Entertaining & clever, but probably no Oscar for Satan.

Rating: Null/10 (20 May 2003)

*****TOTAL SPOILER***********
I watched the Matrix Reload yesterday and I was entertained. Since I'm not about to pile on the accolades here, I see several IMDB posts that categorize me as someone "who doesn't get it." Hey, I get it. I'm just joe lunchbox, but I can still make out the symbolism and some of the humor. Neo as the anti-Christ set to destroy the world (=matrix), yet he's the hero. Cruising around in his black robe, trashing city streets when he flies by - very apocalyptic. Funny/ironic too, destroy to save. Zion is hell; dark, multi-leveled and cave-like, complete with a rave that Dante would appreciate. Angels (=agents) are out to slay the demons (=rebels) who are taking peoples' souls. Satan herself has a sweet tooth and bakes cookies. Better yet is Colonel Sanders, or a dapper Kris Kringle, as the creator almighty lounging in his penthouse high above the rabble. The white suit and banks of 'all seeing eye' video screens is kinda obvious even to me. I was cracking up during his speech, imagine a Sunday school teacher explaining matrix code rewrites and computer anomalies in place of the Garden of Eden and serpents bearing apples. Too much. And agent(s) Smith? I would guess that's suppose to be Pat Robertson and the 700 Club trying to wipe out 'evil' and remake the world in Pat's ideal image. Make your donations today. I can't wait to see how the times will end in Revelations, er, Revolutions.
Even though the question, "Does a person freely choose actions or is it fate/genetics/programming/chocolate cake?" has vexed man since the time of So-crates, Reload's choice to answer it with lots of fists and bullets is somewhat bogus. Entertaining yes, greatest film of all time contender, no. Hey, the neO can kick 100s of guys at once, stop speeding bullets, leap 500 miles in a single bound, and resurrect himself or friends all without an emotion displayed. Why should he worry about choice? Or why? And if he isn't concerned, why should I be? Even visions of his girlfriend getting shot up didn't seem serious because there just wasn't much passion there. WB or Fox sitcom level passion at best. And that was before I knew he could simply jump start her hologram after she turned blue screen.
So for all you proclaiming Reloaded as the best film of all time, I can't agree. There just wasn't enough to the characters to create true suspense. I will rank it very high on my list of cinematic rollercoaster rides. Fun, but without true danger. Like a basket of tortilla chips; crunchy, but better with some sauce. Like Britney Spears; I could watch her dance around all day, but a Pepsi is still a Pepsi.