An Eclectic Hodgepodge of Sci Fi/Martial Arts Themes

Rating: 6/10 (25 January 2019)

18 May 2003. Matrix Reloaded has become an uneasy collage of sci fi, virtual reality, and martial arts spectaculars interlaced with attempts at emotional human connections and intellectual philosophy. The beginning sequences unfortunately come across as imitations of Final Fantasy computer generated animations (that supposed to represent actual reality) along with the original HR Giger images of Alien creations of an inner earth and Minority Report computer mechanizations. And somewhere along with way, the audience is strangely passed over and dropped into the sequel to Matrix having been left out of about an hour a missing introduction to a whole nether world that we've never seen.
Plenty of movies have used virtual reality to good effect - even Virtual Nightmare(2000) which played on the Sci Fi Channel was able to include a triple twist in its two hour playing time duplicating the twists in the Matrix and its sequel minus the martial arts action sequences. Brazil (1985), The Cell (2000), Dark City (1998), The Truman Show (1998), eXistenZ (1999), Freejack (1992), Total Recall (1998); Virtuosity (1995) have all used the virtual idea, some to better impact than Matrix. Matrix: Reloaded, overdoes the action, overplays the martial art action and becomes a rather unsettling series of confusing, exploding, repeatings scenes.
While the intent, the energy to make an intelligent, above average sci fi - action -thriller, this Matrix sequel only succeeds in revealing how truly difficult to combine so many elements into an even, compelling memorable movie.