Be warned: Here's a spoilers-filled commentary on "Reloaded"

Rating: Null/10 (17 May 2003)

As the one line summary above has already forewarned, this piece below will disclose way too many spoilers for people who haven't seen the film. So kindly skip this piece in order to retain your virgin viewing experience with "Reloaded". Thanks.
(Last warning: Spoilers Ahead for this whole piece)
So for folks who have already seen the film , one question:
"What exactly is Zion?"
Ok, my take...I think Zion is like another layer of the Matrix. But it probably doesn't exist alongside the original Matrix(i.e. on a horizontal plane with the other world where the highway sequence took place).
Zion may be a more complex, and vertically advanced virtual layer of the Matrix, making the original Matrix we were presented with, a mere sub-Matrix within this higher realm(for which there may be limitless higher levels of sophistication, depending on the Warchowski bros' fancy). Both the Oracle and the Architect has already hinted on many more adavnced programs/ platform written into the Matrix. Consider then Zion to be a likely upgrade/ addendum to the the Matrix' platform. No?
This may thus be a very good excuse for the stupendously poor writing in the movie, with the otherwise authoritative actors(especially Morpheus) spouting pretentious and downright corny metaphysical mumbo jumbo. Its like they were mere pawns / players in both realities(i.e. Zion's and the sub-matrix'), whereby they were uttering some sort of stilted video game script. Or much more simply(and in more likelihood), it may really just be some plain ole bad writing in our reality.
But if I'm to extend further my analogy and assumption of what's presented so far as mere video game-like reality, then all is forgiveable as the screenplay can safely(for now) ride on the eye popping kungfu F/X sequences, which were in all honesty, very very good.
Ok, change my earlier description of "kungfu" to "balletic". As more and more, I feel like I'm watching very well choreographed "dance" movements set to arresting visual imagery, all freezed framed constantly to capture our attention, coercing us to admire its beauty.
Kudos all round thus to the special effect guy and Yuen Woo Ping's accomplished troupe of acrobatic specialists. This is eye candies of the highest order. And yes, in the presence of such sensory delights, I too willingly fell into this rabbit hole of visual feast and aesthetic artifice. Why? Because its beautiful to look at, that's why...
So much so that all I'm persuaded me to check in my brain(for now) to prevent further pointless dissection of its convoluted conundrums(as we do need more than what we are given in these first two installments to fully disembowel this baby).
All these meant that the Warchowskis now run an unprecedently major risk of coming off as the biggest rip-off artists ever, if the execution and ultimate revelation in Revolutions, flounders...which seem more and more likely...).
The intriguing part of all these may be that, as at the end of Reloaded, only Neo and that nameless dude on the operating table may know more about Zion's simulated reality than anyone else(Perhaps that nameless dude know even more?).
Which made it all the more exhilarating when Neo was able to transcend his power threshold, upon prior profound self-discoveries in the "architect's room", and successfully incapacitated the sentinels, matrix style.
All these unresolved elements of surprises will thus nicely set up what's to follow in the third and final instalment in this series. A series which can go either way, from this point on....yummy...expects lots of juicy entrails after some bloody plot disembowelments come the end of Revolutions...
In closing, from the looks of Reloaded, it does smell like a slight rehash for the ending of "Thirteenth floor". But of course, our expectations may be wrong. The Warchowski's may just be throwing us fan boys off with other cheap tricks up their sleeves in Revolutions.
So again, shall wait for Revolutions to see if it all adds up. Overall, Matrix Reloaded is money well spent. In my book, recommended viewing.