Many thanks to Linda who brought this article to my attention in a comment!
Acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has named his top 10 Sci-Fi films in an article in the LA Times. He included The Matrix on his list and had the following to say about the film:
The Matrix (1999): My top film in any category. From the opening credits to final scenes, every moment of this film is so fully conceived and so well executed that in spite of the complete fantasy world portrayed, the viewer was there, experiencing it with the characters themselves.
You can view the complete list here.