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.

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.

The Matrix Reloaded has everything you could possibly want from a summer blockbuster but it like its predecessor has a heck of a lot more and while Reloaded is not as good as the first Matrix film it sure is close to the standard of the original. I don't understand the seeming reluctance to accept this film a suitable continuation of the original film. I'll be the first one to admit that Reloaded has a few slow points and that the story line has a tendency towards the pretentious but the film is also highly intelligent and entertaining but most importantly the film gets the story from A to B with adequate and in some cases remarkable character development.

Acting wise the film is in the same kind of league as the first film of the series with a few mediocre performances, a few decent performances and one or two excellent performances. Keanu Reeves plays Neo pretty much like he did in the first movie and that is not bad. His monotone voice is canceled out by his clear and well defined body language. His overall performance is very fitting for the character which, lets face it, is somewhat square and Keanu's acting fits that kind of character very well. Carrie-Anne Moss has taken a small step down. I don't blame her as much as I blame the writing. Her character, while still ass-kicking, is too dependent on Neo. I know they love each other but come on. Laurence Fishbourne shines as Morpheus. His performance is slightly more stylized than in the first film but he steals almost every scene he is in. Other semi-known actors make glorified cameos. Actors like Jada Pinkett Smith, Monica Bellucci and Lambert Wilson are great examples. Gloria Foster returns as the Oracle in her (sadly) last performance as she died during the filming. Her one brief scene is both highly interesting and well acted. As it was with the first film Hugo Weaving provides the best acting by far. Although his screen time is somewhat limited he manages to leave a lasting impression and becomes one of my favorite screen baddies of all time. His performance is for lack of a better word fantastic.

Effect wise Reloaded is a feast. There is literally something to look at in every scene. The "real" world has been given a face lift to make it more interesting. The real effects, however, take place inside the matrix and just like in the first film the effects are absolutely ground breaking. Rivaling the likes of Star Wars and LotR and that is saying something. The people who think the story is pretentious and the dialog stubby will undoubtedly get their adrenaline fix in the action scenes. Some scenes had me holding my breath and gasping at how beautiful and overwhelming it all was and as much as I love the philosophical aspects of the film I can watch it for the effects themselves as well. Without spoiling anything I can say that lovers of cool fight scenes and fx are in for a hell of a treat with this one.

In terms of costumes the film has really grown into its own. Especially Neo's costume in The Matrix is very cool and is a great improvement over the previous film. Morpheus' and Trinity's costumes are the same with minor changes and they still look cool. Agent Smith's costume has changed slightly in the color scheme. His suit has become a bit darker as if to signify that he is no longer an Agent of the system but a rogue agent now. Also his sunglasses have changed so that they look more rounded so they look more like Neo's sunglasses which of course implicates their connection. Many of the secondary characters have their own costumes as well mirroring their own personalities.

Were the film separated itself from other action packed films is of course in the underlying philosophical and religious aspects. Once the film has been watched a few times for the effects you can begin to see some of the elements. I don't think its possible to fully translate and analyze every element of the film. Mainly because every element can be analyzed in a bunch of different ways. Without spoiling too much I can say that if you look hard enough you will be able to find Plato, Baudrillard, Gnosticism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christian elements and some more. The people who tell matrix lovers to get a life for searching the Matrix for a deeper meaning ought to open their eyes and watch the film one more time. With that I'm not saying that you can't be intelligent if you don't like the Matrix I am simply asking you to give it another chance. You really won't regret it.

The Matrix Reloaded is an excellent film and it deserves a lot more respect than it is getting and it is definitely underrated. I don't expect people to agree but I do expect people to respect those who love the Matrix sequels like me. I for one think that its hard to go wrong with Reloaded as it is funny, moving, awe-inspiring and very intelligent. I highly recommend this film to anyone.

9/10

It is six months later. Neo and the rebel leaders have 72 hours until 250,000 machine probes discover Zion and attempt to destroy it. The Matrix Reloaded, the long-awaited sequel to the 1999 blockbuster hit The Matrix, follows the lives and destinies of the freedom fighters from Zion and continues its inquiry into our reason for being. The original had us look at the nature of the reality we live in and the sequel invites us to look at how we respond once we understand that reality. Most of the same characters are back: Neo (Keanu Reeves) as the prophesied One, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) as the enlightened rebel leader, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) as Neo's lover, and the late Gloria Foster as the Oracle, a very wise lady who tells it like it is.

As the film opens, the Zionists (sic) prepare to fend off the attack of the sentinels. Morpheus is convinced Neo can save Zion, but to do so he must fend off all enemies to find the source of the Matrix. While Neo is having nightmares about Trinity's ultimate fate, Morpheus defends his decision to remove the Nebuchadnezzar from the first line of defense and shows renewed interest in his ex-lover, Captain Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith). In the meantime, we get our first glimpse of Zion where the main floor with its rusted iron walkways and power generators looks like the remodeled boiler room of the Titanic. After listening to an inspiring speech by Morpheus, the entire floor erupts into a sensuous dance sequence to techno music, interspersed with scenes of Neo and Trinity making love. Neo learns that he must find the Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim) who alone can provide him with entry to the mysterious source that controls the Matrix. Neo tracks him down but first has to get past a seductive Monica Belluci and a witty Frenchman named Merovingian (Lambert Wilson) who seduces his women with chocolate cake.

As would be expected for a film with a budget that rivals the US Treasury, the special effects are outstanding and several action sequences stand out. The first uses digital effects and the choreography of Hong Kong director Yuen Wo Ping to recreate 100 clones of Agent Smith in a fight sequence with Neo. The longest and most bizarre sequence is a 15-minute freeway chase involving hundreds of cars, a Ducati motorcycle, trailer trucks, and agents all over the place. The scene, that included a specially built stretch of highway costing $1 million, took three months to film and is estimated to have cost $38 million. Don Davis choreographs the car chases with a techno score that becomes irritating after about the second explosion.

The Wachowski's have been accused of "heavy handed moralizing", "a for Dummies primer on philosophy", and "empty-headed techno-babble" but I think very few critics are listening to what they are actually saying. The film is about intimacy, choice, purpose, and our place in the universe. It suggests that "everything starts with choice" and "the only truth is causality". Put another way, we are the "chooser", the author and the cause of our own experiences. When we choose, we are really choosing what has already been chosen. `You are not here to make a choice,' the Oracle tells Neo `You have already made it. You're here to find out why'. What this means to me is that we are all here for a purpose of our own choosing and our job is to discover the appropriate means to realize that purpose. Believe me, you do not learn this in Philosophy 101.

Like the original, many elements of The Matrix Reloaded are fun and appeal to a younger audience but I found the sequel to be somewhat disappointing. The original left major aspects of the puzzle to our imagination and did not overload us with special effects. The sequel is more complex but lacks the sense of wonder of the first film. We know enough not to take the car chases and fight sequences too seriously, but without the element of danger, the highly choreographed set pieces become pointless and irritating. At the end of the first film, Neo told his adversaries on the phone, "I'm going to hang up this phone, and then show these people what you don't want them to see. I'm going to show them a world without you. A world without rules or controls, borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible.' I'm still waiting for that world that no longer requires guns, weapons, punches, or kicks and where everyone gets that they are "The One". Now that is a rogue program that would be worth downloading.