The Matrix is the 37th episode of Screen Junkies comedy series Honest Trailers. It was written by Spencer Gilbert, Ian Weinreich, Dan Murrell, Jason Pickar, Emma Barrie, and Andy Signore. It parodies the 1999 sci-fi action film The Matrix, as well as its 2003 sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. It was narrated by Jon Bailey as Epic Voice Guy. It was published on October 1, 2013, based on viewer requests. It is 4 minutes 12 seconds long. It has been viewed over 12 million times.
Watch Honest Trailers - The Matrix on YouTube
"Jack into the Matrix, a virtual reality simulation of the late 90's, full of flip phones, payphones, MiniDiscs, outfits straight out of a Marilyn Manson video, and AOL screen names." ~ Honest Trailers - The Matrix
Script[]
(multiple comments requesting the trailer pop up)
Fine! We'll do the freaking Matrix!
From the Wachowski Brothers... er, siblings (shows a photo of Andy and Lana Wachowski), comes the mind-blowing sci-fi game-changer, and the two sequels that took a huge, steaming dump on it.
The Matrix... and its sequels. (The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions)
Prepare for the most original sci-fi franchise since Star Wars... that ultimately went all Jar Jar Binks on itself, kind of like Star Wars. Relive all the awesome moments you loved from the first film, the one sequence you liked from the second (shows an Agent landing on the hood of a car during the freeway chase in The Matrix Reloaded), and absolutely nothing from the third.
Neo: (after running into the tunnel from the Mobil Ave station to find himself in the same place he just left in The Matrix Revolutions) Sh*t.
Jack into the Matrix, a virtual reality simulation of the late 90's, full of flip phones, payphones, MiniDiscs, outfits straight out of a Marilyn Manson video, and AOL screen names.
Morpheus: (as their names are added to an AOL Instant Messenger buddy list) This is Apoc... Switch... and Cypher.
Cypher: Hi.
Morpheus: --Tank... and his big brother, Dozer.
AOL Voice: You've got mail.
Watch as one hacker named Neo, which is an anagram for "one", becomes "the One", who can only make one facial expression. (montage of Neo staring blankly) But he's not alone; meet Trinity, the love of Neo's life, and Morpheus, the... other love of Neo's life.
Morpheus: What you know, you can't explain. But you feel it. [...] It is this feeling that has brought you to me. / You are the One, Neo. [I've] spent my entire life looking for you. / Try to relax. This will feel... a little weird. / He is the One.
Neo: (grabbing Morpheus from a helicopter after he and Morpheus leap towards each other) Got you.
Get a room, you two.
Together, they'll face off against Agent Smith, a villain so cool... they just copied him a bunch of times instead of coming up with another cool bad guy. Watch as these two battle in this awesomely choreographed kung fu fight (shows Neo and Agent Smith fighting in a subway in The Matrix), then in this CGI bullsh*t (shows Neo fighting several copies of Agent Smith while spinning on a pole in The Matrix Reloaded), and then in this Dragon Ball Z rip-off. (compares the final fight in The Matrix Revolutions to the Goku vs. Frieza fight in Dragon Ball Z) Kamehame... nah.
Journey to the Matrix, a world of limitless possibilities, that had audiences everywhere questioning their own existence, and then journey to Zion, a world of... sweaty cave ravers. Really? We're going to spend half of this trilogy here? Can we just watch some bullet time again? (shows Neo and Agent Smith leaping towards each other while firing their guns in slow-motion) Nice.
So settle in for a film that spawned a thousand imitators (shows The Matrix parody scenes in Kung Pow! Enter the Fist and Scary Movie), from its effects (shows a slow-motion gunfight in Swordfish), to its tone (shows John Preston mowing down guards with two pistols in Equilibrium), to its wardrobe (shows Selene wearing a black leather jacket in Underworld (2003)), to its own sequels (montage of stunts and effects being repeated throughout the trilogy), and prepare for the thinking man's action franchise, that got stuck way too far up its own ass by the end of Part 2.
