The Matrix, the action-packed science fiction film starring Keanu Reeves, sits atop a list of the best science-fiction movies or TV programs of the past 25 years.

The editors of Entertainment Weekly have ranked the hit 1999 film No. 1 in the issue headed for newsstands Monday.

Editors describe the ultra-stylish, ultra-violent film as "unexpected, groundbreaking, and capture-the-imagination entertaining as the first Star Wars" and "a multi-megabyte compression of mythological and theological ideas, Hong Kong action-film aesthetics, and videogame special effects."

Directed by brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski,The Matrix popularized the use of the "bullet time" visual effect, wherea scene appears inslow-motion, with the camera apparentlyorbiting a central object at normal speed, as well as wire-assisted martial arts battle scenes commonly used in Asian cinema.

The film ultimately won Oscars for its visual effects, sound, film editing and sound effects editing.

The new TV incarnation of Battlestar Galactica turned up second in the EW list, with the movie Blade Runner, cult TV hit The X-Files and classicsci-fi filmStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan rounding out the top five.

The list offered some predictable entries from the past few decades, including TV seriesStar Trek: The Next Generation, and films such as The Terminator, Brazil and Aliens.

However, several new shows and films also made the cut, including current TV hits Lost and Heroes, as well as the dystopian thriller Children of Men, which picked up three nominations for this year's Academy Awards.

The full list, with a short tribute to each entry, is posted on the Entertainment Weekly website.