.
However, the old man had gone to Japan for a vacation and did not attend The Matrix premiere. According to him, he wanted to minimize his presence to avoid causing unnecessary trouble for Gilbert.
To this day, Gilbert still had no idea what kind of "trouble" his father was referring to.
He could only speculate that back when his father was a producer, he had offended someone he shouldn't have—perhaps a major figure in Hollywood's Jewish elite.
Otherwise, given the influence Jewish people had in Hollywood, his father, a well-known producer, wouldn't have struggled to maintain his footing in the industry.
Of course, that was years ago. Now, Gilbert himself had become the most highly regarded young Jewish director in Hollywood, and those powerful figures might not even care about the past anymore.
The film continued.
In the interrogation room scene, the audience saw Neo's mouth go from fully functional to being sealed shut—this brief yet shocking moment sent a wave of awe through the theater.
Paul was puzzled. "What does this mean? Does Agent Smith have magic powers?"
Lately, Harry Potter had been all the rage, making magic a popular topic.
A nearby moviegoer speculated, "Maybe this isn't the real world, so things that are impossible in reality can happen here."
Considering the trailer,Paul found this theory quite reasonable.
Then, an even more bizarre scene unfolded. Neo was pinned to the interrogation table as Agent Smith took out an electronic parasite. The creature slithered straight into Neo's navel.
This scene made some audience members instinctively cover their own stomachs, feeling an eerie discomfort—though, of course, it was only psychological.
The screen suddenly shifted, and Neo woke up in his bed.
Was it all just a dream? No, things weren't that simple.
It was definitely not a dream. Trinity found Neo again and removed the parasite from his body, proving that what had happened was real—it was Agent Smith who had manipulated him.
At this point, the audience started to feel utterly lost, questioning the reality of the film's world.
When the trailer first played, everyone had been captivated by the stylish action sequences. Aside from a few sharp-eyed viewers, most had overlooked the cryptic, enigmatic dialogue.
What is real? Is the world you know truly real?
Paul lifted his soda cup, doubt creeping into his mind. Could it be that he, too, was living in a fabricated reality?
It wasn't just Paul who was thinking this—many audience members, including the stars, guests, and directors attending the screening, were also deep in thought.
Gilbert understood one thing very well: suspense in a film was a good thing. Keeping the mystery alive would draw the audience deeper into the story.
But if the movie was nothing more than an endless puzzle, then the suspense would be meaningless.
That's why, beyond the spectacular fight sequences and special effects, the film needed to provide an answer to this mystery. And that answer lay with Morpheus.
Soon enough, Neo was taken to meet Morpheus—a man who seemed almost like a prophet. He not only revealed the truth to Neo but also to the audience.
This world wasn't real. Neo was living inside a prison—a cage.
The audience tried to wrap their heads around it. What was this prison? Who had imprisoned Neo? It seemed like the entire human world was trapped inside a massive cage.
Then, Morpheus presented Neo with a choice:
A blue pill would allow him to return to his previous life.
A red pill would wake him up and show him the real world.
Neo, of course, chose the red pill. Otherwise, there would be no story.
But it wasn't just Neo—by this point, the audience was eager to see the real world, too.
James Cameron was filled with anticipation. Tom Cruise was curious.
Nicole Kidman, on the other hand, was intrigued by Gilbert. How would he create a vision of the future?
Would it be like Star Wars? Or Waterworld? Perhaps The Terminator? Blade Runner?
The answer was about to be revealed.
As Neo touched the surface of a mirror, a stream of silver liquid flowed onto his hand, slowly engulfing his entire body.
The screen transitioned.
Neo, now bald and naked, suddenly woke up inside a pod filled with liquid, his body covered in tubes.
"Whoa… What's happening?" Ruiz voiced his confusion, but no one answered.
Evans nudged his friend. "Look—what is that?"
Nearly everyone in the theater gaped in shock.
On the big screen, seen from Neo's perspective, the camera revealed the dystopian reality.
