Matrix Reloaded

Last night I was fortunate enough to stumble across some tix to the "Reloaded" premiere. Since the original "Matrix" came out a few years ago everyone has imitated its' kenetic action style, which led me to think there's no way they can recapture that fresh and exciting edge again. But they did. The Wachowskis have way out done the new "Star Wars" films and without a doubt have far surpassed the "X-Men films." At times the dialogue is clunky and the Zion scenes are a little too Star Trek and Buck Rogers, but the action is always astonishing, and the humor is always in the right place...if not too much in the right place...For example Neo uses one of the many Agent Smiths to take down other Agent Smiths sending them all crashing with the sound of falling bowling pins. A little goofy but fun. The action though, I can't say enough about. The center chase scene is awesome and the opening cycle scene is.... Okay, no more words, "The Matrix: Reloaded" will not disappoint and by the time you reach the cliffhanger ending you're more than ready for a break from this double talking, mind bending adventure.

Positives:

• Directing and cinematography
• Main cast
• Musical score
• Action scenes

Negatives:

• Overbloated story
• Lack of character development
• Some effects have not aged well
• Interesting ideas feel wasted

The creators of The Matrix Trilogy had repeatedly state that this was conceived as a "Trilogy" from the start. Although I haven't a reason to doubt that, the 2nd (and 3rd) Matrix fall in the tradition that many sequels of good movies suffer from.

Despite the fact that practically the same cast and crew who created the magnificent first part is here for the 2 & 3 (they shot it back-to-back) the movie quickly loses its spirit.

First mistake is the introduction of many many new secondary characters who might not necessarily needed. And these characters are trying really hard to pose as important without that being the case at all.

Second mistake is the forced philosophy that didn't actually had anything to add to that of the original. The attempt for a recreation of the perfectly scripted dialog between Neo and the Oracle in the original is a failed one. For some, including me, it even destroys the feeling of the original dialog by diminishing its great themes.

Third mistake the (experimental) visual effects this time look completely fake. There is a big fight, shot with something that is described as virtual cinematography, and it's more than obvious that...well..it needs lots of work to be believable.

In conclusion when you are trying for bigger and better there is no guaranty that you will succeed. A common thing in movie sequels. A curse, that struck the second (and the third) sequels of the Matrix.

The 2nd movie in the Matrix franchise follows Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus as they continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army. The Wachowski's are once again able to craft incredibly memorable moments on top of an intriguing story. The CGI struggles to keep up during the infamous "Rubber Neo" fight scene, but overall this sequel is a blast to watch!

"What's going on?" "Man, that was cool." "Jesus, I need a dictionary." These three things went through my mind while I watched The Matrix Reloaded. Keanu Reeves returns as Neo, who goes to the city of Zion along with Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss.) As approaching sentinels get closer and closer to the city, an old enemy (Hugo Weaving) pops up again, determined to destroy Neo. As if that weren't enough, Neo has a dream about Trinity dying and he wonders if it will come true.

The premier problem with The Matrix Reloaded is that it's incredibly confusing. For the majority of the film I couldn't understand what was going on or who new characters were. For example, Lambert Wilson plays a French character called Merovingian and after four viewings of the film, I still don't know what purpose his character serves.

There is a scene near the end of the film in which you will definitely need a dictionary beside you. People who have seen the film will know that I am talking about the scene with The Architect, (Helmut Bakaitis) who has the widest vocabulary in the universe. I understand that it works for his all-knowing character, but what I don't understand is....well, what the bloody hell he's going on about. An example of a sentence he says is "you are the eventuality of an anomaly, which despite my sincerest efforts I have been unable to eliminate from what is otherwise a harmony of mathematical precision." What?

The saviour of The Matrix Reloaded are it's jaw-droppingly brilliant action sequences. Amazingly choreographed and with top-notch special effects, they are what The Matrix trilogy is famous for. I have to say that The Matrix Reloaded definitely has the best action sequences out of the three films and two of my favourite movie scenes are actually from this. My personal favourite scene is when Neo battles an army of Agent Smiths for about eight minutes. Rob Dougan's music during these action sequences also add to the suspense.

Like any sequel, The Matrix Reloaded will always be compared to its predecessor, which is not good for TMR. The first film was more intelligent and intriguing, but the action sequences in the sequel were slightly better.

With a confusing plot, The Matrix Reloaded disappoints, but the action sequences are top-notch. I give it 6/10.