Fie on the naysayers. (no spoilers)

Rating: 10/10 (15 May 2003)

I didn't expect anything from the first movie, and I was more than pleasantly surprised. Apparently, that is how most people felt. Then, with this movie, everybody went into "This movie can't possibly be as good as the first." Good for them, but those of us who strove to maintain objectivity got more out of Reloaded than those. My perfect example: There was a half row of idiots behind me in the theater, snickering at every character development scene throughout the movie... from the first second of the flick. I wanted to turn around and tell them "I'm glad that you felt it necessary to spend money to watch a movie which you had already formed an opinion about. Now could you please let the rest of us enjoy it?" This is a symptomatic case, I think. As far as the movie itself goes: Reloaded makes the first movie even better. This is a much more cerebral movie than the first, so I don't expect it will enjoy as much acclaim. This is too bad, but the lowest common denominator always rules at the movies. The viewing experience I can most identify Reloaded with is "Eyes Wide Shut". For the first two-thirds of the movie, you think you know what's going on and it isn't all that exciting. And then, in one second, your brain is blown away as you are finally presented with the point of the movie, and it rules. Reloaded is one of the best movies of the past five years. "The Matrix" built up hopes for the continuation of the series, but I doubt anybody had any real idea of what the Wachowski brothers could do. Reloaded is superb, and I would recommend it to any thinking moviegoer.