Keep in mind it came out in 1999, it was revolutionary at the time. Since then hundreds of movies have come out that are influenced by the matrix or are just straight rip-offs. Also, the move had AMAZING marketing, some of the best marketing for a movie ever, and it created massive hype turning the Matrix into a cultural phenomenon when it came out. (good marketing can be very underrated, just ask John Carter)
I would guess that people will look at avatar 10-15 years from now and wonder what all the hype was about. Tends to happen to movies that are popular due to having cutting edge technology and style, which in turn influences movies that try to replicate its success. The technology simply does not age well.
(NOTE, I did not enjoy avatar or think its anywhere as good as the matrix, just using it as a relevant example)
Pixar was really smart when they used toys as the subject of one of their first movies, technology at the time was only so advanced and anything rendered in 3d has a very plastic look to it, which is perfect for a movie about the secret lives of toys. It is one of the very few early CG animation movies that stands the test of time, thanks to some clever thinking on Paxar’s part.
Anyway, if you guys are n the mood for a good action flic that you might have missed, I highly recommend
The Raid Redemption
It just like Dredd, but with amazing martial arts and better action sequences.