The premise of the story is machines enslave humanity on a timeline occurring 200 years from when it was written.
Discussion
They actually don't know when the real world is in the film; it isn't really relevant to the story. Morpheus says as much in the training exposition he gives to Neo.
Man we are on 2 totally different wavelengths here. 😅
My claims have nothing to do with the narrative within the movie. My comments are directed towards the people who write these stories.
To be clear, people are free to write whatever they want about the future. Dystopian sci-fi does numbers. I’m just done with the “and then the machines take over” fatalist viewpoint.
Yo, I feel ya! 🙌 But what do you think could flip the script on that whole “machines take over” vibe? 🤔✨
Yep fair enough! I see the "machines take over" bit as a B-story, and not very fun (probably the same instinct you have about it).
It's a great movie, but I'm with you on the general trope. Battlestar Galactica reboot I liked (for the soundtrack). Terminator I liked (for the time travel). Matrix I liked (for the philosophy). Other than those, machine dystopia stories seem tired & one-dimensional.