The Matrix: The Abridged Script
FADE IN:
INT. DARK, NOIR-ESQUE ROOM
A bunch of cops break in and find CARRIE-ANNE MOSS. She’s dressed in leather, because she is FEMALE in a SCI-FI THRILLER.
POLICE OFFICER
I think we can handle this one little girl.
She jumps up and the shot freezes. We spin around her for no real reason except that it looks extremely COOL. We feel the sudden urge to buy Khaki pants. She kicks all of the ASSES of the cops and runs. HUGO WEAVING chases after her.
HUGO WEAVING
I’ll get you. That’s for syuuuuuuuure.
She gets away.
INT. KEANU’S ULTRA-HIGH-TECH ROOM
KEANU REEVES sleeps at his computer, listening to a cool song that will NOT be on the soundtrack. His computer turns itself on.
COMPUTER
Hello Keanu. Follow the white rabbit.
KEANU REEVES
Dude..
Suddenly, there is a KNOCK on the door. Keanu answers it.
KEANU REEVES
Whoa.
SUPER-LEET-HACKER-DRUGGIE GUY
Give me some stuff that I am paying you for. I am so noir.
KEANU REEVES
(handing him the disk)
Dude.
SUPER-LEET-HACKER-DRUGGIE GUY
Hey, want to come with us to a cool dance club whose lighting can increase the noir-factor of this movie even more?
KEANU REEVES
No way.
He sees the GUY’S GIRLFRIEND’S little white rabbit.
KEANU REEVES
Whoa. Uh.. rock on, dude.
He follows them to the club “tech-noir.”
INT. DARK, NOIR-ESQUE CLUB
CARRIE-ANNE MOSS
I have the answers. Follow me.
KEANU REEVES
Excellent!
INT. DARK, NOIR-ESQUE BUILDING
LAURENCE FISHBURNE sits in a chair.
FILM CRITICS
This is another one of those stupid action movies, isn’t it? I’ve been complaining for years and years how action movie plots aren’t interesting or creative and this will be another one.
KEANU REEVES
Hey, dude. What is the Matrix?
LAURENCE proceeds to explain the plot, which is very CREATIVE and INTERESTING and makes the AUDIENCE think.
FILM CRITICS
I don’t understand it. This movie’s plot is too contrived and it isn’t explained well enough. I hate action movies and there’s nothing you can do to please me, so there! Where are my prunes?
LAURENCE begins to train KEANU on how to fight so that the WACHOWSKI BROTHERS can do the Hong-Kong fight scenes they’ve dreamed of.
INT. DOJO
Cool music plays in the background. It will also not be on the soundtrack. KEANU makes comical motions and gets into typical martial arts poses. His lanky body looks uncomfortable as hell doing this.
LAURENCE FISHBURNE
(scowling)
I will scowl now, as that’s what I always do.
They train and KEANU learns how to fight well and use his abilities so that he can kick HUGO WEAVING’S ASS, which is important because HUGO can move in and out of whoever he wants so any kung-fu fight against him is USELESS.
INT. SUBWAY
The gang is being chased into the subway by the evil HUGO. KEANU has lost all of the eight trillion guns he had, but he’s still wearing his black trenchcoat and eight trillion dollar sunglasses, so he’s still very BAD ASS. The group members need to each pick up the phone one at a time in order to exit. LAURENCE exits. CARRIE-ANNE is next.
CARRIE-ANNE MOSS
I just wanted to take this time to tell you something.
KEANU REEVES
Dude?
CARRIE-ANNE MOSS
I know we’re being chased and all… by a killing machine… that can completely destroy us..
KEANU REEVES
Dude.
CARRIE-ANNE MOSS
But.. I don’t care. I think now is the best time to say something which I won’t explain. I was told something about my life. All of it came true except one thing. This one thing. The one thing of which I am currently thinking. This one thing which is so vitally important that I had to mention it to you while we’re being chased.
KEANU REEVES
What?
CARRIE-ANNE MOSS
I can’t tell you now, we’re being chased. I’ll tell you when you get out.
She leaves and HUGO shoots the phone.
HUGO WEAVING
You weren’t going to call with 1-800-COLLECT, were you?
KEANU REEVES
Dude!
HUGO WEAVING
Are you ready to fight me? You seem somewhat unsyuuuuuuuuuuuuuure.
They proceed to shoot each other for a bit, then the FAKE guns run out of FAKE bullets, none of which actually exist, but they run out anyway because KEANU needs to show off all the kung-fu he trained for before making the film.
