No soul, no surprises, no point... Episode I-type failure.

Rating: 4/10 (2 June 2003)

Let me start by saying that I liked The Matrix. I didn't love it; its not one of my favorite movies of all time and I feel it is overrated. But I liked it. It was suspenseful, full of twists and turns that this half-hearted, half-baked sequel is missing. From the awkward back of the band bus make-out shots of Neo and Trinity to the dud of a cliff hanger ending, this movie left me empty. The fight scenes and special effects that are most often mentioned in the surprising number of positive review don't provide a punch because there is no suspense. Watching them reminded me of watching someone else play a video game. For over two hours. Yes, its got spectacular graphics, but its not a lot of fun just sitting there, is it? I'm not even going to go into the inconsistencies in Matrix logic regarding Neo's super-powers and his choice(?) to now use them to defeat his enemies. I think that I'm not alone in thinking that the third film of the trilogy (due out later this year) will tank as direct result of the mess.