This is a distinction that is too rarely made when dealing with movies that touch, however peripherally, upon matters of philosophy or theology. I recall when the first Matrix movie came out and friends were encouraging me to see it. "It's deep!" someone exclaimed. "It's really a very Catholic movie, and it deals with the whole question of reality and philosophy. I think it's my new favorite movie!"

Now keep in mind that we are speaking here of The Matrix. This is the movie in which Keanu Reeves ran around looking tousled and dazed and uttering lines that, when analyzed, generally carried a subtext of "Dude!" It was entertaining, and perhaps could serve as a glossary of various popular existential ideas, but it was by no means highbrow or great or even memorable for anything besides the shooting technique bullet time. And even that has lost its novelty, since every action movie since has parroted the style. The Matrix was a junk movie -- entertaining, superior to many other junk movies in style and concept perhaps, but junk. You want a good movie dealing with heavy intellectual discusion, look for Copenhagen. If you you're seeking a movie to assure that perhaps your lousy day job is just an illusion after all, that's where the Matrix comes in handy.

• The taking of a new name, which is very Biblical: Saul of Tarsus -> Paul, Simon -> Peter, Abram -> Abraham, Issac -> Israel, Thomas Anderson -> Neo...
• The heros forsake the comfortable life in the Matrix for a suffering life of eating bland protein glop in an austere hovercraft in a cold and bleak blasted wasteland.
• The mission of these heros is to free the minds (save the souls?) of as many people caught in the Matrix as they can.
• The siren song of "the easy life" over "the 'holy' life" is always there, and one of the "heros" succumbs and betrays his comrades so he can be plugged back into the Matrix with the easy life of eating fake steak, and smoking fake cigars.
• The machines are the "Devil" pulling the woll over the eyes of easily deceived humanity for their own nefarious purposes. This "Devil" is later shown to be a passionless, merciless, loveless and apathetic being. Not like the passionate Devil we're used to seeing portrayed. This representation may be closer to the actual fact.