No plot spoilers, only location ones!

Rating: Null/10 (27 May 2003)

The most important thing to keep in mind when watching Reloaded is that there aren't three Matrix films, but two. The first film was a fairly linear story, with a beginning, middle and most importantly an end. Reloaded has a beginning and a middle but it's clearly relying on Revolutions to provide the all important ending. However, this certainly doesn't stop it from posing yet further philosophical questions and turning up a few more interesting secrets about the one and the matrix. Ultimately though, when the story telling is this complex and the plot so full of holes, at times Reloaded is only one step shy of disappearing firmly up it's own arse. The idea is of course, that when Revolutions makes it's appearance in November, Reloaded will make a lot more sense. That's fine for then, but it can hardly be a surprise to the Wachowski brothers that this second instalment of the trilogy is receiving such a critical drubbing over it's plot line. Of course it doesn't help Reloaded's cause, that a fair chunk of the plot branches off into other media, such as the recently released game (Enter The Matrix) and the soon to be released Animatrix.
However, those looking for more of Matrix style and action can rest assured that Reloaded will whisk them off to Kung Fu sci-fi nirvana, as on every level, Reloaded's action scenes hit a home run.
Sadly though, it`s not just wonderful action pieces which Reloaded is quickly becoming renowned for. Early on in the film, we are introduced to the last human city of Zion, and one of the most universally slated pieces of the film. To kick off with, there is the Morpheous rallying the troops speech, whilst not being necessarily bad, probably kicks over every cliché you care to mention.
Following this, we are treated to one of the most unwelcome sex scenes any of us will ever have to face. Watching Neo and Trinity bump and grind, cut against the heavy tribal music of the Zion rave scene, was an ill judged decision to say the least. For a start, the couple look more as if they are having rusty nails poked into them than garnering any sort of enjoyment from the experience, and the wholly unglamorous peak we are treated to, wouldn't look out of place on channel five on a Friday evening. I'm not disputing the necessity of such scenes in the film, but it would seem that when it comes to directing real emotion, the brothers W may be best off handing this over to the special effects people too.
Soon after this though, the film picks up pace, and we are treated to one of the most astounding fight scenes in cinema history. The now infamous agent Smith, played by the sublimely dead pan Hugo Weaving, now has the ability to clone himself. This leads to an army of agent Smiths descending on Neo, and coupled with the wondrously crafted fight choreography, emerges a thrilling battle scene.
After this, the film glides smoothly on, with new characters comfortably rubbing shoulders with old. The new characters like ship's operator Link, help to bring a lighter tone to the matrix universe, whilst other characters like the loathsome Marovingian, and his somewhat disturbed wife, are also played extremely well; even if their necessity within the film is highly questionable. At times it seems as if the Wachowski brothers couldn't quite decide why they should be there either , as a lot of the new villainous characters are left under developed, and seem to have needless characteristics (as in the kiss for help scene) which sit uncomfortably within the already established mood of the matrix world. Happily though, this is in stark contrast to the development of Neo, Trinity and Morpheous. Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss have clearly settled into their roles, and do a good job at bringing life to characters which could so easily have become 2d puppets for the special effects department to play with.
Laurence Fishburne too, makes a good job of making a spiritual leader look cool, whilst still retaining that father like warmness within the real world.
However solid the acting performances though, they all play second fiddle to the special effects team, who for the films standout action scene have taken the concept of a good car chase and sent it through the roof. The Highway chase features every high speed action event you could ever imagine, and I would almost certainly lose karma were I to divulge the details, and ruin the surprise. Suffice to say, bullet time, explosions, fights and a simply unbelievable motorbike sequence conspire to make this one of the best action scenes of all time, and even the highly anticipated Revolutions will have to go some way to top it.
Reloaded's plot comes to a head, in another superbly styled scene. Entering the core of the matrix, Neo is left to confront the dry intellect of the matrix's creator. Whilst their conversation provides plenty of interesting twists to the story, you'll be doing better than most if you understand them all in one sitting. The trouble is, the creator compresses what would take an ordinary conversation about 15 or so minutes to fully explain, into a five minute info burst. The language used suits the character brilliantly, but Neo's few lines of summing up, still don't go far enough to clarify the numerous plot layers which the creator has so quickly pulled back.
It's hard to say it, but it would seem that The Matrix: Reloaded was sadly a victim of an over enthusiasm on the part of the writers. Whilst telling the story across numerous media was surely an inspired idea on paper, it's an over ambition which leaves huge gaps in the plot, and no amount of snappy editing replaces the simple fact that at times audiences are going to be left confused as to what has or hasn't happened yet.