Visually stimulating

Rating: 7/10 (5 June 2003)

This is the second in the series and as I watched this spectacle I had to think of what kind of imagination Andy and Larry Wachowski have in their psyche. As difficult as it is to watch and understand these films its almost unfathomable to think up a story like this. The story continues with Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburn) as they try and figure out how the machines can be stopped from invading their world and they suspect that there is a leak somewhere. The shots of the human world reminded me of some of the sets in the "Lord of the Rings" films. Big and cavernous and some of the shots inside the homes looked like it may have been shot on a large ship. Actor Anthony Zerbe plays Councillor Hamann and Gloria Foster is the Oracle. They are the ones that give the okay to infiltrate the other side and try and locate the "Keymaster" who is suppose to have a key that can unlock a special door. Their are some lapses in the film where nothing happens and some have complained about them. But what are you going to do? Complain that the makers of the film were trying to move the story along without action? You can't have action every minute. The action scenes are spectacular though. At times they become almost breathtaking and technically they are some of the best ever put on film. I also felt that they were just put in for eye candy and had little to do with the story. The battle between Neo and the 100 agent Smith's seemed pointless although it was fun to watch! Reeves seems to have even less lines to speak in this one than the first. He just stands around when not kicking ass. The character of Trinity played by Moss is the one that seems to have been expanded. You can make a good point that she steals the film. Film has no real ending and it just sets itself up for the third installment that comes out this fall. I felt some mixed emotions when I was done watching this and while technically its probably more impressive than the first film I felt Reeves character of Neo seemed under used. Also, what was that messy dance all the people were doing in the first part of the film? Can't they wear shoes? Story structure seemed a little off but this is still a very entertaining film to watch. Visually stimulating and some truly memorable action scenes make this a fun viewing experience. For you trivia buffs out there, at one point in the film a police radio utters the phrase "One Adam-12". Also, boxer Roy Jones Jr. has a small role.