An expanded convoluted universe

Rating: 8/10 (19 October 2019)

This review contains spoilers.
The Matrix Reloaded is a science fiction movie that premiered in 2003. The movie is directed by The Wachowskis, produced by Joel Silver, written by The Wachowskis, and stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving. The movie is the sequel to the 1999 movie The Matrix. The movie follows a few months after the conclusion of The Matrix. Neo has become able to manipulate reality in The Matrix and the resistance discovers an army of sentinels that will destroy Zion.
The Matrix Reloaded continues the same awe inspiring action that composed the first original movie. The movie has excellent action set pieces and awesome choreographed scenes. There are loads of these scenes scattered across its 138 minutes of running time. There are scenes that are extremely exciting to watch. The highlights are the highway chase that Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus find themselves in. The movie uses the aspects of The Matrix to great effect and allows the audience a great set piece in that highway chase. The action in general is also well-produced and well done across the actors.
The Matrix Reloaded suffers from problems in the concept and execution in the sequel. This sequel has multiple problems in its effects, and story. The effects in this movie seem to be a step down compared to the first Matrix movie. The Matrix Reloaded has great effects but they do not age as well as The Matrix. The movie looks much like a video game in certain scenes. One of these scenes is the burly brawl scene that has Neo fighting against Smith clones. This scene appears incredibly fake and the use of computer generated imagery is evident. Watching this scene today, the scene does not have the allure as the first movie's effects. In other instances such as the highway chase, The Matrix Reloaded does a great job in utilizing a mixture of computer generated imagery and practical effects. It seems that the movie could have done better in utilizing more practical effects.
The story in The Matrix Reloaded has many problems. The first of which is the overly convoluted plot. In the first Matrix movie, the story had a basic plot that was easy to follow. There were still interesting aspects in the side that audience can notice. This movie rewarded both audiences that cared about the foreground story and the background story. The Matrix Reloaded requires that the audience pay attention to small pieces of dialogue in order to understand what happens in the plot. The plot is told in the small dialogue pieces between both The Merovingian and The Architect. Even characters from the first Matrix movie like The Oracle deserves mention as they play into this overall plot. The movie requires the audience to pay more attention and the pay off that they get is not great. The movie explains that The One is one in many cycles that the machines have already gone through. Neo is left with a choice of saving humanity or saving Trinity.
The movie utilizes Smith once more in this movie. Although it was great watching Hugo Weaving reprise his role, the movie seems to contrive the reason for bringing him back. The Matrix Reloaded explains this with Smith being brought back because he had the will to stay and that Neo possibly imprinted onto him. The reason does not make sense as Smith in the first movie wanted to destroy humanity such that he no longer needed to tend to the zoo of humans in the matrix. The Matrix Reloaded wants to make the audience believe this but it feels contrived. Smith's return is because they wanted to maintain the philosophical discussions that happened in the first movie. The role could have easily been maintained by The Architect that Neo meets later.
There are many new side characters compared to the first movie. This movie expands the universe of The Matrix. The movie does not utilize the side characters well. These side characters only have one or two lines and they can easily be cut in order to provide for more of a focused watch. The movie should have been extended if the movie really did want to create this expanded universe of The Matrix.
I would recommend 'The Matrix Reloaded'.
Grade: B