Predictable, boring and sadly destroys the imagination

Rating: 3/10 (1 January 2009)

Neo (Reeves) consults the Oracle about his nightmares as the machines dig deeper towards Zion.
The Matrix blew minds at the turn of the century with its intellectual decoding of reality and with many unanswered questions a sequel was always needed. Sadly with this sequel plenty went unanswered and more problems were generated through a ridiculous debate of choice, encoding of action conventions and a pathetic prophecy that demeans the potential of the one.
This narrative desperately tries to pick up a healthy real life debate as its predecessor did so easily. The ongoing outdrawn discourse about how choice is created through power and how difficult decisions can hold anyone back. There is simply too much discussion of this concept through the too long film which inevitably leads to the central protagonist having to face this concept. Its as predictable as tomorrow which coming from a massive Sci-Fi fan is one of the biggest disappointments in the genre's history. The weight of this ideology is ruined further by the encoding of the most annoying character in cinematic history the Architect. The man talks in technical waffle, looks like your least favourite uncle and will stare you to death.
The ending of the first film showed Neo now believing he is the one so he knows his powers now. This leads you to believe, after his first fight with the agents, that he can do absolutely anything, which takes away the imagination and the fear for his character. He is now an obvious winner which again is sad to see. The prophecy puts an obvious and far fetched spin on the boring narrative in an attempt to redeem the character but fails easily.
The first film created the most frightful villains imaginable. Undefeatable objects of our minds known as agents that no one in history had defeated. Now the fear has disappeared with the Agents simply an extra instalment to fit the action purpose.
Basically this is a film for the action junkie, using obvious action, technology and used as simple entertainment with no point, and that isn't improved in the final part either.
Good effects again, especially a brilliant choice of slow down moments between Neo and Smith's fight, which is also beautifully choreographed. But this was a sad moment for Sci-Fi with sad depressing action, no point and almost ruined the originality and imagination of the first.