The real world is dull.

Rating: 8/10 (6 February 2019)

The strongest of the sequel films, this builds on the mythology of the original and the plot develops in interesting ways. Its strengths lie in developing the world of the Matrix itself, as Neo looks to understand his role and issues of fate and free will are again front and centre. The film also continues to develop the action that the original was known for, culminating with a sustained action sequence that moves across different locations and takes in fights, chases and gun battles that are brilliantly choreographed and edited. It's a shame then that for all the positives of developing the world of the Matrix, the less said about the world of Zion and the "real" world the better. It is here where the film's pacing becomes problematic and the characters introduced are barely realized and largely uninteresting. Plot beats in this world are rushed and it becomes difficult to care about anyone outside the core trio of Trinity, Neo and Morpheus. It's a flaw that becomes even more problematic in the next film, but here with the focus on the Matrix itself, these flaws don't quite negate the films strengths.