Ambitious and Bloated

Rating: Null/10 (29 May 2003)

Having seen this twice now I have downgraded my initial reaction from a 4 to a 3.5 out of 5.
One can applaud the W brother's for not succumbing to the pressures of producing a mindless sequel. This sequel contains concepts that extend the mythos created in the first movie.
Comparing this one to the original you have to admire the lean and mean original. The Matrix Reloaded suffers in comparison. It contains sequences which could be easily shortened and provide for a better viewing experience.
There are 2 main areas where the Matrix Reloaded stumbles: 1) Too many sequences of tell and not show.
2) Fight sequences that are not incorporated into or advance the story.
There are far too many scenes where the audience has to sit and listen to someone lecture us on what the movie is about. These scenes should have been presented in a manner where the cast was actively involved in discovering what they were being told.
Fight sequences like the Tea House and the Burly Brawl went on too long or were not needed for the plot. The Tea House brawl occurs because Neo is told by the Seraph that he can only be sure of who Neo is by fighting him?!? Sorry that's a pretty weak explanation for a gratuitous fight sequence.
The Burly Brawl, while technically impressive, enters into cartoonland when Smith snarls, "MORE!" and the screen proceeds to fill with more Smiths. From this point on the CGI work is quite obvious and is not enough of a novelty to keep the audience's interest.
All the fight sequences in the original Matrix had some investment in the plot line.
The sad fact is that the W. brothers fell prey to excess with their expanded budgets.
On the plus side the flying sequences were well done and the highway chase set a new standard.
This is a solid movie but not a special movie.
Often less is more. Witness the original Matrix.