Do You Have What It Takes To Pass This Quiz On The First Matrix Movie?
- by Ricky Bambuto
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Have you ever felt like there's something eerie about the world? As though everything you've ever known is only a thin membrane layering something much bigger? Maybe there's a whole order and structure to existence, and you've only been let in on the smallest part of it.
If you tend to think along those lines, then you probably love The Matrix trilogy, or at least its perfect first movie. What makes the first Matrix movie so special is that it's among the best works of art to ever tackle so big a concept as the hidden nature of existence itself, and do it total justice. The movie is so well-made, you don't even think about the fact that you're watching something that reaches into places you can never fully understand.
But you keep trying to understand, don't you? You're a lot like Neo in that way. You want to peel back this curtain so you can see the wizard - look it dead in the eye. If this world really is an illusion, then it's not enough for you. Maybe watching the Matrix was the first step in this journey of yours. If that's the case, you'd remember the movie quite well.
So, let's find out if you do. A white rabbit is digging its way down this quiz. You should follow it.
What's this character's name?
Before we get into the nitty gritty of The Matrix, let's start by seeing if you remember a few of its main characters first. For all we know, you haven't seen the movie since '99, in which case you might benefit greatly from a refresher course. This character is the first one we're introduced to in the film, and she does a great job of opening up the action. If you know The Matrix, you certainly know this one's name.
Who's this guy?
No movie is complete without its hero, and The Matrix wouldn't be quite as impactful as it is without this protagonist right here. He might not say much, but his actions speak louder than his words. It took him a while to catch up with the pace of things during the movie, but once he got his bearings together, we had the chance to witness him doing some truly amazing things. At the very least, you should know this character's name. Come on, now.
Who's the main villain of the movie?
Heroes are fantastic and all, but they wouldn't have very much to do without a smart, strong villain to put them to the test. Well, thankfully, that's exactly what the Matrix has in store for the good guys, and they only barely make it through to the end. If you were to face such a foe as this, you'd quickly find yourself with nowhere to turn, facing a fist that's destined for your face. Do you know who main villain of The Matrix is?
What's this guy's name?
Now this guy, right here - thank the gods for this guy. Without him, the real world would have no hope. We don't mean the "real" real world where we all are right now (we hope), but the real world within The Matrix movie, the one ruled by machines. The machines would go on enslaving humanity forever, quite unchallenged, were it not for the limitless faith and motivation of this guy, right here. Let's all hope you remember his name.
What does the computer tell Neo to do at the beginning of the movie?
Neo's journey down the rabbit hole starts with a few words that appear on his computer screen at the beginning of the movie. Being a hacker, Neo spends a great deal of time on his computer, enough time not to notice that he's fallen into a nap on his desk every once in a while. During one of these naps, he was awoken with quite a startling on-screen message, indeed. Do you remember what that message is? A real Matrix fan can.
Something unusual happened when Neo went to the club. What was it?
In the end, Neo ended up taking his computer's advice, following his client's group of friends to a dance club. Obviously out of place, Neo sort of lurked around, waiting for something to happen. Well, eventually something did happen, and it's one of those things that change a person's life forever. The magnitude of this event wasn't clear as it was happening, but it all makes sense in retrospect. Think back on the club scene, and try to remember what happened.
During their interrogation, Agent Smith asks Neo for information about Morpheus. What does Neo do?
Even with the help of Morpheus via cell phone, Neo still manages to get himself caught by the agents while they were looking for him in his place of work. As became clear, Neo had a great deal of training to do before he stood a chance of even giving an agent the slip. Still, thankfully things ended up working out, but Neo had to get through this interrogation first. What does he do in response to Agent Smith's question?
After Neo does that, what happens to him?
When you're sitting on the vulnerable end of a heated interrogation, and you're being asked questions you don't want to give answers to, there are a couple behavioral options you can take on. One would be to stay timidly quiet while refusing to answer, and another is to do what Neo did - essentially flip your interrogator the bird. The second option is way cooler, but tends to come with some consequences. Do you remember the consequence in this case?
What do Trinity and Switch do before taking Neo to see Morpheus?
After Neo is luckily released from the clutches of Agent Smith, it finally comes time for him to meet Morpheus in person, and for them to have a fateful little chat about pills and stuff. Before that, it's important for Trinity and Switch (the two team members in charge with bringing Neo to Morpheus) to perform a certain task, for their safety. If you say you remember the movie, this question should be a total piece of cake. Is it?
What color are the pills Morpheus offers Neo?
Now, we're finally here - Morpheus's high intensity meet-up with the one and only Neo. Morpheus has been waiting a long time for this, as has Neo. Of course, Neo has no idea what to expect here, and Morpheus can't wait to deliver the mind-strike that will cause Neo to literally vomit in amazement. Before that, it's time for Neo to take his medication. Morpheus offers him two important pills, each of a certain color. So, what are those colors?
Which pill does Neo end up taking?
