Don't be fooled by the criticism

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2003)

"...you have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inert, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it. If you are not one of us, you are one of them."
-Morpheus, 'The Matrix'
The negative feedback I've seen regarding 'Matrix Reloaded' by professional (ha HA!) and amateur critics alike is quite humorous, namely because it reeks of the current affinity for anti-intellectualism in all things, including film...
"There's too much talking"
"All that philosophy is boring"
"The story doesn't go anywhere"
"It wasn't as good as the first one"
Blah, blah, blah. Those who dislike 'Matrix Reloaded' seem to do so because the pauses between fight scenes are longer than in the first Matrix installment. Pretty sad when you think about it.
The fact of the matter is that the Wachowski brothers have succeeded where so many other filmmakers have failed. They have created a sequel that doesn't attempt to "outdo" its predecessor, substituting plot and artistic vision with newer and fancier special effects (*cough* Lucas), but that perfectly builds upon the story laid out in 'The Matrix' while leading us into the culmination of 'Revolutions'. That 'Reloaded' is more than a visually stunning fight-fest was undoubtedly a source of disappointment for those used to plunking down ten bucks and going switch-off in their theatre seats. That this film was more than mere surface shine and kung-fu fighting proves to me 'The Matrix' wasn't a fluke and the Wachowski brothers are as brilliantly auteur as they originally appeared. These are truly revolutionary films.
Addressing individual gripes about 'Reloaded' is tiresome, especially when such criticism involves the amount of "talking" and "philosophy" found in this film... whatever that means. No doubt these are the same people who will whinge about the length of this review. I suppose that some people are just not going to get it, even when the storyline involves the age old Messiah theme found in everything from 'Metropolis' to 'Dune' and 'Star Wars'. Almost excusable are those who fail to pick up on the deep mythological and theological themes prevalent in the 'Matrix' films: Neo ("new") led by Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams, to save the last human city on Earth, Zion, named for that city fabled to be the location of Jesus Christ's final victory. That Morpheus commandeers the 'Nebuchadnezzar', named for the Babylonian king who brought about the fall of the Biblical Zion, is ironic. As is the character Persephone, the mythical wife of the Greek god Hades, wedded in this film to the Merovingian, named for a race of French kings said to be direct descendants of Jesus Christ. Throw in equally mythic characters like Niobe and Trinity, Buddhist teachings and computer tech metaphor and I can see how this story is quite a chew for the unwashed masses. Even more complex is the theme of Objectivism and the philosophies dealing with free-will, choice and predestination. I won't even begin to get into the various Lewis Carroll allegories.
Is it helpful to know some of what I just talked about in order to "get" this installment of 'The Matrix'? Probably. But it's funny how those who fail to understand the convolutions seem to be the ones yelling the loudest about how this film has "No plotline" and that its story "Goes nowhere". This film couldn't have more of a plot without choking on it. Besides, I know plenty of folks who don't know Demeter or Descartes from Vin Diesel and they still managed to follow and enjoy 'Reloaded'.
Less excusable is the most annoying complaint of all: that 'Reloaded' wasn't "As good" as 'The Matrix'. It REALLY makes me wonder what these people found so entertaining about the first film that made them want to see the second. Was it the flashy special effects, invented specifically for these films? The skin-tight suits? The pumpin' soundtrack? The non-stop butt kicking? Don't we get all of that and more in 'Reloaded'? Yes, yes we do. Trying to understand how someone could love 'The Matrix' yet be disappointed by 'Reloaded' simply leaves me shaking my head. Maybe these people would have been happier to see another film about Morpheus training Neo to be "The One" rather than him actually acting upon that knowledge. Or two hours of plotless fight footage, perhaps.
'The Matrix' was groundbreaking and could not have possibly been outdone, and I am so pleased that the Wachowski brothers realized this going into the remainder of the series. Too bad so many would-be critics don't have the same good sense.
So is this film as "Horrible" and "Disappointing" as those poor, clueless people would lead you to believe? HARDLY. 'Matrix Reloaded' is, like 'The Matrix', a wonderful nexus between art and mainstream filmmaking, between technophobia both real and imagined, between Objectivism, Materialism and the fate of our own society if we continue to allow ourselves to be controlled. It addresses many of the questions left unanswered in the first film while leaving a ton more to be tied up in the last. It is as visually stunning as 'The Matrix' with action scenes beyond description. The only complaint I can even think up is that a little more real human emotion could have seeped into the Too-Cool-For-School attitude these films have turned into a trademark. A small gripe considering this is possibly one of only three sequels I can remember that has actually lived up to the high standards of its predecessor (not to mention a cliffhanger ending that rivals one of those sequels, 'The Empire Strikes Back'). Otherwise, the Wachowski brothers' only failing was in assuming that the typical movie-goer enjoys the occasional mental stimulation.
Ignore the negative hype and watch for yourself. If you enjoy being challenged intellectually as well as visually, you are sure to agree that 'Matrix Reloaded' is a welcome addition to what is shaping up to be a remarkable film series.