Compare 'The Matrix' and 'Charlie's Angels' films, especially the two rescue scenes.
GCSE Media Coursework January 2003· Essay Title: Compare 'The Matrix' and 'Charlie's Angels' films, especially the two rescue scenes. Charlie's Angels is an action comedy film, which borrows ideas from other well-known movies such as 'Mission Impossible', 'James Bond' and 'The Matrix'. It is not very original or challenging, has a weak and predicable plot, and is merely an update on the 1970's television series of the same name. The film is based on a trio of beautiful women (Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore) who are hired to retrieve a man and his technology. They achieve this by working together, using their intelligence, a series of cunning plans, combined with an impressive display of girl power. In comparison, The Matrix is a science fiction film, with an intricate plot, which captivates the audience's attention with its twists and turns and incredible show of carefully choreographed special
effects. We are introduced to this in the very opening scene. Trinity, (one of the main characters, played by Carrie-Anne Moss) is seen to be escaping from the police and several mysterious men dressed in black suits, known as 'The Agents'. She strategically jumps from building to building, and also runs up walls at super human speed, in our first glimpse of the dramatic, special effects, which feature throughout. This confirms that The Matrix falls under the science fiction genre as the characters seem to possess certain skills and abilities, an average person would not have. The main theme of ...
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effects. We are introduced to this in the very opening scene. Trinity, (one of the main characters, played by Carrie-Anne Moss) is seen to be escaping from the police and several mysterious men dressed in black suits, known as 'The Agents'. She strategically jumps from building to building, and also runs up walls at super human speed, in our first glimpse of the dramatic, special effects, which feature throughout. This confirms that The Matrix falls under the science fiction genre as the characters seem to possess certain skills and abilities, an average person would not have. The main theme of the film is a computer program called 'The Matrix', which controls and uses human beings in order to fuel itself. In order to protect the Earth from 'The Matrix' a computer hacker named Thomas Anderson (referred to as Neo, for the majority of the film) becomes involved and attempts to save the world from evil.Two things both films have in common are big Hollywood budgets, institution and glamour. They each rely on famous actors in their casting, a spectacular array of costumes and special effects, as well as spending millions of dollars on promotion, in order to gain more interest from the public. Out of the two, I prefer The Matrix, as it is completely original, unlike Charlie's Angels, which depends on the themes and ideas from previous big name movies. Because it does this, the film is less exciting, with many aspects of the film being just as you expect. The Matrix is aimed at an audience of people over twelve, as it has a very confusing plot, often difficult to understand, therefore, people of a younger generation would struggle to follow the story line. There are also several scenes, which include a substantial amount of violence that may upset younger viewers. The Matrix is wholly original, using ideas, rarely seen before in other movies, although, it does revolve around the classic battle between good and evil. The film itself, falls under the science fiction genre, and presents a dystopic view of the future, which we find out, is a result of technology going terribly wrong. Charlie's Angels is aimed at a teenage audience, the plot is relatively easy to follow, but there are certain scenes, which involve violence and strong language. The film is actually a modern day version of the 1970's television series, which was extremely popular during its time. I imagine that was one of the main reasons the film was so well received, as people were curious to see what changes had been made to the original idea. The answer is in fact very few. Along with basing the film on the TV show, it also borrows many ideas from other popular movies, such as 'Mission Impossible', 'James Bond', 'The Matrix' and various Martial Arts films. It also features the standard struggle between good and bad. The rescue scene featured in 'The Matrix' is the final and most important one. It is extremely dramatic and tense, with the most exciting, powerful special effects seen so far. The fate of the main characters, (Neo, Trinity, Cipher, Morpheus) determines what will happen to the world: If they fail their mission the univirse could easily be completely destroyed. The complex plot keeps us on the edge of our seats, with the feeling of suspense, eager and enthusiastic to know the out come. The story line is thrilling, the drama is intense throughout, and the ending does not disappoint us. The rescue scene shown at the end of 'Charlie's Angels' is far less engaging than that of 'The Matrix'. It is very dramatic and there are lots of special effects used, but it is also very predictable. The Angels fight their way to the finish, destroying everyone and anything in their way, in order to protect Charlie from the bad guys, who had planned to murder him. In my personal opinion, 'The Matrix' has a more impressive rescue scene. It is completely original and unpredictable. Charlie's Angels is less enjoyable as it borrows too many ideas from other films, it is less exciting and has an expected ending.
