Empire Strikes Back without the Twist

Rating: Null/10 (27 May 2003)

"The Matrix Reloaded" suffers heavily from "The Empire Strikes Back" Syndrome: It's bloated with more special effects and less story than the original film it follows, repeats both the film it is the sequel as well as repeating itself, and it takes itself way too seriously, buying too deeply into the mystical gobbletygook set up in the first film (oh, and each rips off a major scene from "Dune"). "Empire" was a success, however, because it concluded with a slam-bang revelation that was perfect emotionally as well as plot-wise: "Luke I am your father." "Matrix Reloaded's" big ending is...nothin' really. The movie is all set up and computer generated kung fu. In the original Matrix every action scene meant something to the story, each was a mystery (how's that chick floating in the air like that?), or a learning experience (leap off the building), or at least had a definite purpose in the story. "Reloaded" simply has fights to have fights. The most-hyped fight, the one with hundreds of Agent Smiths, is amazing at first but soon degenerates into overblown, phoney-looking self parody.
"Reloaded" sets up some interesting possiblities, but they would have been best utilized as the opening of a single sequel instead of a 2+ hour prelude.