The wheel need not be reinvented...

Rating: 4/10 (7 December 2003)

I will write this with a couple of items presented first as a caveat. One, this movie is being viewed as a single entity - if it has greater strengths within the trilogy is not under discussion. As this is not literature (as in some books the series gains greater strengths as a whole, where each book may not have the same impact) but film the subject is looked at in this way. Two, I have reviewed the movie on multiple occasions and do find it more appealing now than when first viewed, but the overall rating and feel are what is actually being commented upon.
There are a few concerns with this movie that are both very important to the films success and at the same moment terribly superficial.
Audio: Audio is important to any film - however, in this movie in particular the audio expectations were quite high as it relates to the original release. This statement is not in contradiction to my previous caveat as I am not discussing the strength of the series, but the expectation created concerning the language that is used to illustrate the complete story-line. The language of the Matrix. In Reloaded, the audio work is really sub-par. Which in all is a little surprising as most of the key people returned for the second film. The low-key foley work and mediocre nondiegetic music make the fight scenes a complete train wreck. In no way a comparison to the heightened anticipation felt from the language of the first film. You don't feel the scenes, you watch them.
Did we really need that...: Well, this is just a plot thing. Did we really need the Bacchanal in Zion? Don't get me wrong there were some nice images from this scene. The thing is that is brought the film down a notch or two on its own. It seemed like a pitch to sell the film. Put a little sex in and everyone is happy.
I am going to leave it at that. There is a lot more that could be said, but I figure I am over my 1000 words already...