Rows upon rows of pods stretched endlessly into the sky, with flashes of lightning crackling between them.
Mechanical squid-like creatures moved diligently among the pods, almost like hardworking farmers tending to their crops.
The sky was shrouded in darkness, devoid of sunlight. Thick clouds and layers of dust made it impossible to see beyond.
This was hell on Earth.
This sequence was created by Gilbert's own Orange Studios, using a combination of miniatures and CGI. The visual effects in this version were far superior to those in the Wachowski brothers' original film.
After all, the budget for Gilbert's The Matrix was significantly higher.
The film then introduced a cyberpunk-style hovercraft.
Morpheus spoke:
"Welcome to the real world…"
This was the moment when audiences realized what reality truly looked like.
With the help of acupuncture therapy from the East, Neo recovered quickly. Then, Morpheus revealed the truth about the world—both to Neo and to the audience.
The Matrix, the artificial reality, the electronic signals interpreted by the brain—one concept after another bombarded viewers, leaving them dizzy with thought.
Paul found himself doubting whether the Coke in his hand was real or merely a string of electronic signals. After all, it tasted terrible.
However, the film didn't dwell too deeply on these philosophical ideas. Instead, it quickly returned to the main plot.
Some critics at the premiere felt it was a pity. If the film had continued exploring the nature of reality versus illusion, it could have earned even higher critical acclaim.
But if Gilbert had actually done that, the critics would have been happy, but the film's box office would have tanked—badly.
Moving forward, Morpheus explained how the world ended up in its current state and why humans were being cultivated like crops.
Surprisingly, the audience wasn't horrified by the idea of growing humans. Instead, they found it… cool.
Growing humans like crops—what a twisted, evil concept. I love it,Paul thought to himself.
The Matrix's supposed reason for cultivating humans was simple: to use them as an energy source. However, Neo questioned this logic. He pointed out that the bioelectric energy from a human body was minuscule, not even enough to sustain the power consumption of the pods themselves.
Morpheus froze. Everything he knew came from Zion's archives—the last human stronghold. He had never questioned the credibility of these records.
If Neo was right, then Zion's archives had been altered to conceal the true purpose behind it all.
But what exactly was that hidden purpose? Morpheus had no answer. And Neo was even more in the dark.
"Oh my god, this is terrifying," Stacy murmured, completely forgetting about Keanu Reeves' handsome face. The film's high-concept ideas had forced her to actually use her brain—a rare occurrence.
Brownie made a guess: "Based on how these kinds of films usually go, maybe the Matrix needs humans to drive its evolution. After all, machines lack imagination and creativity."
His speculation was already close to the film's actual truth. Not all audience members were clueless—some could think critically.
The film moved at a brisk pace. After Neo's revelation, Morpheus became even more convinced that Neo was the One.
Training began. From martial arts to firearms, Neo had to learn it all.
Fortunately, the ship had a learning program that could upload knowledge directly into Neo's brain. With enough practice, he would master these skills in no time.
The film then fully showcased its flashy martial arts sequences.
Yuen Woo-ping might not be the best action director, but when it came to designing fight choreography, he was second to none. His moves were elegant and agile, yet also fast and lethal—visually stunning.
Of course, from the perspective of martial artists in Hong Kong, these two Western actors' movements were embarrassingly bad.
But this was North America. Most audiences had grown tired of old-school action movies. Seeing such stylish, visually dazzling combat left them exhilarated.
And, crucially, the fights were performed by two native Westerners, which earned even more praise.
If two Asian actors had performed these same moves, the impact would have been weaker.
That was just how things worked.
Take Rush Hour, another smash hit from Gilbert's Melon Studio. Most people assumed Jackie Chan was the true lead, but in reality, it was Chris Tucker.
Jackie Chan simply overshadowed him.
If Chris Tucker had been able to perform the same moves as Jackie, Gilbert was certain Jackie wouldn't be as famous as he was now.