Neo doesn't have to think for long before choosing one of Morpheus's pills. Indeed, he wouldn't even be in a meeting with Morpheus if he didn't have some conviction about what kind of pill he should take. He's not the type to delude himself with saccharine hope and false happiness - he wants the truth, and he wants it now. More than anything, he wants to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. So, which pill does he end up taking?
What's the name of Morpheus' hovercraft?
Such a brilliant vessel as Morpheus's ship can't prowl through the networks of our machine-dominated future without carrying a worthy name, now can it? Since Morpheus is such a studied, regal guy, he named his ship after a very important historical figure, one whose essence may or may not have influenced the conception of this movie. Regardless of that, true Matrix fans should at least know the name of Morpheus's hovercraft. You only need to hear it once for it to stick in mind.
What is the Matrix?
We'll spring this one on you now, since it's as good a time as any. What is the Matrix, anyway? It seems like such an impossible concept to wrap your mind around, but it turns out to be quite easy to dilute into a single sentence. Now, describing the IRL matrix is a different story, but we'll figure it out eventually. For now, sticking to the world of the movie, what is the Matrix? Pick the best description from the options below.
Which of these best describes the state of humanity in the real world?
Let's all just hope that our future doesn't actually look like the one shown in The Matrix movies. Sure, this sort of life can be quite exciting, but that's only assuming that you're one of the super minute fraction of people who exist in the real world and not the Matrix, and that you're one of the soldiers privileged to go out defending the human race on hovercrafts. Otherwise, your fate, along with the general plight of humanity, will be quite grim.
What does Neo do after Morpheus tells him the truth about the real world?
Once Morpheus is done briefing Neo about life in the real world, Neo doesn't really need him to repeat himself. Nope, he happened to have received the message loud and clear, thanks. Now, the question is this - what is his immediate action following his reception of this information? As it turns out, there's only one thing he could think to do, and doing it doesn't actually require much thinking. What does Neo do after Morpheus tells him the truth?
What's Zion?
We don't get to see any of Zion in the first Matrix movie, but Tank fills Neo in on the gist of it. If you've watched the series into its sequels, then you've seen what Zion is first hand, and you'd probably be able to comment freely on it. In any other case, this might be a stretch for you, but take the clues we've provided in mind. Zion can be one thing, and one thing only - what is it?
What is the first training Neo receives on the Nebuchadnezzar?
Now that Neo's been briefed about the general goings-on of the real world, it's time to get him into training so that he's able to contribute to the fight against the agents and, by extension, the machine army. While that's an ambitious final goal, Neo can get there if he takes things one step at a time. Think back to Neo's training period during his time on the Nebuchadnezzar, and try to recall what his first lesson was. You can do it.
Does this character make it out alive?
Every ship needs a brainiac, which is the role Mouse plays on the Nebuchadnezzar. He programs, he fixes, he makes dweeby jokes. Above all, though, he's a good-hearted person who just wants the best for the human race, and enjoys a healthy laugh every now and then. Of course, despite how much we love them, not all good characters in The Matrix end up making it out of the story alive. Such high stakes usually require sacrifices - was this character one of them?
What is this machine's purpose?
If you remember a good chunk of the first Matrix movie, you might already remember this machine's purpose without needing to take too many guesses or receive any hints. If that's not the case, you might still be able to guess its purpose judging only by its image. Does that look like the metallic shell, flashing red tentacles and horrific eyes of a machine whose purpose is to help humanity? Or is it the exact opposite? One way to find out.
Can this character be trusted?
If only The Matrix were a happy-go-lucky movie, where every smiling character can be trusted based solely on the fact that they're smiling, maybe we wouldn't have had the displeasure of seeing so many of our favorite characters perish. However, that's not the case - a smile is no indicator of a person's honor. In this world - and the Matrix, and the real world - things aren't always as they seem. Can this character be trusted, like at all?
During Neo's first field trip back into the Matrix, who is he going to see?
After Neo escapes from the Matrix for the first, glorious time, he doesn't get to stay away from it for long. Actually, the crew members of The Nebuchadnezzar take frequent trips into the program, sometimes to go pay a visit to a certain mystical character we were introduced to in the first installment of the film series. She uses her words selectively, and when she's speaking, it's best that you don't do anything else but listen, and listen quite well.
What does this kid tell Neo about bending the spoon?
We don't know much about this kid right here, but we do know that he loves bending spoons. And, he's quite good at bending spoons - good enough for the activity to become almost second nature to him. By the way, he's not using his hands or even his feet to bend these spoons - he's doing it through the sheer power of his mind, using telekinesis. He shows Neo how to do it, too. What exactly does he tell him?
What did the Oracle once tell Morpheus?
The Oracle has a prophecy for Morpheus, and it's important that he hears it. What action he takes with her message in mind is totally up to him, but fate itself requires him to pass through her before he could ever realize his destiny as the One. Several characters in The Matrix have gone to see the Oracle, including Morpheus, who shares his personal fortune with Neo. What did the Oracle tell Morpheus, once upon a time? Can you remember?
What did the Oracle once tell Trinity?
