Cult film for computing intellectuals. Over hyped film for the rest of the population.

Rating: Null/10 (29 May 2003)

What is consciousness? The Matrix Reloaded delves into such uncharted territory that the average person on the street just won't get it. This is truly a movie for computing intellectuals who will fully appreciate the complexities and sophistication this film has to offer. It unbelievable that such abstract computing concepts can metamorphose into such a rich, textured world of the surreal.
The point I think this film makes is that the difference between artificial and human intelligence is spirituality and emotions. I thought it was fantastic in the Zion scenes that a lot of the world's religions and cultures are represented here in harmony. It gave me the warm and fuzzy feeling. I connected with the people of Zion making her defense against the machines even more real.
The issues this film brings up are so intriguing to me I could actually forgive the tacky CG fighting scene. Also because I knew what to look and listen for I found the long dialogue riveting. You had to listen carefully at the subtle clues spoken that alludes to the fact that the Matrix is one big operating system inside a gigantic computer
If you don't have prior knowledge of how a Unix operating system works from a high level point of view, have never written programming code, or unfamiliar with concepts artificial intelligence, you will miss the subtle undertones and deeper meaning that is extraordinary film has on offer. You just won't `get it'.
Reloaded is a film very true to it's initially concept. Unfortunately this will also be its marketing downfall. If I can use an analogy, the first movie is very user friendly like a Windows operating system. It's so intuitive that a 10 year old can understand it. Reloaded is like a Linux system that has been forced upon users who don't have the solid level of computing literacy to use it, with only computing purists, elitist and zealots are passionate about it.
It might help ordinary folk understand the film better if I explain some of these computing concepts
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Agent Smith's return is quite interesting as well. He has somehow survived and mutated into a malicious, infectious virus that corrupts any character in his path to clone and spread. I know people have not realised this link to computer virus because it's not explicitly explained. What is interesting is that agent Smith somehow infects and brainwashing a human Zion member who in the real world becomes a covert traitor.
We also find out that the Oracle isn't human. She is a program like any other programs written to support the Matrix illusion. What is fascinating is the concept that a piece of programming code has a consciousness. It knows that at some point it's usefulness to the Matrix will cease and will be slated for deletion. The programs are intelligent enough to enable it for self-preservation.
It's a mind-blowing subject when you think about it. They say that if you can have a conversation with a computer that has AI software and you can't tell if you are communicate to a human or the software, then that is AI. It's not the hardware that makes it intelligent; it is the software, the lines for programming code that provides this intelligence. Can you imagine if you installed a piece of software on your computer and you want to uninstall it after you found you no longer had need for it. However this piece of software has the intelligence and capability to hide and prevent itself from deletion because it consciously knows doesn't want to die? Obviously this might lead to us finding out why the AI machines in the movie rebelled in the first place.
The keymaker character is quite intriguing. He is some kind of old security code making program that has been slated for deletion and in this surreal world is portrayed as a humble old Asian man who is a key cutter. When agent Smith shoots this program and dies, I noticed the movie audience reacted quite sadly. Can you imagine shedding tears after deleting a program off your own computer?
The Merovingian and Persephone are quite sophisticated programs. My impression is that they were written to explorer and understand the darker side of human emotions like lust and jealousy. Merovingian has chosen to speak in French and write programs of his own to seduce human females and satisfy his lustful appetite. Persephone yearns to feel what real love is.
The core that is mentioned in the film is a reference to an operating systems Kernel, which is a piece of software that is like an interpreter between the computer hardware and software applications that run on the computer.
Sometimes the software applications and kernel is represented on a diagram as two concentric rings with the Kernel being the inner ring. If you notice when Neo enters the source, the room is round, not square or any other shape. That isn't a coincidence. This also reinforces the fact that Neo has systems access to the kernel. Only he could enter the kernel while other humans who only have software applications rights.
The architect is the single piece of code that makes this big computer intelligent. I still haven't figured out way the architect would even give Neo the opportunity to save Zion if it sent a whole bunch of sentinels to destroy it.
The freeway might represent a databus line. Back doors where you can hypejump from place to place might be also representative of packet switching.
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This film is more sophisticated that what is reveal on the surface. I think the writers could have definitely dumb down the script so that more people could have understood what was going on.