Better The Second Time

Rating: 7/10 (5 January 2006)

After I saw "The Matrix" several years ago, I thought to myself: this movie is so good! I was really surprised to hear that a sequel, let alone 2, were coming out back in 2003.
When I first saw "The Matrix Reloaded" I honestly was not thrilled. The effects were phenomenal and more astounding than its predecessor, but the story had almost disappeared. The movie basically became merely a film that relied on its effects to entertain its audience.
Two years later, I gave "Reloaded" and even "Revolutions" another chance. I've got to say, they're both better the second and even the third time around. "Reloaded," as Laurence Fishburne said, is the 'life' component of the One's journey. It's a continuation, taking place six months after "The Matrix", the 'birth' of the One, with the machines preparing to destroy Zion and all that is left of humankind.
The best part of this movie is undoubtedly the fight between Neo and Smith, Smith, Smith, Smith, etc. In a sense, we find that Smith is becoming what he hates: a human that continuously multiplies "until every natural resource is consumed." Like he had said in the first one, another organism follows the similar multiplicative characteristic of humans: "a virus." Neo has become the representative of a human fighting off a virus. This symbolism becomes extremely prevalent in the final installment.
The worst part of this movie, when I had first seen it, was the scene when Neo meets the Architect. He lays out important plot material, but because of his language and how he drones on, you almost feel Neo is a high school kid and the Architect is the monotonous teacher. I had dazed out the first time until Trinity was brought into the picture. You almost get the sense that Neo did the same thing.
After seeing the scene again, the Architect basically tells Neo that the Matrix is an ongoing cycle where the human race is created, destroyed, and recreated; another cycle is about to take place. Because this message was brought about in the way it was done, it's almost slightly comical.
The film ends with Neo's mind trapped in the Matrix and Smith inside Zion (he copied himself into Bane when he was in the Matrix). Now, originally the last two installments of "The Matrix" trilogy were one movie. I can't help but wonder if it would have made both movies even better. The focus would have remained more on the One and Smith would have been seen as the greater threat he was supposed to be (this goes especially for the third).
Overall, you need to give "Reloaded" another chance. There's much more heart than you can initially observe.