A Sequel Neither Needed Nor Wanted

Rating: 5/10 (2 July 2010)

During one University Class on Film Violence our tutor went around class asking the students to nominate a film where we felt the violence was unrealistic . My nomination was the Randall Wallace debacle WE WERE SOLDIERS down to the fact every time an American was killed there was always enough time for the dying soldier to make a short speech as to how much he loved his wife/mom /pet dog . One of the other students , a young lad called Ivan , nominated the battle between Neo and the multiple Mr Smiths' from THE MATRIX RELOADED . I remember thinking it was a rather good nomination since it seemed to go on far longer than needed and that Neo could have escaped the fight anytime he wanted . Having recently seen the film again I have to say it's a brilliantly obvious nomination since the sequence is ridiculous and unconvincing as is the whole movie
It's obvious that when THE MATRIX was released it was produced to be a stand alone one off movie . Hollywood being Hollywood however it doesn't stop people coming up with bad ideas if the motive is money . RELOADED is a bad idea but its problem is that it's not only a bad idea but it's a bad idea badly done
A common complaint amongst the more analytical comments on this page criticise the way when characters speak it sounds like they're giving the most profound speeches in he history of cinema in a film that is just an action franchise movie . Thisis entirely correct we get set piece followed by long pretentious sententious dialogue followed by set piece , followed by long talky scenes followed by set piece
What really drags the film down is that the set pieces are both overlong and very badly done . Watch the scene that Ivan criticised and you'll notice that much of it is done via computer animation . Especially the bit where Neo holds on to the pole and and kicks the myriad of Smiths out of the frame . You'll be expecting Bugs Bunny to appear chewing a carrot asking " What's up doc ? " It becomes literally cartoonish . There's also a set piece on a freeway where a couple of of ghostly twins try and eliminate the good guys often in hand to hand combat . What lets this down is that both the choreography and editing are very loose . You can see in your head the actors thinking " one two three one two three left right left " as they try and assault one another
The original film was one of those rare movies that mixed a high concept plot with genuinely exciting action sequences . This sequel has none of that . It is nothing more than a cynical exercise in making money . The only half decent thing about it is that it's only slightly better than the following film THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS