SPOILERS: Quick and dirty post-viewing thoughts

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2003)

It's always difficult to top a groundbreaking, trendsetting special effects film. The original Matrix's "bullet time" technique became an instant success for the Wachovsky brothers. They have done a lot to tweak and perfect that techniques here.
And now -- SPOILER WARNING.
Ready? . . . S P O I L E R S

last exit before spoilers

5 4 3 2 1
okay. You were warned!
The Matrix has me.
Sequels tend to be formulaic. I found that not to be so much the case in this one. There was a lot more going on.
It's been at least six months since Neo's mind was freed and he joined the Nebuchadnezzar. We now know that Morpheus' ship is not the only ship of its kind, but one of a fleet. We meet Link, the replacement for Tank and Dozer , both of them. The one who survived the first film apparently died offscreen in the interim between that movie and this].
We meet Mauser, the Mouse-type wannabe/Neo-fanboy. We meet Niobe, Morpheus' old lover. And we see Zion. In all of its mingled high tech/low tech glory.
The old elements from the last movie are there.
The Oracle is still a dotty old girl who never gives a straight answer and really messes with Neo's mind since Neo dislikes the idea of having no control or choice over his life.
Smith returns, and gets many of the best lines in the movie.
Morpheus, Trinity, and Neo all get beautifully choreographed new fight scenes. Not a whole lot of subtstance, but if you expect more than Mind Candy from a Matrix movie, I guess that's just a matter of preference.
There was, to be sure a lot more to be thinking about. The Morpheus/Niobe backstory was barely surface-scratched. Fishburne's charisma still radiated off the screen like the heat of an explosion in the middle of Siberia, though.
Neo, thanks to Reaves, still looked faintly befuddled through the whole thing. And I think I missed Reaves uttering his trademark clueless "Whoa." Then again, Neo's not clueless this time.
The Smith backstory is the one I like best. He's no longer an Agent, and he's become something bigger and different and scarier than he was. The Agents don't like him. He doesn't like the Matrix. And he really doesn't like Neo for costing him his place, even though Neo also made him the clone-manufacturing monster he is now.
I am only on three hours sleep since I saw the movie in a late showing last night and had to work this morning. So if this makes little sense, I apologize. Expect me to write another more coherent comment after my second viewing tomorrow.
Predictability factor: Low. I could only predict two elements. Love/hate factor: The ending is a cliffhanger. Grrr. Easter eggs: Stay until the end of the credits. There's a trailer for Matrix Revolution
Stars: 8/10