Outstanding effects, some magic lost

Rating: 7/10 (15 May 2003)

It's going to be expected...the beauty of the first film took you inside a normal guy making realizations about the "reality" of this world and our way of life. We as the audience could relate to him.
In Reloaded, all that's gone and it's far more driven by modern intrigue and war between human and the machines. Not that this is a bad thing, but again, it takes away the viewers sense of being able to relate.
However, as a sci-fi action (oh my, the action) film, it's one of the more spellbinding films I've seen. The effects are stunning, primarily because they have to use real people throughout the majority of the film, not just relying on computer generation.
The story is generic, but still acceptable and we do not lose sight of Neo as a person, as opposed to being just a warrior or "savior". This film is far sexier than the first and more bold in terms of adult themes, which I was thankful for. I hate it when good films are downplayed to reach a broader audience. The creators of the film keep the mood and genre very consistent with what you'd expect. They also did a good job of making Neo seem unstoppable, as he seemed to be in the end of the first film, but still vulnerable because of his human nature.
I gave this one a high rating, for pure entertainment value alone. I will be curious to see the third installment, so the full story is complete. However, I suspect it will be much of the same as Reloaded.