If you liked the Matrix, you'll like this... but not as much

Rating: 9/10 (31 May 2003)

Before going to see this, I watched The Matrix again and was reminded of how incredible it was: the fascinating premise, the amazing special effects, combined with the discussion of fundamental philosophical questions of ontology and epistemology. If you expect the sequel to be as groundbreaking as the original, you'll be disappointed; but if you're happy to see more of the same, just bigger and better, you'll have a great time. The philosophical questions this time round are more concerned with free will and determinism, and the special effects (despite the hype) are truly amazing, although some of the action sequences go on for a bit too long and there could be more dialogue. You get a wider perspective than in the original; because they assume you've seen the first film, and thus have a good grasp of the basics of the Matrix universe (how it works physically, for instance), there is more exploration of different areas, characters, and so on. The insights into the workings of Zion are especially interesting. I strongly recommend seeing this in the cinema as it's the only way you can really appreciate the scale and detail of the special effects.