Very inconsistent but worth watching

Rating: 6/10 (3 October 2005)

The Matrix wasn't one of my favourites, I think it's good but it isn't amazing as some people think. The Matrix Reloaded made me appreciate the Matrix a little bit more however, as it seems to be a bit unfocused when compared to the first film which seemed to be well written and well made.
Reloaded is inconsistent and it seemed a bit rushed and a bit of a mess when I saw it. Zion, which was talked about a lot in the first film, is now seen for the first time, but it's here where I was getting worried about this film already. Sequels often fail when they're just a carbon copy of the original, so I didn't mind the change in setting at the beginning of this film and all these new characters being introduced, but it just wasn't gripping and was very slow moving.
Eventually the film speeds up and there's some awesome action. Like the first film Reloaded is often visually stunning, and it's the weird and wonderful exiles that are the highlights. From the moment Neo encounters the Merovingian, a very intriguing character, I was anticipating what was going to happen next and the film seemed to get better and better, leading up to the meeting with the Architect. This middle section is overall very good and great to watch.
The main problem with Reloaded is that scenes just go on far too long much of the time. For example, when the Oracle is first reintroduced, this is a great scene at first, Gloria Foster's all-knowing mother figure, who was very interesting in the first film, returning again. But a few minutes later, and I'm getting bored, there's only so much philosophical discussion about Neo's choices that I can take. When this conversation finally ends, we move straight onto the Burly Brawl, the brilliant and visually stunning fight between Neo and the masses of Agent Smiths. That is, until it's gone on for far too long and bored me to tears. This section then, with the Oracle and The Burly Brawl, could have been shortened greatly to make it far more gripping and interesting.
The worst scene not only of this film, but probably of the last few years that I can remember, suffers from a similar problem. As Morpheus delivers his speech to the people of Zion at the beginning of the film, they all go mad and start partying late into the night! This scene is just cringe-worthy, slow motion takes of Zion's people dancing to some dance music, inter-cut with Neo and Trinity having sex. I want to know what was going through the Wachowskis' heads when they filmed this scene, I do not understand what they are trying to achieve with it one bit. The worst thing about it is that at this early stage, I already equate Zion with this terrible scene. The scene goes on for way too long as well, a minute of this would have been tolerable, but it seems to go on for about five minutes. Enough already! One scene which doesn't go on too long is the awesome freeway chase scene which is up there with anything that the first film can offer. This was a scene which I wanted to go on for longer, as the creepy Twins chase Trinity down a packed road, while agents appear and place Morpheus in trouble. This scene is awe-inspiring and is backed up by a great piece of music by Juno Reactor which fits the quick tempo of the scene perfectly.
Overall, when Reloaded is concentrating on some great action inside the Matrix and the strange beings which inhabit it, it plays like a question and answer session on the first film, answering all our questions that we might have had when we first heard the concept of the Matrix (what if...). It's the beginning at Zion which is slow-moving, and other scenes which are just too long, that prevent it from being great.