A SCIENCE-FICTION MARVEL!!

Rating: 10/10 (18 May 2003)

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** THE MATRIX TRILOGY is shaping up to be a cinematic marvel for the science-fiction genre. The second chapter, THE MATRIX RELOADED is a film which takes sci-fi storytelling to amazing depths. This is a film with so many ideas and details it is overwhelming. A film which is not afraid to take risks in order to achieve something extraordinary. This is a complex, fascinating, and thrilling story that deserves to be mentioned with other masterworks of the genre. The vision of the Wachowski Bros. is something special. In this chapter, they bring you images, characters, themes, and sequences which stick with you like the memory of a long-lost love. It is unforgettable! The film is filled with philosophy, even more so than the first. The material is complicated, but unlocking all the meanings is what makes this story so fascinating. This chapter is about the nature of free will and choice. What choices do you have when everything is a system of control? There are so many wonderful scenes in the film.(SPOILERS) Quiet moments such as the NEO/HAMANN conversation, everything with LINK & ZEE, NEO & TRINITY in the elevator followed by ZION natives confronting NEO, everything between MORPHEUS & LOCK, and an incredible moment showing the ZION control. Then there are great character scenes in the matrix. Everything with MEROVINGIAN & PERSEPHONE, the NEO/ORACLE talk, and of course, AGENT SMITH'S speech about purpose. Then there are truly epic sequences. The ZION celebration, the car chase, the burly brawl, the NEO/SERAPH face/off, NEO vs. NEW AGENTS and the last thirty minutes of the film. The last sequence is truly the most amazing scene in the film. The whole story is changed because of the information in this sequence. The cinematography, editing, score, design, effects, EVERYTHING IS SUPERB! The film is something to behold. Watching all three of these films together will be sci-fi heaven! THE MATRIX RELOADED is a great film, and an amazing continuation of the story.