Lots of eye candy with empty calories

Rating: 4/10 (15 October 2003)

Sure, I found Matrix Reloaded to be entertaining, but once you start actually thinking about the film more after viewing it, it becomes apparent that a lot of filler took up the running time of the film. Now some of you reviewers please don't start tearing me apart in your reviews, I'm just trying to discuss a few of the things that I felt kept this film from being more fulfilling. There are so many others gushing about how they loved it, so there's room for others too.
Unless you're a die-hard fan of this "graphic novel/anime" genre (I've found most discussions about it rather humorous as guys trying too hard to sound "hip"), all the film's mumbo jumbo speeches of the "wherever you go, there you are" vein become a bit tiresome like Shakespeare doublespeek. I almost felt like fast-forwarding through some of the long, drawn-out yakking. I'm not downing you if you enjoy that, but it's like so many kids I know that claim they like certain bands or talk about anime's meanings just to be accepted as part of the cool crowd. If you reallllly listen to some of these speeches, they basically are just stretched out sentences that could have been said in a few words -- and it's interesting how in the future, all these underground folks seem to have better diction than the trend for the "hip-hop" diction of today.
Rather than really trying to design a culture and dialect that would possibly reflect a future society, the filmmakers have decided to appease the trend-seeking white kids of today by throwing in LOTS of extended martial arts, a largely black cast that speaks better English than the audience this film is targeted for in order to make the film seem intelligent (though I was actually happy to not hear words like "yo, ya know what I'm sayin', arright, and dude"), and "important" music by Rage Against The Machine. Funny how all the songs that are used to sell the CD soundtrack are usually thrown over the end credits. When I see obvious attempts to distract people by trend-association, that takes away a lot of the interest for me. It even tries to throw in the "women are all inherently bisexual" element in a subtle way to thrill the guys: look carefully at the big dance scene and you'll see some gals grinding their bodies together; of course they wouldn't show any men doing this. No one seemed to have shoes, but seem to have an excellent education in Technology, English, and Hairstyles! Ah, or is THIS all a virtual reality scenario too? That just opens a whole 'nother can of worms!
For me, this just shows how the Wachowski Brothers are trying to aim for more of current marketing tastes rather than being bold enough to shoot for a more daring vision that would have pulled in an audience anyway, beings that the first Matrix was unique enough to attract all sorts of fans. As it is, Matrix Reloaded would have been more legitimate if it added a bit more "story" and focused a little less on extended fight scenes (after a while, that first major fight started to resemble a playground hand-slap game of "Say Say Oh Playmate," just more violent). Notice how that courtyard fight scene went on and ON, then all of a sudden the hero just decides to fly up in the air and get away. Hmmmm.... couldn't he have just done that immediately to avoid a fight? OHHHH, I forgot, then we wouldn't get treated to all those cool visual effects....
Yes, I was entertained. I was just basically disappointed to an extent as well. Films don't have to be completely "meaningful" but I think that the Wachowski's weren't trying hard enough to attempt something in that direction, especially with that budget.