Not Empire caliber sequel, but very good

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2003)

I think the hardest thing to do in the entertainment field is to make a good, fresh sequel off of a great, fresh original movie. The Matrix, while not being completely original as far as story, was fresh, exciting, and gave people sights and sounds that no one had ever seen before. To come back to that and recreate the magic is very hard.
The Matrix Reloaded comes close to recapturing that magic. It is a visual feastival that leaves everyone breathless after several wonderful actions sequences. There are some things that don't work, some things that don't make a whole hell of a lot of sense, but overall a great sequel to a fantastic original.
What didn't work? Well, lets run some things down.
Spoilers!!!!!!!!!!!!
First, the scene in Zion, which includes the most uncomfortable sex scene between Neo and Trinity ever. It seems to waver between wanting to be a soft core love scene and a artfully done romantic sequence. The Zion dance scene is strange and hard to watch. It basically is a rave with thousands of people dressed like Buddhist monks, a far cry from the leather clad heroes they are in the Matrix
Second, the whole scene with Merovingian, or really the whole story line with him and his program/lover. Just an unnecessary scene with a lot of philisophical talk of choice that seems to just drone on and on and on. And also, the fact that they made this character French, which has its own implications but is grating on the ears as one tries to understand the dialogue, is not needed. Just very strange dialogue, and a character that is not needed at all. After leaving the theatre I felt almost like I did after leaving Phantom Menace with Jar Jar in there. Why do that to a perfectly great movie?
Third, the conversation with the Arcithect is just far too confusing. I do not mind high dialogue, or philisophical conversations, which is fine for this action movie with a mind, but with such a pivotal part of the movie, really the crux of what the rest of the series will be about, on the line the dialogue should be coherent. The audience should ne able to follow it completely and I don't think most of them could. Actually, it might be a wondeful ploy by the directors since I know I will be going back to see the movie to get my facts about that conversation straight and a lot of other people will as well. Its not the only reason to see it again but it sure is a close one.
Fourth, the destruction of Zion at the end. Ok, Zion has been destroyed I guess. What happened? How many survived? Why isn't anyone else seemingly upset about this? I mean we have Link, whose girlfriend/wife is still in Zion when he left, and yet when hearing of the news there is no mention as to whether or not any of the crews loved ones survived. Needed a little more then that.
What worked?
The fight scenes. I know people became upset because the last movie left off where Neo seemingly no longer needed to get his Crouching Tiger on with every agent in the Matrix. Why fight someone when you can just jump into them and destroy them? But I rather like the action sequences and really, if he wasn't fighting them, what exactly would the action sequence be? Neo, jumping into agent after agent and just destroying them? Not fun. Plus, in the beginning,he goesd to punch an agent and is blocked, which prompts him to say " Updates?" and continue on fighting. I just simply chose to let that line explain away the fact that kung fu fighting was still needed. The machines had adapted to his powers, some of them, and he could not simply destroy them the way he had before.
The relationship between the characters. Neo and Morpheus seem to be in a very strange place. Morpheus is still the leader, but really it is what Neo says that goes. The oracle wants to talk to him and no one else, when there is a problem Neo takes control, ordering people where they need to be to survive. Yet Neo still bows to Morpheus and his wishes.
The love between Neo and Trinity is a little too intense, seemingly rapped up in hot sex and fear of death. But it is well done and is vital to the ending where N eo chooses to save Trinity rather then Zion.
The chase scene. What a ride. Best chase scene I have ever seen. Actually words cannot express how wonderful this scene is done. They have wonderful visual effects with wonderful fast actions moves. CGI and the live action is blended very well. It is worth the price of admission to see this scene.
So there are some things that work, some that don't but overall it is a wild ride that needs to be seen. I will be going back to see it again, and from what I have heard people have actually enjoyed it more the second time around, with the expectations a little diminished. On a scale of 1-10, I would give it and 8.5.