Unimpressive Sequel...

Rating: 5/10 (24 May 2003)

*SPOILERS INCLUDED*
In short, this film left me feeling let down. It didn't live up to the hype, and does no justice to the original Matrix. Maybe it's a harsh judgement, and perhaps it will be better framed once the third movie is out. Maybe I just need to watch it another 3 or 4 times, not that I actually WANT to.
Filming/effects: There's nothing "new". In the first Matrix, we saw a new chapter in cinematography - a new style of filming, new tricks with camera's and effects. Whilst the effects are still impressive in Reloaded, it's nothing we didn't see in the first movie, and nothing that we haven't seen most other movie directors do since.
Storyline: It's become too philosophical with emphasis on choice and predetermination. They've tried to get too clever, and instead of making everyone say "WOW!" everyone's thinking "Does anyone else get this?". The answer is no, they don't. You get these long periods of talk that you actually have to WANT to watch, because it won't make you want to listen. Unlike a classic like "Empire Strikes Back" or "The Usual Suspects" where we see a major twist in the plot that shocks you, this does not. It gets kinda dull at points, and you just want to see the action. And why the hell do we need to see the people dancing in Zion for soooooooo long?? Totally unnecessary.
Action: Well, we see the martial arts again, although I'm not really a fan of all the wired up stuff, feeling it does no justice to the performers real athleticism (just a personal gripe). The fight scenes do carry on alot, and noone seems to die easily, getting up and fighting back to induce 10 minute fight scenes. The car/bike chase is entertaining, although you could still argue that films like Bullitt have better car chases (and that film's over thirty years old).
In short, I'm being very critical of it. It all boils down to one simple fact - this isn't as good as the first one. It's nowhere near as good. The creators of this film didn't do the job they were meant to. If it weren't the sequel to such a massive film, it would've fallen into film obscurity. In fact, it may still do that. I wish we'd have seen more of the sentinels, and the world as it is "now", and had less of the drawn-out conversations over-explaining everything. Really, they could've done with using real props too, instead of relying so heavily on CGI - a major moan of mine towards many newer films.
The plot is uncontrolled, the effects aren't on a new level, and the action is weaker than alot of lesser-hyped films. I'm sorry to have to say it, as I loved the original Matrix, but there will undoubtedly be better films out this summer.