Breathtaking effects but slower story

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2003)

This film is inherently difficult because now that we have seen the inner-workings of The Matrix, the journey of discovery and surprise that you get in the first film cannot be matched. We are now accustomed to the visual effects that were revolutionary in the last film and have to rely on plot to carry us through the next chapter. That being said, there are some really great twists in this film and it visually surpasses the first part of the trilogy. The highway chase is absolutely mind boggling. The weakness of the second film is probably Neo himself, Keanu Reeves. In the first film, he is basically confused and discovers the world outside The Matrix just as we do. All he has to do is observe and react and nobody does "befuddled" and "bewildered" better than Keanu. In this film however, he is now familiar with this world, so his relationships with Trinity, Morpheus, and the other citizens of Zion have to carry the movie. His one-liners come off as cheesy and artificial. Also the love story between Trinity and Neo is really emphasized so you're going to see a lot of dialogue between those two characters. Still, all and all, the movie is extremely entertaining, visually superb, and promises to conclude the story in a really thrilling, unpredictable way. By the way, STAY IN THE THEATRE AT THE END OF THE MOVIE. THERE IS A TRAILER FOR THE LAST FILM!