In 1999 the movie goers were introduced to the futuristic world of The Matrix. The science fiction thriller captured the attention of audiences everywhere, and was successful enough to convince people to go and see two low quality sequels. The idea for those who have not seen this fantastic movie, is that machines have taken over the earth, but after humans blocked out the machines power source, the sun, machines learned to survive on human bio-electricity. The machines harvest humanity and allow them to live in a dream world, called the Matrix. A team of human rebels who are fighting the machines in the real world, are able to manipulate physics in the Matrix so fight the machines control. If a rebel dies in the Matrix they die in the real world as well. Rebels need to be called in and out of the Matrix by an operator in the real world through a phone, in typical 90’s fashion usually a payphone. So when rebel traitor Cypher has secret meetings with the machine powers who run the Matrix, who is calling him in and out of the Matrix world? This is the plot hole I’m going to focus on in this post.
To enter and exit the Matrix, an operator must dial a person in and out of the Matrix. Essentially a minimum of two people are required to complete a mission for the rebels inside the Matrix, an operator and the rebel going inside the Matrix to complete a mission. When Cypher enters the Matrix to plan on betraying the rebels, who is calling him in and out? A person cannot call themselves in or out of the Matrix, so how does he keep getting into the Matrix to plan his betrayal of the rebel team. The complicated science behind all of the Matrix world may have confused even the writers and directors, the Wachowski brothers. As everything in The Matrix seems to take a deep focus to wrap your mind around, it was probably just looked over as how Cypher got in and out of the Matrix.
The Matrix is a great stand alone movie, and the sequels are really not necessary to watch. The Matrix world is a complicated one, that with everything going on one detail of how Cypher got in and out of the Matrix was just overlooked. Still it is annoying to viewers to find such an obvious plot hole that is never addressed. If Cypher was just given a partner of a second rebel to betray everyone with, the plot hole is solved. But there is no explained way for Cypher to get in and out of the Matrix on his own. Still The Matrix is a great and entertaining science fiction movie. If in the complicated world of the Matrix or one of the movies sequels I missed something, and it was explained how Cypher got in and out of the Matrix without help I would love to hear; or if you have an idea for a different movie plot hole let me know!