'The Matrix Reloaded' - overwhelming by ambivalence

Rating: 8/10 (16 May 2003)

Okay let's cut the crap: if we want to compare ANY sequel of the original movie with the original we will be disappointed in each and every way. It is simply not possible to make a comparison. 'The Matrix' (1999) set a revolutionary new way of filming and shooting special effects, unlike anything we have seen before. It combined a truly complex nifty story with Asian martial art, motion capture techniques and a comic air.
'The Matrix Reloaded' is more of the same and more of new things. The latter however also provides the movie's weak point. In 'The Matrix' (the first one that is) not a single second of screentime was wasted on gibberish totally unnescessary story development. It is a shame to say 'Revolutions' does have those unwanted elements. The movie starts pretty spectaculair with what seems to be a prophecy of Neo (Keanu Reeves) who has further developed his talents having become the cookie baking oracle he visited in 'The Matrix' himself. But after that 'Reloaded' and especially its storyline eagerly trying to find a new approach and let's face it: is hopelessly fails to do so. The lovestory between Neo and Trinity (duh!) rather falls out of place when you realize what important matters are going on in the real world, when machines are trying to tear down the last human city of Zion. Same goes for the other useless dialogues that take place in Zion between crewmember and the homefront. And lots of the new characters like the white rasta twins, Merovingian and Persephone as well as Niobe - played by completely untalente actress Jada Pinkett are either completely useless unless their presence will make more sense in the third installment, 'Revolutions'.
What made 'The Matrix' so special was the totally new approach and personally the most interesting scenes took place in the matrix itself, the virtual non-existing world in which man is manipulated by machine. 'Reloaded' shows much more of the real world and of Zion, as promised in the first movie, but the scenes in the matrix are much more interesting, yet too few. Why: because it combines superpower and impossible things with a world we are all familiar and aware of. Some of the scenes and special effects as seen in that world are even more amazing and breathtaking than in 'The Matrix'. In that sense the movie is a decent and respected follow-up to the initital film. The scenes with an overly duplicated agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) are amazing and so is the 15 minute highway chase. The transitions between real actor to computer-generated actor are astonishingly good (much better than let's say: 'Spider-Man').
Some of the stort-elements however have taken away the magic of the concept of the movie. Neo is literally capable of almost anything. His lack of knowledge of his talents and gifts that were so eminent in 'The Matrix' provided much of the charm in the first movie. That all is gone now. This review is much of a comparison with the first movie - of which I am aware - but hey: it's a sequel. part two of a trilogy.
Don't expect the same vibe as the first movie. It is admirable the Wachowsky brothers did not simply lift on the success of the first movie. But this is however, not a guarantee that 'Reloaded' is a better movie. What is clear however (and let's hope I am more than right about that) that 'Reloaded' is an intermezzo and that the real excitement is yet to come: 'The Matrix Revolutions' scheduled for release this November.
By Arjan Welles