Disappointing

Rating: 6/10 (26 May 2003)

*Spoiler warning* I'm going to stop short of saying the Matrix Reloaded was a bad film. It's far from being a bad film, but it is a disappointing one. There was so much promise here but all we end up with is a confusing and disjointed film with so many characters and bits of the story that don't get explained or just go nowhere. The action sequences stand out, especially the car/bike/truck persuit. That alone almost saved this film, but not quite. What it really needed to save it was decent dialogue. The film essentially follows the same path for two hours ten minutes of action then an impenetrable dialogue from a character, then another action sequence followed by more impenetrable waffle about the nature of choice or freedom, or both. The dialogue and character interactions in this movie are dreadful. You just don't care what happens to the good guys. Neo, now completely invulnerable to everything, never looks challenged and so you never doubt the outcome of any of his fights. Neo's wooden delivery of the observation, "it was like being back in that hallway", after a particularly drawn out fight with a multitude of Agent Smiths was unconvincing and immediately forgotten. Agent Smith on the other hand seems to be the only one who has carried any of his charisma over from the first film. Now back from the Matrix's 'Recycle Bin' and somehow released to roam as a free sprit like the Oracle or Merovingian, he's livid and wants Neo dead. Unfortunately that's as far as it goes. With the exception of one short and meaningless scene at the end of the movie the only really convincing bad-guy in this film is wasted. Its worth watching, but don't expect too much. Do expect to be bored by the bits between the action, especially the scene with the god-like 'Architect', who's lines were clearly written by someone who had just discovered what a Thesaurus if for. (2 out of 5)