Mostly good, but with some noted weaknesses (no major spoilers)

Rating: 7/10 (15 May 2003)

Saw this at 7pm on 5/14...and I don't want to give away any of the good details.
Special Effects: The special effects stun on so many levels and the car/bike chase scene is 100% riveting despite being less than emotionally engaging. Many of the effects, such as the "burly brawl" have little emotional content(esp. from Neo). But my hats off to the creativity team on the effects...dazzling in a way that the Star Wars folks only dream about. Atmospherics, set, environmentals get A pluses.
Acting: A disappointment. Morpheus' pedantic stolid monologs drag. Neo goes from slightly ironic/hacker to wooden. Only Trinity retains the Matrix's original sparkle. Newer cast members add much life to this movie; too bad the Wachowski Brothers didn't allow more fluid acting by their mainstays.
Plot: Disconcerting. The jump from the last film really needs to be fleshed out (which could have been done in many ways). The petty bickering in Zion reminds me of the same in Star Wars (boring!). Do we have to be reminded of bureaucracy's hold in every century? Of course, once the chase ensues, the plot tightens up considerably...but we'll have to wait for Revolutions before revealing Agent Smith's full scheme (which was awkwardly handled in a couple of very short scenes). Some intermittently bad script writing pops up (does the Oracle really need to say "Bingo" again?..."I am the KeyMaker") along with very witty french dialog (but again, what's the context?).
Misc: The whole dance/orgy scene doesn't seem part of this movie...what's the point? The music is great (I suspect many CD sales) and the scene highlights Carrie-Anne Moss' considerable acting abilities...but the scene lacks an appropriate contextual envelope.
Overall: Waiting for the Revolution.