The Matrix

The Matrix is a science fiction / action multimedia franchise created by. It is set in a future where intelligent machines have taken over the world, imprisoned the vast majority of human beings in pods and harnessed them for their bioelectricity. To keep the humans under control, the machines project into their minds a vast and detailed simulated reality program, called the Matrix. The franchise tells the story of a group of people who have been freed from the Matrix and are fighting against the machines.

The franchise began with the original movie, , which came out in 1999. The movie was notable for its ground-breaking special effects: particularly, the "" effect, in which the action freezes while the camera pans around the subject. A classic example occurs in the movie's opening scene, where Trinity fights the police officers who are trying to capture her.

The Matrix was followed by two sequels, ' and ', in 2003. The franchise has also spawned video games, comic books, and animated short films which expand on the storyline from the movies.

The Matrix has been referenced several times in the Simpsons universe: in television episodes, comics and video games.