Simply Brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2003)

There seems to be two reasons why most people didn't like this movie.

1.) They were turned off by the CGI 2.) They didn't like the philosophy monologues.
To which I respond...
1.) I am so thankfull that I live in a time where technology allows a directors vision can be realized with reasonable quality and the only limitation being time and patience. Yeah, within about 10 years the agent smith fight might look hokey, but so what? It's still entertaining, and YES it does progress the plot, it wasn't just eye candy.
2.) People keep listing T2, star wars, alien, as other good sci-fi films. And I agree, they are. But Reloaded as totally lifted the bar. Why? One reason, DEPTH. The whole point of these movies isn't to make the audience feel smart by telling them things they already know, but making them think. This movie, unlike many other sci-fi classics, has RELEVENCE to our lives. Look at all the symbolism in the architect scene, BRILLIANT! (No, not JUST the architect as god, listen to what he says, think about it, dig deeper) The philosophy all progresses the underlying theme of Reloaded and that is Free will. This movie didn't work for alot of people because it was not NEARLY as escapist as T2 or other action/sci-fi films.

I thought this movie was a brilliant work of art, I felt like I was watching "Waking life" and "Terminator 2" at the same time with a deep understanding of Love thrown into the mix. If you're watching it only for the action sequences or just ignoring the parts you don't understand you are only getting 1/4 of this movie.
Think about it, there is no film that has ever been made that is anything like Reloaded, with the exception of the first film but even that's not too close. I think alot of the depth of this film is being lost on alot of people, it's not just "ninth grade stoner talk" it's relevant deep insights into the nature of our existence that the worlds most brilliant philosophers have been discussing for centuries. At the risk of sounding condescending, I really think that those who are detracting this film really just didn't "get it" as much as they could. Don't go into this movie with sarcasm, because that will ruin it for you. And that's true in your life too, sarcasm (or too much of it, rather) will keep you from really understanding love and the joys and understandings of other things that come from it.

1.) Let's say your plugged into a computerized dream world and you don't know it, how can you be free?
2.) Alright, let's say you AREN'T in a computerized dream world, how can you be free then?
I think this is an excellent film, but if you watch it the same way you watched T2, aliens, or star wars, or even the first matrix, much of the film will get lost on you and you will be dissapointed.
I heard somebody say that seeing this film the first time and trying to take it ALL in (the action sequences, the philosophy, the hidden themes, ect.) was like "trying to swallow an apple whole".
I like it alot,
-Billy