The Matrix Reloaded

Rating: 7/10 (22 May 2006)

Hype is a film-makers worst enemy. As showcased by the disappointing The Phantom Menace, hype can seriously damage a film's, or a series', reputation. Such is the case with The Matrix Reloaded. After the truly inspired Matrix sprung up out of nowhere in 1999, the sequels had such a huge expectation placed on them, in no small part by the films producer, Joel Silver, that it was naïve to believe that they could turn out a film as fantastic as was promised. And that's exactly what happened, because the Matrix Reloaded, despite several excellent moments, just does not have the originality or style that the original did.
Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishbourne, and Carrie-Ann Moss have reprised their roles as Neo, Morpheus and Trinity, but whereas last time they all seemed so human, now they seem to have had their humanity taken away, particularly in the case of Neo, who seems just as soulless as the machines he is fighting against. It's a real shame, as it was Neo's humanity that made him such a fascinating character in the first film.
The beginning of the film does not help matters either. We start off very promisingly with a dream sequence, which shows off the extraordinary bullet-time effects that made the first film such a breakthrough. But within five minutes it's over, and we are left with an overlong introduction to Zion, the last human city, and to the increasingly complicated plot. The Zion section has to be the real low-point of the film, and as it is at the beginning of the film, that sense of disappointment seems to run through the whole two and a half hour running time. Once it is over, though, the film really starts to shine, and the enormous budget can be seen taking effect. Here we have everything that made the first film great magnified ten times, as Neo unleashes his Agent-stopping powers on 100 Agent Smiths, and a hall full of vampires, not to mention one of the longest and most impressive freeway chases currently on film. This middle hour is the films' saving grace; it is a magnificently choreographed kung-fu-fest, showcasing the great combination of computer effects and live action that few films have utilised successfully. On top of this is a rip-roaring powerhouse of a soundtrack that keeps the atmosphere strong throughout the film, being both a fine example of a rock soundtrack and giving more mellow pieces, keeping the mood without being melodramatic.
Once the final chapters come in, however, we end up back where we started  disappointed, and this time utterly confused. Repeated viewings are necessary to understand all of what the Architect says in his (now infamous) thesaurus-straining speech, and it does not help that we will not find out the answers to all the questions posed until the final instalment, released a full six months later. It's a real shame that the Wachowski brothers seemed to miss what made the original so great, and throw in too much philosophical nonsense to try and pad things out, as if they were making the script up as they went along. Whilst the centre of the film is a stunning achievement, the beginning and end just shows how much work will be needed for Revolutions to redeem the Matrix name.
Rated: 8/10
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Second opinion/Re-viewing:
Having seen this many more times now, the flaws are more obvious. Sure, it looks good - stunning, even - but because this is a sequel it necessitates comparison with the original; and it is simply not as good. The original had a great idea that sat so well on its own, but the sequels complicate matters needlessly. Also, the first time I saw the film the effects looked great, but now with more time to evaluate them some already look dated and fake. The freeway chase, which seemed so cool the first time, has been surpassed many times, even by the likes of films like Bad Boys II (2003). It all looks like a well designed video game (ironic, I know) but it just does not immerse the audience like the original film did. It's still very stylish; it's not all bad, really, it does have some truly excellent parts, but it's also not a patch on the original. Could have been more, and should have been more.
Re-rated: 7/10