Gosh, you're so right about the dinner scene with Cypher being superfluous (& does Joe Pantoliano every play a good guy? On my first viewing I saw that coming). I hadn't seen much Dr Who or Tron at all. Dark City, yes, but The Matrix still came as an utter surprise.

I also think the messianic aspect of Neo was a bit weak, as if the filmmakers had this great idea, & the tech to pull it off, but didn't really know where to go with it. Why not have him become another soldier in the fight, upping their game by rescuing Morpheus & leave it at that? Even the final ending would have worked.

What I can't believe is that it's already 25 years old!