Almost as FANTASTIC and AMAZING as the first, but not quite.

Rating: 8/10 (14 May 2003)

The Matrix Reloaded; the name alone strikes fear into the hearts of other movies everywhere. But why is this? Could it be that it is the sequel to one of the greatest movies ever? Even though it should go without saying that this movie should be excellent, does it really hold water?
The answer is yes! This movie stands above the crowd and shines with all of the glory that an action movie should shine with. Notice I said ACTION movie, not ACTION movie with heavy underlying PHILOSOPHICAL undertones. I did this intentionally because that is what this movie is, an action movie. Regardless of what its precursor was, it is still an action movie. But as an action movie, The Matrix Reloaded takes the cake.
Many people will go into this movie thinking that it will follow in the original's footsteps and be yet another thought-provoking piece of philosophy wrapped in an action film's shell, but they will only be met with shallow attempts at deep questions involving choices and control. Not that it was not a noble attempt by the Wachowski brothers, but it just doesn't work with the entirety of the film and it almost feels forced. With mind-tingling questions like, "Am I really in control of my life?" and, "What is more important: the choices I make, or the reason why I make them?" the movie shows incredible promise, but falls short in the actual delivery of these questions, and the relating of them to the story.
Back to the real reason why I am writing this (SPOIL-FREE) review: the REVIEW. For a die-hard action movie, very little will beat this movie. It has Kung-Fu fights coming out-the-wazoo, each of which are pulled off to perfection. The outstanding special effects are more than realistic, at certain points in the movie, I was sitting with my jaw practically on the floor because of the realism. Not that they are perfect, but they do their job: they entertain and actually let the audience forget that they are special effects. For the ladies (meaning no disrespect), there is a believable love between Neo and Trinity, and a semi-intricate web of pasts to explore. But beneath all of the Lovey-Dovey romance and hocus pocus special effects, the movie is based on action and serves its purpose as a entertaining and very enjoyable film.
I am ABSOLUTELY going to see this movie again and again because I enjoyed it that much. I highly recommend this movie to anyone that enjoyed the first and to everyone that likes a good time.
Overall Rating (As an action film): 9.5 (Which rounds to a 10)
Sincerely, UFO