June 17, 1998, South Carolina.
It was a small publication, but enough to leave everyone astonished by the persistence and by the transformation unfolding in South Carolina. Massive projects began moving at record speed: they hired the best construction firms, offered highly competitive prices, and launched multimillion-dollar bids ranging from four to five billion dollars, to be paid over time. At the same time, they created different circuits for Formula One, Karting, Formula 2, and Formula 3. And the list went on, in a city overflowing with motion—driving everything from supermarkets to luxury brands—a complex centered especially on cars, fashion, and entertainment.
-—They're simple tracks.— Friewfre commented. A Dutch engineer, he was handling every detail to create the largest karting complex in history: three levels of tracks with distinct identities. The first was an underground level, blending darkness with neon lights. The second and third formed a single circuit—the longest and most challenging kart track ever built, stretching at least two kilometers. And on the rooftop, another track with a common layout, but shaped by the force of the wind and the taste of rain. Along the sides stood thousands of food courts, clothing stores, video game brands, cinemas, and family activities, with a small hospital nearby and a massive physiotherapy center—the largest in the United States. A luxury hotel catered to athletes' training programs, while in the distance, a Formula One track passed over the hotel itself, grand enough to leave people speechless.
Beyond that were the Formula 3 and Formula 2 tracks, differing slightly in length. Some sections were shared, but in theory,y they were the same circuits, altered through different elements.
-—So all that's left is for them to finish digging those holes.— Raimon commented confidently. He understood well that everything would be filmed to establish a small studio, where television series and films might eventually be produced. The empire was, perhaps, excessive.
-—It's two miles of pure construction and maybe around a hundred acres of work. The house, the museum, the dealerships—everything looks like it was built by a child fantasizing about something he wants and has the money to make real, so he does.— Friewfre replied. Toyota, Lotus, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Ford, Audi, Mercedes, and BMW would all be there, alongside a major production factory that would bring everything to life.
-—My boss is, without a doubt, a dreamer. He wants to do something, and in the end, he does it.— Raimon replied, with some disbelief. He was utterly surprised to see something so ambitious placed directly into the hands of the public.
Raimon knew they would need to promote it as a karting academy, to have a Formula One team, to turn what once seemed like a wild premonition into reality.
-—Well, thank you for the work.— Friewfre sighed, perhaps the very soul of the project. Raimon watched him; this was the man who once built oil platforms in Norway and ended up being expelled, d—rumored to have stolen credit. One thing led to another, and he struck gold. There is always someone who makes everything seem easy, and Friewfre was undoubtedly that person: the one who makes the unreal real, stripping things down and transforming them into one of the greatest citadels in history—something like Monaco. Billy's residence stood there as well.
Raimon then thought about making donations to the church, with promises that sermons would highlight the importance of work, of Billy, and of the man who created jobs for families. It was good to have the goodwill of the community.
-—I'm afraid you're the best person for this job.— Raimon commented. —It's a disproportionate project that requires the work of true experts, but we have everything we need to be the best. Nothing is stopping this from being perfect.—
From water resources to small farms, from food to permits, licenses, and investment—everything was tailored to the scale of the capital involved.
The first week brought in 150 million dollars over seven consecutive days. The second reached 390 million. It was the effect of fame and the effect of a vast chain of command as Billy visited many countries and boosted ratings through relentless, exhausting work.
One thing was certain: everyone was talking about Matrix. With each passing day, it became more complex and sweeter to watch. The myth and Billy's explanations about the film elevated curiosity and intellect. Every word, every script line crafted with the brothers, gave life to a single truth.
It takes real nerve to make a film like that.
-—You're the new muse of the world.— Billy commented, handing the newspaper to Carrie-Anne Moss, who was reading a novel by Thomas Pynchon.
Pablo Kurt
San Jose News
"A pirate programmer receives a mysterious visit one day… Nothing more should be revealed about the synopsis of The Matrix. In fact, if you haven't seen it yet, don't let anyone tell you what Matrix is. Much of this fascinating and wildly entertaining film's global success lies in its original script, astonishing idea, and its status as a product of the technological era we live in. Add to that its revolutionary aesthetic—with spectacular, pulse-pounding action scenes never before seen in the genre—and you have the reason this fantastic film has been crowned the greatest cult movie of the end of the century. It may become obsolete in a few years, but by then nothing will erase the day we discovered what Matrix is… and that Trinity | Carrie-Anne Moss, pure ice—so cold it burns—the most hypnotic heroine of these cybernetic times."
Corman F. McCarthy
New York Entertainment
"The super-cool aesthetic that truly adds something new to the science-fiction lexicon turns this time-jumping thriller into a must-see for fans of the genre."
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Groman
"The Matrix recycles the premises of Dark City and Strange Days, cranks up the volume and intensity, and borrows the aerial choreography of Hong Kong action films. It's entertaining, but it could have been much more."
Kenneth Turan
Florida Times
"A wildly cinematic futuristic thriller destined to captivate the imagination. The Matrix blends a traditional science-fiction premise with stunningly innovative visual technology."
Martha Wells
Los Angeles Times
"Science fiction seems to slip away for a moment, and everything swirls into something that ultimately becomes whimsical and predictable."
Steven Williams
Philadelphia Inquirer
"With its mix of Lewis Carroll and William Gibson, Japanese anime and Chinese martial arts, mythological allusions and technological illusions, it offers a couple of hours of escapist fun. Billy's hand as a screenwriter feels like a nod to Evangelion and Ghost Detective Yuyu Hakusho: the perspective of the beyond, another reality, and a trapped society all generate a powerful vibe."
Bob Graham
SFGate
"It's astonishing that so much money, talent, technical skill, and visual imagination can be placed at the service of something so stupid."
Ian Nathan
Empire
"In the broadest sense of the word, The Matrix is a classic—not just a great movie, but a work that redefined its own medium. Forever (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)."
Janet Maslin
Variety
"The Wachowskis stylishly conceive the ultimate in cyber-escapism (…) The martial arts dynamism is phenomenal."
Andrei Heritage
The Guardian
"The Matrix is every teenager's dream. It has action, fights, modern special effects, killer robots, evil authoritarian figures…"
Charles Hunter
The Hollywood Reporter
"Congratulations to the screenplay and direction by Larry and Andy Wachowski (…) for creating a thrilling and impressive piece of cinema."
Nev Pierce
BBC
"[A] masterful allegorical work of science fiction (…) The action scenes astonish (…) The Matrix is undeniably appealing, but beneath the surface there is substance (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)."
Omar Khan
Cinemanía
"What matters here is form and rhythm."
Jesús Ruiz Mantilla
El País
"It dazzles and is a great spectacle worthy of being seen, but it loses itself somewhat in pretentious eclecticism."
Jordi Costa
Fotogramas
"It's not just an excellent science-fiction film: it's one of those evolutionary leaps that, from time to time, propel the genre into unprecedented hyper-spaces of spectacle."
Hariku
Tokyo Center
"Without a doubt, the most fascinating science-fiction release in world cinema in recent years. Spectacular special effects for a film that completely breaks away from everything previously seen—astonishing and futuristic."
Agustín D'Espósito
Revista Nueva Vida
"It will be one of the most influential films in history, and a perfect way to understand the meaning of science fiction: to speculate on the consequences of physical knowledge on human morality and emotion. Rating: ★★★★★."
Diego Lerer
Chile Vive
"What is undeniable is that Matrix opens itself to an almost infinite compendium of readings and interpretations, and perhaps those connections are the richest aspect the film has to offer today."
…