Good but not great sequel

Rating: Null/10 (17 May 2003)

Overall, it's good. Go see it. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. If you're a geek who already thinks he lives in The Matirix, nothing will please you. If you hated the first one, you will hate this one. If you didn't see the first one, what the hell are you waiting for?
Now, a few things about it:
The good: The action is sweet. Forget the crap you hear that the big sequences dissapoint. They don't - unless you're a nerd who can quote the Matrix by heart, dresses like Neo and thinks that he, too, is "The One." The Burly Brawl and the car chase had the theater cheering when I saw it. There are a few quick moments where things look a tad fake, but they pass quickly. Overall, the effects are some of the best ever put on film.
The bad: It seems like whenever a character is seen for the first time in the film, he or she must deliver a five-minute, eye-glazing monologue. Sometimes it's necessary, sometimes it's not. There's a lot of information to take in, and unfortunately it's mostly delivered like a boring philosophy lecture.
The reason some people don't like it: I think it's because the mystery from the first film is missing. You already know the deal with the Matrix (or do you?) and so it just becomes an action movie. What new mysteries there may be are either not fully explained or explained in the painful fashion mentioned above. But it is supposed to be the first part of a bigger movie, so I'm assuming all will be revealed in November.