Review of Reloaded

Rating: 5/10 (16 May 2003)

Sure. They reloaded the Matrix... but it seems someone might have slipped some blanks in the chamber.
Part of the Appeal of The Matrix was that it was new, fresh and undone before. Everything looked amazing, the storyline was unique, the acting tight, character development was well done... Lets face it, its not the best selling DVD in history for nothing.
The Matrix Reloaded, however, lacks the newness and unique quality that the first film had. We're used to the camera filter now.. we're used to the fast paced action.. we're used to everything.. we're expecting it.. so when it happens, its not so much, "Wow" as, "Ah there it is."
The director seems to over indulge the "Matrix-Slow-Mo" effect button thru-out the film, sometimes in seemingly the strangest pointless places.
Agent Smith, aside from Hugo Weaving having a contract, seems almost un-needed in this film. If anything his character comes across as annoying and pointless and proves to be more irritating than anything else. He manages to go from Classic villain in the first film to over-used tired cliché in the sequel.
Then there's the twins.
You remember Star Wars: Episode 1, The Phantom Menace?
You remember a really cool looking Martial arts based character by the name of Darth Maul? Funky as hell, full of promise.. had 1 or 2 really cool scenes, then without really ever developing or explaining his character they just gack him from the film?
Its made doubly worse by the fact that there's *2* of them in this film.
So by the time Neo comes face to face with the Architect, the film story line is becoming slightly hard to follow.. its unclear as to whether he's duping Neo or whether he's speaking the Truth.. but the Entire City of Zion is destroyed, *completely off camera*. No epic battles, no panning shots of wreckage, just, "Yeah, everything's dead."
Nice.
Don't get me wrong.. its pretty. Its a very pretty film. Hell, Neos costume alone kicks some serious ass and I'll probably go see the film again *just* because its playing in the Uptown Cinema 1 (IN THX Affliction :-P), because for some reason I didn't see it there the first time and I'm sure I must have missed *some* saving grace I missed.
The plot is very formulaic however. If you've _ever_ played any RPG game, you'll recognize it immediately. Neo is sent, get this, to retrieve the Keymaker. Then its minion fight, boss fight, minion fight, cut scene, minion fight, recover this item, return that item, cut scene, boss fight, roll credits.
I've heard nothing but good things about the Matrix video game that was released with a storyline that runs concurrent to the movie plot, and its script is 3 times longer than the film.
As for Ms. Pinkett Smith... her presence in the film reminds me very much of Storm from the First X-men film.
Overall I was disappointed by the film, the prettiness and neat stuff didn't really make up for the short comings of what was a hugely hyped yet somewhat disappointing film. Notwhere near as good as the first film, certainly not as good as the 2 Towers, but not quite as bad as Attack of the Clones.