Jacking In To the Matrix Franchise: Cultural Reception and Interpretation

by Matthew Kapell

There have already been several very successful books devoted to the original film in the Matrix trilogy. This entirely new collection of essays is the first book to examine the trilogy as a whole - as well as related products such as The Animatrix and the computer game. Contributors tackle these subjects from a range of perspectives: religion, philosophy, gender, race, film studies, and science, providing a comprehensive view of everything Matrix-related.Reviewing the cultural and religious implications of the trilogy, authors look at:* American Religion, Community and Revitilization: Why The Matrix Resonates* Religion and Salvation, the Optiate of The Matrix Franchise* Gimme that Bullet Time Religion, or, The Dream of Spiritually Perfect Violence* Ultimate Reality: Buddhist and Gnostic Constructions of BlissAlso covered are theories of cyberworlds, issues of gender and race and the games and ethics of simulation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Cultural, Film

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember watching The Matrix the first time and being blown away by it. When I saw this book I hoped that it would help me look at it through new eyes. I was not disappointed. The authors in this collection analyze, and criticize, the franchise in several interesting ways, from a gendered and raced perspective, to a fascistic/democratic dichotomy to a discussion of whether the choice to remain in a simulation could be morally defended. Aside from a few discussions that seemed to require more than a bit of knowledge of Baudrillard’s “Simulacra and Simulation”, I found almost all the essays comprehensible and thought provoking.