Chapter 97

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

While the entire North America was just beginning to ferment with everything about the movie.

"This movie is just too amazing."

"Oh, my God, the plot is intricately linked, the story is tense and thrilling, the pace is so fast it almost takes your breath away."

"My bladder was full for two hours. If I get cystitis because of this, I'm going to sue Neo."

"Neo is so cool, I want to buy a black trench coat like his. And Trinity, I don't think there's a cooler woman on the big screen than her."

Excited moviegoers who had just finished watching the film rushed home to some movie websites, rating and writing reviews for "The Matrix."

Perhaps because he had stayed up too late, when Chen Tian finally woke up, it was already noon. He was woken by the room service. He found that Kate was no longer by his side, and there was a note left on the table. She had some promotional work to do today and had quietly left without waking him. There was a lipstick mark on the note, which made him smile.

The phone rang; it was Kong Yiji. "Old Chen, are you awake?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Then I'll come over."

By the time Chen Tian, still a bit groggy, wrapped himself in a bathrobe and walked into the living room, Kong Yiji had already burst in with a thick bundle of newspapers, "Old Chen, take a look, today's newspapers!"

"So many, you want to keep me from going out." Chen Tian pushed the newspapers away in disgust, "I haven't had breakfast yet."

"Breakfast? It's more like lunch." Kong Yiji sneered, "Take a look, there are quite a few good reviews."

The internet was not very developed in the country, and newspapers and television were still the main channels for people to get information. So Kong Yiji still favored print media and had bought all the top ten selling newspapers in the U.S. early in the morning. Fortunately, this bundle of newspapers had already been organized, all flipped to the entertainment section.

Chen Tian picked up the "Los Angeles Times" and asked while scanning the content, "Is Uncle Ba gone?"

"Early morning flight, just left," Kong Yiji replied, "Don't worry, I saw him off. The thing you mentioned, he will take it to heart."

During yesterday's gathering, Yuan Heping had already said goodbye to everyone. After completing the work on "The Matrix," he immediately took on Li Ang's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." It was a crucial time for filming, and if not for the invitation to the premiere, he might not have come at all. He was in a hurry to get back to filming.

Chen Tian nodded and stuffed a piece of bread from the room service into his mouth, reading the newspaper. Another disaster movie, "Deep Blue Sea," was also released on the same day, but it received very little media coverage. Most of the coverage was given to "The Matrix."

"This is a sci-fi epic with a unique style, a work full of surprises. Sci-fi is usually limited by science, and science usually precedes technology. The most common sci-fi involves scientific advancements, rarely touching on other aspects. For action movies, it's even more so, with special effects being the only highlight.

First, I want to comment on the movie's title, which I think is brilliantly chosen:

And the-mat-rix (Note 1), mat-rix has six meanings in Merriam-Webster. One of them describes the origin of something. This meaning fits well with the movie's description of machines originating from human intelligence and human society relying on machines to continue.

At yesterday's premiere, our reporter had the opportunity to interview the movie's director, screenwriter, and lead actor, Chen Christmas. He revealed that the story is composed of three parts, and he hopes to complete all three. He told the reporter that "The Matrix" is a modern version of the New Testament.

More stories will happen in the future. If you read the New Testament, many questions will be answered, and the answers are all in the Bible. The first part talks about "the truth," the second part will talk about "the cause," and the third part will talk about "the choice."

So far, after watching the first movie, I am very willing to see the sequel.

Secondly, about the content of the movie. Besides the unique charm of Chinese kung fu and the exotic Eastern landscapes of the Great Wall and Wudang Mountain, a very important point is that the movie covers a lot of philosophical and religious content, which is really commendable in a sci-fi action movie.

Chen Christmas is clearly a young man with ideas. In Hegel's theory of alienation, he mentions that things develop to a certain stage and alienate into something opposite, which eventually replaces the original. In the movie, there are many philosophical and classic lines that are very thought-provoking.

I won't spoil it further, but I give it a score of 5."

"This seems to be a pretty good review," Chen Tian said, raising an eyebrow. Kong Yiji was even more excited, "Look below, there's more."

"A highly original sci-fi movie, with bold and novel imagination. My brain is a mess right now. I haven't seen such a unique movie in years. From start to finish, every minute exudes the director's sincerity. Sorry, I think I need a cigarette and a night to savor this movie!"

A film critic said this in an interview, politely expressing that he had too much to say but was at a loss for words, a very clever way of responding.