Architect: While this answer functioned, it was obviously fundamentally flawed, thus creating the otherwise contradictory systemic anomaly that, if left unchecked, might threaten the system itself. Ergo, those that--
I-I have no idea what he's talking about. I-Is it too late for me to take the blue pill?
Starring: Kung Fu Jesus (Keanu Reeves as Thomas Anderson/Neo); Female Keanu Reeves (Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity); Laurence and the Machine (Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus); White Chicks (Neil and Adrian Rayment as the Twins); The Boreacle (Gloria Foster as the Oracle); Where It All Went Wrong (Helmut Bakaitis as the Architect); Jaden's Mom (Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe); The Last Spoonbender (Rowan Witt as The Spoon Boy); Mr. Ambien (Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith); Mormons (the Smith copies); Squidward (Sentinel); and Monica Bellucci (as Persephone). Ha! Just kidding. Bewbs (zooms in on Persephone's breasts).
The Matrix... and its sequels.
You know it's a bad sign when your video game (Enter the Matrix) and direct-to-DVD cartoon (The Animatrix) are better than your movies.
AOL Voice: Goodbye.
Viewer's Comments[]
The comments heavily referencing quotes from American neo-western crime drama television series Breaking Bad, which aired its series finale two nights earlier.
Say "Yeah bitch, magnets!" - Callum Robinson
Please say "Better call Saul!" - ravepupple
Say: my name is ASAC Schraeder, and you can go f*** yourself - lilpiggy70
PLEASE MAN YOU HAVE TO SAY THIS NEXT TIME: "I'M GONNA SEND YOU TO BELIZE!" - Gianluca La Porta
Make the trailer guy say "If we're gonna that way, you're gonna need a bigger knife" - Anon Ymous
Can you make the trailer guy say "Say the words. Say you want this. Nothing happens until I hear you say it."? Thanks! - Roslynne De Los Reyes
Trivia[]
- Screen Junkies would go on to release an Honest Trailer for this trilogy's 2021 follow-up, The Matrix Resurrections, in 2022.
- Screen Junkies have also produced Honest Trailers for several other science-fiction films including Jupiter Ascending, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Terminator Genisys, Predator, Blade Runner, Interstellar, Aliens, Alien: Covenant, Avatar, Inception, Jurassic Park, Jurassic World and many more. See list of Honest Trailers for the full list.
- This was the first Keanu Reeves movie to get the Honest Trailers treatment. Others included Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Point Break, John Wick (and its own sequels), and Speed.
- An Honest Trailer Commentary for this episode was recorded and was available on Screen Junkies Plus until the website/app was discontinued. Screen Junkies does not currently have any way of releasing the video.
Reception[]
Honest Trailers - The Matrix has a 97.8% approval rating from YouTube viewers. Giant Freakin' Robot said the Honest Trailer's joke about the 90s technology was "somewhat of a cheap shot considering it was made in the late ’90s," but said Screen Junkies' criticisms of the sequels were valid. In contrast, MatrixFans.net wrote "I usually find Screen Junkies “Honest Trailers” YouTube series hilarious and insightful but this one might hit me a bit too hard. In their latest release they make some lighthearted jokes about “The Matrix” but then go on to the same old sequel hatred we’ve all heard for years. Do they make some valid points? Sure. Does it still make me upset that I can’t open every person’s eyes to the beauty of those two films? Definitely."
Production credits[]
Video thumbnail for Honest Trailers - The Matrix
Directed by Andy Signore
Executive Producer Mitch Rotter
Series Created by Andy Signore & Brett Weiner
Episode Written by Spencer Gilbert, Ian Weinreich, Dan Murrell, Jason Pickar, Emma Barrie, and Andy Signore
Edited by Dan Murrell
Voiceover Narration by Jon Bailey
External links[]
- The Matrix Trilogy Gets An Honest Trailer - Giant Freakin' Robot article
- Screen Junkies Releases an “Honest Trailer” for ‘The Matrix’ - MatrixFans.net article
- ‘The Matrix’ Is Actually A Love Story Between Neo & Morpheus According To Honest Trailers - Huffington Post article
- 'The Matrix' Finally Gets an Honest Movie Trailer - Mashable article
- Honest Trailer: The Matrix Trilogy - Uproxx article