Why and How Reloaded was good, but could have been better!

Rating: Null/10 (4 November 2003)

(Possible Spoilers... but not plot related) Great movie!? Then why was everyone disappointed? If you know the Wachowskis make sure they read this. Why were the original Star Wars so intriguing, and the original Matrix such a slam dunk, because so much was left to our imagination. This of course came from Tolkien who knew the art of mystery, just look at Jackson's LotR series.
In the first Matrix, we never saw Zyon, but in the first 20 minutes of the second movie the entire mystery of Zyon was spoiled, and that measly cavern scene was not what I pictured to be the grandeur of humanity's last hope. SW was so successful because the characters spent 15 minutes in each location, we saw a fraction of a planet and the rest was left to our imagination, an entire world beyond what was on the screen filled our minds. In the Matrix, there is nothing outside of what is shown on screen, and most of the time it isn't all that impressive. Had there been more human cities that Neo merely visited for a moment, our imaginations would have created this entire world beyond the scope of the film.
And about the Matrix itself: we were sold in the first movie that it was all a computer program. then why every time they enter it is the same old thing, Earth 1999. We could have been taken back in history, forward in history, alien planets, inner Earth, outer Earth, Middle Earth and even alternate worlds, i.e. the TV show Sliders, but it would have all be accepted because we were already sold that the Matrix was not real. It was basically the same movie as the first, the same locations, the same fights. nothing really new.
And the characters: don't get me started on Keanu. it was a good attempt at distinguished characters with the ghost twins and vampires/werewolves, but everybody looked the same to me, black suits and bullet time action sequences. And in the real, the same exact robots as the first movie, what a buzz kill. And only teasing the mechs!? And what's with the real world powers? That makes no sense at all. That was the thing about the Matrix; humans are powerless in the real world so they must harness the powers of the virtual world. We went from fantastic but acceptable future, to magic fantasy. That 5 minutes at the very end certainly lost more people than just me, and disappointed people who still weren't too insulted.
The point is, don't let success fool you into thinking you can just rehash the same old stuff and the ignorant masses will still flock to your movie. the masses are not ignorant, look at Star Wars now, who cares? That is why the Lord of the Rings still and will always reign supreme, because Jackson is not phased by his success, and because he stays true to the ideal of innovation, creativity and originality. Wachowskis you got IT, just don't lose IT, PLEASE! I want to see more stuff like the first Matrix.