Not the model sequel, but a fun ride

Rating: Null/10 (16 May 2003)

Again and again, when thinking about action movie sequels, I come back to the Empire Strikes Back as a model. For one thing, it deepened the storyline, with Luke entering Jedi training and finding out more about his family. For another, it deepened the relationships of Han and Leia, and Darth and Luke. On the most important level, it introduced us to brand new worlds and characters like Yoda and Boba Fett, Cloud City, and Dagobah. Finally, the great ride ended with one story completed, and another one begun. Since the Matrix is my generation's Star Wars (I believe), Empire is worth a comparison. The Matrix Reloaded clearly does not match up, for two big reasons: the characters are diluted more than in the first film, and the resolution of "Empire" is absent at the end of "Reloaded" in a big way. I kept thinking there were so many moments when the film might end all of a sudden, but the one they chose was so far drawn out.
Also, in "Reloaded," as my friend pointed out, none of the characters seem to be having as much fun as they did the first time around, except for Agent Smith, who I guess is now just SMITH. However, even his character is no longer the main bad guy, and that's a big hole in the film: the lack of a central villain to focus on. I suppose the closest thing is the Merovingian, smartly played by Lambert Wilson, but even that conflict is diluted in the midst of all the philosophical talk and side battles.
Finally, what's really lost for me is the mind-blowing surprises of the first film: the first time we see Neo dodge bullets, when he actually stops the bullets, when Morpheus and he fight for the first time, when Neo ENTERS Agent Smith, all of these events that are now like iconic imagery to me-- "Reloaded" creates little of that by comparison, with the sole exceptions (SPOILER) of the multiple Neos on the TV screens and Neo's furious flight through the city at the end. (NOW THAT EFFECT IS WAS WORTH THE WAIT!)
Let's see what they do with Revolutions. **.5