Summarizes the Entire Trilogy

Rating: 9/10 (5 August 2015)

This is the only Matrix film for which I have written a review simply because I think it is the best of the three. Reloaded wasn't always my favorite Matrix film. Like most people, I saw the second installment in a trilogy as a sort of filler - a bridge linking the introduction and climactic conclusion. But having re-watched this film a couple times now, I can confidently say that it is the most intriguing, most entertaining, and most relevant film in the series.
The first film is an introduction. It draws you in but predictably leaves many things to be revealed for later sequels. Of course, that film is a masterpiece in its own right. But Reloaded is where it all comes together. Here, we are introduced formally to the dichotomy between the Merovingian's determinism and Neo's self-determination - between the Architect's philosophy of total control and Smith's futile anarchy.
Putting aside the gaping plot hole which is thermodynamics, the Matrix is a series rife with plot holes of all sort. If you devote even a modicum of thought to it, you will easily discover them in multitude. But, at the end of the day you will find that the purpose of the Matrix trilogy is not in the detail. The purpose of the trilogy is two fold: Firstly, to treat philosophical arguments with the establishment of a seemingly non-autonomous context (the Matrix itself). Secondly, to entertain with spectacular action sequences. The brilliance of these films is the coupling of the two - intense action and martial arts with philosophical commentary. Reloaded succeeds on both fronts.
I find it surprising that many reviewers thought the Architect scene was boring or out of place when it is probably the most critical part of the entire trilogy and, in my opinion, one of the most interesting scenes in cinematic history. The revelation that Zion and the resistance is just another form of control is at the crux of the plot (and critical for explaining away many of the plot holes in the first movie).
What I love the most about this film is that it really forces the viewer to engage the brain. The dialogue can be ignored as slow time between action sequences in the first and third movies, but to understand what's going on here you really have to pay attention. To summarize, if you're viewing the Matrix trilogy as a collection of action sequences, you're really missing out on a lot that the films have to offer.