"I love Kate Beckinsale so much. Her previous movies were all beautiful but lacked standout elements. But this movie completely changed my view. Kate is absolutely the best, a beautiful warrior goddess. I think the tight leather outfit will become an indelible symbol of her acting career. And Charlize Theron, who has played too many sweet roles in the past, is very impressive as a cold and ruthless female agent, even though her role is not large. I love them so much!" Two fans of the actresses were excitedly expressing their admiration in interviews. The charm of classic looks is indeed irresistible.

Not only the "Los Angeles Times," but the entertainment section of the "Hollywood Reporter" also featured a large photo of the整齐的白衬衣黑西裤主创阵容亮相 at the premiere.

On IMDb, 150 people rated the movie, giving it a high score of 8.3. Of course, this number would decrease as more people rated it, but a score of 8.3 on the first day was enough to attract more viewers to the cinema.

The movie received an A rating from CinemaScore, and the freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes reached 91%, with the market prospects looking very promising.

Online, there were numerous discussions about the black-clad, sunglasses-wearing men giving the salute to passersby, reigniting the previously hotly debated topic of "The Matrix."

Countless netizens who had seen or heard about "The Matrix" began to recall their dormant memories and gradually ponder when to go to the cinema to watch the movie.

No need to think too much, today is Friday, "Hey, dear, shall we go see a movie?"

Jack Allen, an insurance salesman from New Jersey, lived a modest life. Although he was a movie enthusiast, he didn't go to the cinema very often.

"Now? Why, is there any good movie?"

"Yes, it's called 'The Matrix,' and it seems to have received great reviews."

"Hmm, I think I've heard of that movie. Since it's the weekend, let's go see it. Kurt is also on holiday."

"Oh, that might not work. The movie is rated R."

"Damn, Kurt will have to stay home alone."

In the hotel, Chen Tian sat on the sofa, smiling as he carefully read through the articles and photos in the newspapers, his mood getting better and better. The reviews were mostly praising him, the movie's plot, the lead actors' performances, and the fast-paced story that was refreshing.

Most importantly, the reviews were better than the original.

He wasn't complacent. With the help of the magical tool, if he couldn't surpass the previous work, he might as well find a block of tofu to bash his head against.

But no one dislikes being praised, and he felt very satisfied. This meant they had a good start, even though it was still the first Friday and the real movie-watching craze hadn't started yet. The box office success of "The Matrix" would, to a certain extent, be influenced by these positive reviews.

The "Washington Post" also reviewed "Deep Blue Sea," which was released on the same day, "Both movies are from Warner Bros. This 'Deep Blue Sea' is also very sincere, with thrilling and exciting scenes, but compared to 'The Matrix,' it lacks creativity. The audience's choice is clear..."

On August 7, Friday, the new week of movie screenings began, and "The Matrix" officially welcomed its first wave of enthusiastic moviegoers in 3,200 North American theaters. When the school bell rang, countless student movie fans rushed out of school, and many working people discussed going to see a movie together.

Then they rushed to nearby cinemas to buy tickets for "The Matrix." However, to the surprise of many viewers, the tickets for the first show were already sold out, with the electronic ticket boards showing a red "Sold Out" sign, indicating just how popular the movie was.

The Allen family also faced the same situation, "Sir, there are tickets available at 11:00, would you like to buy them?" the black girl at the ticket counter politely introduced.

"Do you want to go? It might be too late, the subway will be closed." His wife was hesitant. Jack clenched his teeth and said, "We can take a taxi."

"Two tickets for 'The Matrix,' please." They were still discussing when a white man impatiently cut in line and bought the tickets.

"Okay, please wait a moment." The ticket seller quickly issued the tickets.

"Hey, we were here first." Jack complained. The ticket seller helplessly said, "Sir, there are less than twenty tickets left. Do you still want them?"

Jack clenched his teeth, "Yes, two tickets, side by side."

"Damn, how could this happen." In a cinema in Los Angeles, a Chinese-American high school student pitifully looked at the ticket seller. He was a second-generation immigrant who used to love watching movies by Jackie Chan and Jet Li. But they were kung fu stars, and it seemed that Chinese people could only make it in Hollywood through kung fu. Now, finally, a star had emerged who didn't rely on kung fu, and it was a sci-fi movie. He had to see it, "Just to support a fellow Chinese."

But he didn't expect that the movie had already reached a level where it didn't need his support, and he even couldn't get a ticket because he arrived too late.

(Note 1: Actually, I don't like the Chinese translations, neither of them is accurate. The first translation is "The Matrix," which makes people think of hackers first. The second translation is the Hong Kong version "22nd Century Murder Network," which is so bad the person who translated it should die.)

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