The Matrix is one of the few films that you'll find in almost anyones movie library. This is no surprise however, because the Matrix is a step above many sci-fi movies like it. The plot does not falter at any point during the film and the acting is superb. The shootouts are exhilarating and the special effects were ground-breaking. I'd recommend the Matrix to everyone. Action fans will be satisfied by the violence and people looking for something more than just action will also be pleased by the ideas and questions that the Matrix raises. Parents should know that even though the Matrix is rated R, it is on the softer side of the R rating. There are lots of guns and shootouts (although mostly bloodless), a passionate kiss, and a couple of s**ts and damns.

It's impossible to talk about the Matrix and kids without discussing the violence portrayed in this film. This film depicts martial-arts fighting scenes, point blank shooting and machine-gun volleys of destruction with a vividness that cannot be down-played. My wife and I are in a heated debate about whether or not this film is appropriate our oldest of three children. My 12 year old is growing up in a culture that provide 12 year-olds with a near limitless connectivity to the big, big world of the Internet. There are very few parents that have adequate technical skills to fully monitor / constrain access to the Internet from an averagely adept 12 year old. Personally - I'd rather pick my battles (no pun intended) and be there for my kid as he's growing up. Waiting until he's 17 and just about to head out the door… I don't think so. I happen to be a science fiction fan. Over the years, I've found a lot of joy in some of the wonderful stories, messages and mind-bending philosophies that are the hallmark of great science fiction. The Matrix is one of the works of science fiction that captures a lot of the greatness from different works across the genre: like a "highlight real". At the centerpiece of this film are characters that are filled with goodness, human self-doubt and in the end, a heroic commitment towards positive goals. In the review under the "Families Can Talk About" section above - the reviewer does a nice recap of some of those classic science fiction themes that find their way into The Matrix. Based on where my son is, I believe that this is going to lead to a lot of great discussions between the the two of us. I do not believe that the graphic violence will be part of those discussions. If you follow the plot of the film, the violence in this film occurs in a computer generated virtual-reality - not to "real" people. If this concept is too much to understand for your child, then I wouldn't recommend the film at this time. My feelings on this front are greatly influenced by the fact that my son is an extremely kind and thoughtful person - even more so when considering his age. I think this film offers more common ground for the two of us to engage than it will be a bad influence on his development. I don't know if I'm going to get agreement from my wife for another 5 years, but I do know I look forward to sharing it with my kid - whenever that happens and do hope that it's not too far in the future.

Though this movie is pretty dated, the special effects are top notch. I was actually very surprised I was watching something that wasn't just made! There is quite a lot of violence, and it was particularly gruesome when the bug crawled in the protaganists belly button, but other than that, this movie should have been rated PG-13, because I have seen many PG-13 movies that are worse than this R one.

A real brain-teaser that should give kids a lot to think about and provide a framework for understanding a lot of college-level concepts. Has a nicer blend of racial diversity than most films with minority actors in major roles and no big discussion of their race. The message that you can question authority, but act morally is a really good one for kids trying to figure out how to disagree with authority figures but still be respectful and upright. Although not graphic, the violence is a bit disturbing. Huge numbers of innocent bystanders are killed with no remorse on the part of the protagonists. That's really the only flaw in the movie, and if you discuss it with your kids, they should be able to see through it.

oh come on so there a bunch of action it wont kill you this such agood movie and it is way over rated!!!

Families can talk about the relationship between humans and machines, and why Smith says that the first Matrix program, creating the perception of a utopia-like society, was unacceptable to the humans. Their attempt to keep the humans compliant through happiness did not work, so they had to try again with the past "reality" of a stress-filled world. There are also issues of destiny versus free will and loyalty versus self-interest. Parents should think about raising the issue of violence in movies, and the impact it has on viewers, especially impressionable or disaffected ones, as well.

The language is an issue as they do use the Lord's name for cussing. This is definitely a movie you will want to talk about with your teens if you do decide to watch it with them. As an adult, I did turn away during the heavy gunfire scene as they enter a building.

its not that bad and perfect for eleven year olds with the initial SJG

I think people should stop critiquing every aspect of every movie to complain it isn't "kid" friendly enough. The movie is not for kids, bottom line. Not because it is violent or because it says s[censored]hit, but because it is a thought provoking and complex piece of art that is intended for a well matured mind that is capable of understanding and handling it. Not every movie made is for kids to watch, and it has nothing to do with vulgar content, but rather because a child's brain is not developed enough to grasp the message or what is being communicated. Stop b[censored]ing and moaning when a film is not the religion friendly or mindless garbage we see shoveled out at children every summer with no other purpose than to waste 2 hours of your life and make a few million dollars in doing so. This is a film for mature audiences, not a Saturday morning cartoon. Stop trying to make every thing geared towards children. And if you bother to look hard enough, you will see that it does in fact carry some positive messages in it, like for example don't waste your life away like a mindless zombie, and open your eyes to the reality that this life is only temporary, so don't squander it.