Free Your Yawn

Rating: 3/10 (16 May 2003)

Totally baffled at what the Wachowski's could have been thinking. It was very obvious that someone who had no business being involved with this film exerted way too much influence over this very pathetic excuse for a sequel.

ZION OR GET IT ON!
Zion was a 45 minute series of failed cliches with a 15 minute long subterranean orgy. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good butt rubbing temple service as much as the next guy but this scene did not pass the laugh test -- many in my theater were quite amused. I was totally expecting the animated Soul Train logo to ride across the screen.
BULLET TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME
Every action sequence was just a little too long and a little too effects dominated. The attitude was, "Well, that shot cost us $1 million so let's leave it in." #1 rule in good film making -- less is more. No question there were some mind blowing sequences -- but why bury them in overdone and unecessary ones?
DIGRESSALOGUE
The well crafted exchanges in the first movie degenerated into pseudo philosophical nonsense. It was repetitive, predictable, shallow, and even absurd at times. A few intreging concepts were introduced -- but without the sorely needed editing and tightening to the dialogue, they were left undeveloped.
HUH?
With all of this said, the movie would have still made a decent showing if not for the Zion debacle (including the pesky boy and the wise counselor with no point to make) and other film additions that were outright annoying (ie., the lovesick program and the orgasmic dessert to name a few).
Some redeeming story twists in the last 15 minutes saved the film from complete disaster. Personal appeal to the Wachowski's: Please return to the formula you used for the first one. Do not compromise or sell out to anyone.