The story continued. Morpheus took Neo to meet the Oracle, and the moment the little bald girl appeared, the audience burst into laughter.
Longtime Gilbert fans immediately recognized her—she was a frequent presence in his movies and had a special connection to him.
Natalie Portman glanced at the screen, then at Scarlett Johansson sitting beside Gilbert in the front row. A hint of jealousy flickered in her eyes.
She wasn't lacking in anything, yet it felt like Scarlett always received better treatment. Was it because of Gilbert?
Shaking off those thoughts, Natalie focused back on the film.
The Oracle's cryptic words left the audience puzzled.
Was Neo really the One? Or was he merely a backup choice?
And what about the other children—were they also potential saviors?
With these questions in mind, the audience continued watching as the team faced betrayal.
Cypher turned against them, leading Agent Smith and his squad to ambush Morpheus and the others.
Cypher's reason for betraying them was simple—he couldn't stand the harshness of the real world and wanted to return to the Matrix.
His choice was despicable but understandable. Not everyone could handle the truth. Sometimes, living in a comforting lie was preferable to waking up.
But Cypher's betrayal put Neo and his team in grave danger.
Morpheus chose to stay behind and fight, but he was no match for Smith and was quickly captured.
Meanwhile, in the real world, Cypher woke up first, executed the Tank brothers, and prepared to unplug the others.
That's when Neo's plot armor activated—Cypher started monologuing.
Experienced viewers knew immediately: He's going to fail.
Sure enough, Cypher lingered too long, ranting about his victory. Just as he was about to unplug Neo, one of the supposedly dead Tank brothers shot him down.
Trinity and Neo were safe.
The remaining trio planned to escape, but Neo had other ideas—he wanted to rescue Morpheus.
Trinity joined him, and the two re-entered the Matrix to take on Agent Smith.
"I need guns," Neo said.
"Lots of guns," came the response.
Rows upon rows of weapons appeared before him.
Neo grabbed a few, armed himself to the teeth, and—along with Trinity—stormed into the building head-on.
The ensuing shootout was breathtaking.
For fans of John Woo's signature gunplay, this sequence was a dream come true—a stylized, almost poetic display of bullets and destruction.
Audiences were in awe, completely enthralled.
Meanwhile, the critics at the premiere had their own moment of excitement.
Agent Smith's chilling monologue—comparing humanity to a virus, a disease, something he was programmed to eradicate—struck a nerve.
Coupled with the heavy use of digital aesthetics and cyber themes, the film essentially portrayed Smith as an antivirus program.
Even though Gilbert hadn't delved too deeply into the film's philosophical or religious allegories, just this one exchange was enough to cement The Matrix in cinematic history.
For audiences, though, it was the dazzling effects, stylish fights, and thrilling action that made them fall in love with the film.
Any deeper messages were just icing on the cake.
Ultimately, The Matrix struck the perfect balance between art and entertainment, delivering an exhilarating spectacle.
The final act introduced bullet time, leaving viewers utterly speechless.
Seeing it, Stacy squeezed Brownie's arm. "Honey, I'm getting excited."
Brownie was bewildered. "Seriously? Over a movie?"
"No, really," Stacy felt as if she was floating.
And Gilbert wasn't about to let the excitement die down.
Explosions, slow-motion shots, kinetic choreography—it was like an athletic event, pushing action to its limits.
Even Spielberg, a seasoned filmmaker, was stunned by Gilbert's craftsmanship.
Philosophy, cyberpunk, martial arts, gunfights, explosions, and mind-blowing visuals—this film had it all.
Spielberg believed The Matrix had reached the pinnacle of Hollywood filmmaking.
If he was this amazed, the audience could hardly contain themselves.
From the moment Neo and Trinity stormed the building, the cheers never stopped.
And the final battle between Neo and Smith? That was the ultimate climax.
When the credits rolled, the entire theater erupted into a standing ovation.
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