Don't believe your own publicity

Rating: 5/10 (1 June 2010)

The thing which made The Matrix such a good movie was its story. Packed on top of that were some ace visuals and action sequences, but it was the story which carried the film.
Not that the story was the greatest thing since sliced bread, because it wasn't. It was a rattling good yarn, but it didn't contain the secrets of the universe.
However, watch The Matrix reloaded and you will come to realise that, perhaps, those who wrote the script to this movie do think that the script to the first one had something pretty profound going on, because they have picked up on all the most pretentious elements and amplified them.
Oh dear.
And it's a shame, because there are once more some splendid action sequences - the freeway sequence, the fight with the multiple Agents Smith, and the opening sequence - but there is also some appalling overindulgence - the Zion rave (which overstays its welcome by a substantial margin) and the dreadful, dreadful scene with the dictionary-chewing Architect.
Visuals without story are not good enough to sustain audience commitment.