Greatest computer-generated movie sequences - The Matrix

As befits a movie based around an epic battle fought in the heart of a giant computer, the computer-generated effects used in The Matrix set the standard for years to come. Even its own sequels couldn't match up to the sheer excitement of its bullet-time invention.

Reloaded was somewhat underwhelming, and yes, Revolutions was one of the most leaden, over-complicated and tired pieces of film making of the 21st century. But The Matrix still looks as fresh five years on as it did when it premiered.

Around a fifth of the entire movie got a dash of computer-generated magic, but surely the crowning achievement is the rescue of Morpheus from the agents' headquarters.

Of course, it features the now-ubiquitous sequence as Neo dodges bullets on the top of the building (well, most of the bullets anyway).

This has become one of the defining parts of the movie and, while not computer-generated but composed by using scores of still cameras, the whole thing is stitched together into its impressive whole by using some high-powered computing.

Of course, it has spawned a host of imitators in other movies and games, but the original has never been bettered because it combines a never-before-seen effect with the awakening of Neo's super powers.

Another of my favourites is when the helicopter used in the escape smashes into the side of a building and the glass ripples across the surface and shatters, a combination of traditional pyrotechnics and fantastic computer-generated effects.

Inevitably you will have your own favourites from this scene, perhaps when the spent ammunition falls from the helicopter as Neo rakes the room with a machine gun.

But for me The Matrix represents the combination of subject matter and special effects to come up with a package unlikely to be bettered for years to come.

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