Don't waste your time

Rating: 6/10 (15 May 2003)

If you're looking for a film better than the Matrix, look elsewhere. If, however, you don't care about plot, characters, acting, or any semblance of continuity, this is probably the movie for you. I fear that anyone going into this film expecting it to outdo its predecessor will be sorely let down. I never thought I would say this, but this movie has TOO MANY fight scenes. So many, in fact, that I believe sacrifices were made in the plot to accommodate them all. Each scene (whether it be a fight scene or a dialogue) moves directly into a 10-minute fight scene, which are cool, but overdone. This is a direct cause of what i feel is a plot flaw. In the end of the first movie, Neo easily outdoes Agent Smith by blocking his punches with blindingly fast movements. However, in this one, Neo seems like he's moving at a moderate pace, not exactly trying. There are several parts where it seems like his opponent is just as fast and strong as he. He's the freakin' One, no one is better than him. Anyway, this causes the fight scenes to be drawn out to the extent of you wanting to scream "just kill the bad guy already!" I understand that Keanu is not a great actor, and I don't expect him to be. That's why he's perfect for this role, especially in this movie. There is hardly any character development in Reloaded, but there doesn't have to be. We've already been introduced to the characters and know their nuances. What bothers me is the lack of plot development. In the first movie, many were left asking questions afterwards "so, wait, what really is the matrix?" In Reloaded, you're left guessing about important plot issues because, you guessed it, they spent way too much time on the fight scenes. The other little things that bothered me were the amount of CG in the movie. Even when the new agents are just standing around (like on the car chase scene on top of the truck), they look fake. Their shoulders are way too big for their bodies.
WARNING: HERE BE SPOILERS!!!!
Also, what bothered me was the cheesiness of the movie. "Vampires and ghosts are renegade programs," give me a break. The directors just wanted to make something cool, but couldn't explain it, so they slapped this half-baked reason on it. Agent Smith should have been able to explain what happened to him and how he could copy himself beyond "something happened to me." The Architect was just plain confusing, but it was still a funny scene with Neo giving him the finger. My biggest beef was that, when presented with the choice of saving Zion or Trinity, Neo instinctively chose Trinity. C'mon, he's the protector of Zion, it's his job! On top of that, he didn't even save Trinity in time and just restarted her heart. He could have easily saved Zion and then gone back and restarted her heart later. Two other little things: the "to be concluded" in the end was way too "Back the Future 2" for me. After the Agent Smith Melee scene in the basketball court, one of them has visible bald spot (stunt double) when they're walking away. That just pissed me off. Ok, as an action movie, it's decent. As a special effects extravaganza, pretty good. But as a "Matrix" movie, Reloaded is definitely not the One.