Definitely a visual smorgasbord, however, the story is definitely not for the expectant or close-minded.

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2003)

In this installment of the now oh-so-common trilogy -- here we have the Matrix trilogy -- the overall production of the film clearly reflects the extra freedom and control the crew had coming off of the relative gamble and runaway success that was the first film. This movie could not have been produced had The Matrix that preceded it not been such a success. As a result, The Matrix Reloaded is sure to anger and disappoint almost anyone who is looking for a coherent story line. The Wachowski brothers were smart to pull off a package deal to get both the second and third films made, because there may have been some additional studio pressure about content and accessibility for the third if it was still in progress. This film does, however, offer special effects that in many ways extend the effects of the first, but also have a very characteristic feel to them that makes them uniquely their own. In particular, the fight scenes definitely aren't quite real, but not quite fake -- which is to be expected since that is the nature of the world in which the story occurs. The influences pulled from the anime film genre are also very apparent in this installment, and more so than in the first film: there is definitely an emphasis on the art and philosophy of the movie over the story of the movie. The story is indeed there, and it is indeed understandable, but one has to look at the entire picture as a whole, while bearing in mind that the conclusion is still yet to come. Overall, it can be a satisfying film, but one must have a very open mind in order to appreciate its peculiarities.