Expansion of the Matrix World

Rating: 5/10 (17 May 2003)

This movie is to me an expansion of the realm the directors created. Certainly the story isn't as strong as the first film, and it isn't as mind-blowing. But that's not to say it's not strong in it's own right. Of course it's not going to be as "original" as the first, considering how groundbreaking the first one was. An action, sci-fi, special effect movie with actual depth drawing on the classics; cinematic, literary, and philosophical? Nearly unheard of previous to that first film.
But this film has it's own twists and turns, and if you want to know what's going on you better pay attention. The special effects were amazing. George Lucas should go to this movie with a stenographer and take some copious notes on how to make CG characters look good. It's an enhancement for actors George, not a replacement for them.
There was some things I noticed that were a slights for me. I thought the music was pretty subpar, particularily the music during the fight scenes. I would have been happier with them recycling the music from Trinity's first scene in the first Matrix, with her first scene in this movie. Just seemed a bit off to me, almost dated relative to this film, whereas in the first movie, even though some of the songs weren't new at the time of that movie, the music seemed fresher, more futuristic, more relative. *shrug* Could just be me.
The other thing that I noticed was the overall lighting seemed lighter to me also, which I prefered the darker imagery of the first movie. The matrix in this movie seemed decidedly less seedy in this incarnation.

All and all, very minor negatives to what is overall a suberb movie. Definitely one to see in the theaters.