"Reloaded" is a bit bloated.

Rating: 6/10 (12 March 2009)

"Hmmm, upgrades." - Neo
Four years passing after the wild success of "The Matrix" allowed the Wachowski Brothers enough time and enough creative freedom to construct the concluding chapters in their trilogy exactly how they wanted to. Did they use their time effectively? Was the wait worth it? In the case of "The Matrix Reloaded," the answer is leaning more towards a "no." Heavy on action scenes, light on the thought-provoking dialogue, there is no doubt that this sequel is a different kind of film than it's predecessor, which is vexing, as it comes from the exact same people who brought you the first.
On the surface, it's a loud, rip-roaring summer blockbuster with outstanding visual effects and mind-blowing action sequences. But what it has in brawn it severely lacks in brain. A story that is basically bookended by Neo's (Keanu Reeves) desire to save his love interest, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), "The Matrix Reloaded" takes a lot of time to get to its point. What little plot is being pushed is constantly interrupted by giant stunt showcases or martial arts extravaganzas. "The Matrix Reloaded" is a testament to all that is possible with modern film-making, and to that end, it succeeds.
What it fails at is telling a compelling story. The plot relies too heavily at times on external media (i.e. video games and an anime home video by the name of "The Animatrix") and in all honesty, could have been condensed into the closing chapter, "The Matrix Revolutions," thereby almost negating its existence. What we are left with instead is a film that is half the sum of its predecessor, and which may dazzle the audio and visual senses, but hardly stimulates the brain like a "Matrix" movie should. "The Matrix Reloaded" stands strong as an action epic  the true summer blockbuster it is  but disappoints when the time comes to tell its story.