Morpheus and Neo aren't the only ones who've gone to see the Oracle. We know for sure that Trinity has had that privilege as well. In the grandest scheme of things, it was important for her to hear the Oracle's prophecy, since she played a key role in the glorious events that transpire throughout this film series. Trinity would never have suspected to hear such news before, but of course, the Oracle knew it all along. What was the prophecy she once gave Trinity?
Who is Cipher speaking with on the headset while he's busy eliminating his teammates?
Cypher is pictured here, nonchalantly having a chat on the phone with one of the team members he intends to "unplug" soon. This scene proved to us and the Nebuchadnezzar crew that, not only was Cypher a soulless traitor, but he's actually evil at heart enough to relish the psychological torture he's inflicting upon the person on the phone while killing all their teammates. It's hard to watch, and think about. Who is on the receiving end of this horrible phone call?
What are Switch's last words?
As you probably remember, dear Switch was one of the characters to get unplugged during Cypher's cowardly rampage. We didn't get to see or hear much from this character, but her sparse screen time was enough to show us how cool she was. That's why it makes it even harder to see her go in such a plain way. In the seconds before her death, she knew just what was coming to her, and she said the only appropriate thing to express how she felt.
When the agents have Morpheus, and the the access codes to Zion are at stake, what does Tank propose?
After the mission to see the Oracle went disastrously wrong, the only thing that the remaining crew members of the Nebuchadnezzar could do was improvise. Lacking any attractive options, Tank proposes a really horrible sounding solution to their problem, one that Neo and Trinity are quick to oppose. They don't end up going through with Tank's plan, thankfully, but it's important for a die hard Matrix fan to know what that plan was. Are you one of those fans? Let's see.
Neo is pretty good at dodging bullets. Does a bullet ever hit him in the movie?
Just look at Neo go - he's dodging bullets like there's no tomorrow. We're not sure if we'd ever be able to even dodge one bullet, let alone a stream of them. Seeing Neo in this picture, it's easy to believe that he can do anything at all. Of course, by the end of the movie, we get a good sense of that, too. Neo is pretty good at dodging bullets, but does a bullet ever hit him in the movie?
Where does Neo and Agent Smith's epic hand-to-hand fight take place?
As the movie progressed, we all knew what was coming - Neo and Agent Smith were destined to throw down in an epic, one on one fight. Of course, that's exactly what happened, and it was glorious. For every knuckle sandwich Neo planted on Smith's face, Smith was ready to respond in turn with a haymaker of his own. This was - and still remains - one of the best fight scenes in movie history, so you should definitely know the setting it took place in.
Meanwhile, in the real world, Morpheus, Trinity, Tank and Neo are in danger. Why?
The fight between Neo and Agent Smith, glorious though it surely was, needed to wrap up as quickly as possible, since the rest of our heroes are in serious danger back in the real world. Things had escalated quite quickly, and if Neo didn't get back soon, they'd have no choice but to sever his connection to the Matrix (effectively killing him), or they'd all be doomed. So, why are the Nebuchadnezzar crew members in danger in the real world during the epic fight?
After Agent Smith shoots Neo, how is he brought back to life?
Despite Neo essentially winning their one-on-one fight, Agent Smith's sublime programming makes it so he can appear anywhere he wants, embodying literally anyone, in order to kill Neo. While Neo can evade the agents better than anyone ever could, he'll eventually find himself cornered, for sure. When Agent Smith finally cornered Neo, he shot him, and he shot him good. But, by the grace of the gods, Neo came right back to life. Now, how in the world did that happen?
Which of these impossible things does Neo do once he's brought back to life?
So, Neo gets his life right back after being shot several times in point blank range. In this state, you'd think he'd only be dangling by a thread. Far, far from it. It's as though all his senses have been upgraded, and he's been given a new sense that no one could ever relate to. He's now able to do a lot of super impossible things, like the thing he does as soon as he's brought back to life. Remember?
How does Neo destroy Agent Smith?
When it's time for Agent Smith to go, Neo wastes no time in ending him. This bothersome character has been right on our heroes' heels ever since the movie started, and we got to vicariously release a ton of steam when we saw Neo deliver Smith his just desserts. He didn't end him in any old, conventional way - no, that would be too good for the nefarious agent. Instead, he did yet another impossible thing, and we still remember it to this day.
How does Morpheus save our heroes from the sentinels?
While Neo is becoming Cyber Jesus in the Matrix, the Nebuchadnezzar crew members (what's left of them, anyway) in the real world are under serious danger - the sentinels are attacking, and they're attacking hard. As ultimate destiny would have it, the second Neo picks up the phone to come back to the real world is just the second before the sentinels were about to tear our heroes up. Thanks to Morpheus, the day was saved once more. How did he do it?
What does Neo do to close the movie?
Once all the tension has finally been settled, and the plot takes a momentary rest until the sequel's ready to go, Neo is on the phone with a certain entity, telling things like they are. When he's done with the conversation, he closes the phone gently and, amid some crunchy, late 90's grunge music, does one last, super impossible thing to close the movie. Any Matrix fan who's made it this far should have this one in the bag, no sweat at all.