All the good stuff from the first, and more.

Rating: 10/10 (15 May 2003)

Kudos to the Wachowski brothers for doing it right. The Matrix - Reloaded is definitely as good as the first and technically superior. The amount of care given to the story and not just relying on the FX will make Reloaded a huge success. The chemistry between the characters is much better now that the introductions are over and the actors are allowed to have had fun here, as evidenced by more interjections of humor than in The Matrix. I have mixed feelings about the new characters that are introduced, and unfortunately the new male characters, outshine the female ones hands down. Harold Perinneau Jr. is a great addition as Link, the new pilot of the Nebachanezzar, and the real life twins Adrian and Neal Rayment as "The Twins" are cool, eerie, and funny. But Jada Pinkett Smith's Niobe and the very beautiful Monica Bellucci as Persephone are distractions and seem to have little to do with the story-line. More sexual tension between Niobe and Morpheus, (they are ex-lovers) should have existed in my opinion. Regardless of the storyline, characters, and acting, however, the special effects, fight scenes, and action sequences take center stage here. They are, in a word AWESOME, and definitely worth spending $9 to have the privilege of watching and experiencing them. See Reloaded as soon as possible, but watch The Matrix beforehand for a better experience. I give this one a 10 rating, which I don't normally do lightly.