Pulling the plug

It's rather mind boggling to think that "The Matrix" came out in 1999. To me, it seems like the first movie was in theaters just a few years ago.

Perhaps that's why I was surprised to read Sony Online Entertainment will soon pull the plug on "The Matrix Online." The game is scheduled to shut down July 31, exactly 10 years and four months after the first movie was released. And in conjunction with the game's termination, big things apparently are brewing. I'm not sure if the occurrences will be considered part of the official "Matrix" story, but as convoluted as the plot's become over the years, Sony probably couldn't inflict any more harm than what the Wachowski brothers did to themselves.

I didn't realize just how difficult the story was to understand until I recently bought a "Matrix" all-in-one set from Best Buy. Because the package also included "The Animatrix" shorts, I had to hunt down the appropriate viewing order. (Believe me, if you go out of order, it's indecipherable.) The best suggestion I found was here — a viewing order that I would strongly suggest for anyone who ever wants to jack back into the series.

Watched in the appropriate order, the "Matrix" story is rather good. Sure, the series goes to some decidedly odd places and stumbles in points, but the core themes are truly interesting and challenging, as good science fiction should be.

Whether those themes are enhanced or brought to some kind of conclusion when "The Matrix Online" ends remains to be seen. But since this opportunity might represent the last best chance for the Wachowski brothers to put a bow on their complex little brainchild, I can hope.