They have a Hong-Kong style fight scene. Both of them kick each others asses for about 20 minutes. KEANU finally wins!
AUDIENCE
HOORAY! GO KEANU!
Suddenly, another HUGO WEAVING steps out of a subway train door, making the last 20 minutes entirely pointless, but cool-looking nonetheless.
KEANU runs like HELL.
INT. DARK, NOIR-ESQUE ROOM
KEANU is about to pick up the phone. HUGO WEAVING stops him.
HUGO WEAVING
First, you must prove you believe you are the One by kicking the shit out of me. It’s a test you must endyuuuuure.
KEANU kicks the SHIT out of HUGO. He makes him explode and then gives him the finger and breaks his sunglasses and kicks him in the TESTICLES and decapitates him and shoves his head back up his own BUTT. Vicariously through KEANU, The AUDIENCE feels very BAD ASS. They immediately buy SUNGLASSES and TRENCHCOATS and see if they can fall backwards in slow motion to dodge BULLETS.
FILM CRITICS
What the hell was all that? Not only was the plot absurd, but it had those mindless typical action movie fights. Either I’m an idiot and don’t realize that this is a sci-fi ACTION movie or the film just plain sucks, now which one do you think is right? Has anyone seen the stick I had up my ass? I can’t find it.
The credits roll. All of the songs that actually ARE on the soundtrack are now played.
END




nice, this is good, liked the bit about the audience and the trenchcoats…think i might try that hehe
July 18th, 2007 at 1:26 pmKeanu’s lines take the cake.
Dude! Whoa! Excellent!
August 25th, 2007 at 6:10 pm[...] think that deserves a Keanu-Whoa. Filed under nonsense and story time. | var blogTool = “WordPress”; var blogURL [...]
March 12th, 2008 at 2:55 pmI was afraid this was gonna be a smear of the Matrix – which is actually a good film – but I was pleasantly suprised to find out it wasn’t.
I remember reading the abridged sequal scripts though, those were hillarious.
And I notice Keanu says “dude” alot.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:50 pmDUDE i actually like THE MATRIX movie and, like Aaron, am GLAD that this script didnt BASH the movie.
July 11th, 2008 at 5:25 amI just love the bits with the critic since it does embody the pessismism of many critics nowadays.
August 5th, 2008 at 11:03 amLoved the references to Bill and Ted, that’s fucking hilarious (and poor Keanu will never live down those roles if he keeps getting cast as a person who talks about as slow and with about as much fluidity in the lines)
September 30th, 2008 at 1:55 pmBrilliant script! I thought this script would do something like what was done to Twilight- although Twilight deserved it- but it didn’t and I love it. The plot of this movie was great though and the critics were racist against action movies; its like they didn’t actually WATCH the movie.
Keanu’s lines: Great
December 17th, 2008 at 12:37 amCarrie-Anne’s lines: Spot on
Laurance’s scowling: Perfect
Hugo Weaving! Spent the entire movie thinking PriscillaQueenoftheDesertPriscillaQueenoftheDesert
January 11th, 2009 at 6:58 amPriscillaQueenoftheDesertPriscillaQueenoftheDesert
PriscillaQueenoftheDesertPriscillaQueenoftheDesert
PriscillaQueenoftheDesertPriscillaQueenoftheDesert
Good times
What do you have against prunes ?
February 1st, 2009 at 9:52 pmHAhaha this was brilliant, i cracked up when i read Keanu Reeves’ lines.
March 1st, 2009 at 3:42 amactually, the cool music was on the score CD, not the soundtrack. i think you can get it on amazon.
May 27th, 2009 at 11:07 amKudos for pointing out all the really good music that failed to make it onto the soundtrack. Heck, I think the official soundtrack even has a song not found in the movie. :)
May 28th, 2009 at 3:09 pmDon't worry. After perusing the rest of the reviews on this site, its clear the critics didn't lose the stick up their asses. The site's creator just borrowed it to sit on in 95% of the movies he sees. Though, in fairness, it seems to be pretty far up there, so I'm not sure the critics are actually getting it back anytime soon.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:06 am[...] only more so. After reading some of the abridged scripts on The Editing Room, and spotting the Matrix one, I parodied it in the discussion about the Matrix trilogy at Nightly.net. After a little editing [...]
August 28th, 2009 at 3:28 amMan… I resent all those "Dude" lines.
February 1st, 2010 at 1:30 pmKeanu put Ted behind him long ago, it's about time we the audience do that too.
But for the film critcs' lines, I am willing to overlook the 'dude' thing.
And all three Matrix scripts are hilarious.
You've got talent ;)