Not bad. What did you really expect?

Rating: Null/10 (10 November 2003)

Matrix Revolutions
Ok to save you all turning blue from holding your breath (yeah right) I am going to tell you up front that Matrix Revolutions is a good film. Well, at least average. All the elements are there: interesting characters, intelligent writing, decent acting (yes even Keanu) and excellent, at times inspired, cinematography. It is exciting, well paced, entertaining, and has something to say out side of the cosmetic. The action tells the story instead of replacing it. The special effects are not so obtrusive that the human element is obscured yet they are very well done. It was edited effectively enough to build tension in the right places.
Weren't expecting that were you. I am very surprised that so many critics have panned this movie out of hand simply because its predecessor was so appalling. Worst. Movie. Ever. According to my mother at least and even though she doesn't go to the movies very often this assessment is not far off. I, on the other hand, am willing to put Reloaded in a better light even if it is simply because it contained essential plot points with out which Revolutions could not have operated.
Revolutions is not, and never could be, the classic ground breaking mind bending marriage of science fiction and post human philosophy Matrix is but it is a worthy successor and captures the spirit of the seminal film effectively. But be warned: it doesn't have that mind blowing element in action, visualization, or story. In the end comparisons are pointless. When considered on its own Revolutions isn't bad. You will like the characters (or hate them where appropriate), which have been fleshed out beyond the card board cut outs that were used to populate Reloaded. You will like the story, which is generally well constructed even if it is a bit simplistic. It manipulates the emotions rather than preying on your intellect. Symbolic? Probably not. But before you say this film sucks ask yourself what you were expecting. It cannot escape being a sequel. But when viewed with an objective eye it is a sequel in the spirit of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Revolutions is an integral part and vital continuation of a compelling story.
5 pairs of pants. Perhaps even four is you think Keanu Reeves is as sexy as I do all tall slender and elegant dressed in black with those big pretty eyes mmmmmmmm mm delicious husky deep voice so snoggable it's almost tragic that bitch Trinity I could kick her kung fu skinny...
Anyway, perhaps it is interesting to consider the trilogy as a whole now that closure has been achieved so effectively. I had high hopes for it. A Star Wars for a post modern generation. An artificial yet meticulously constructed mythology to fill the void of religion and real role models. There were Tolkienesque possibilities. The major obstacle in achieving this was the creators themselves. The Warchowski brothers are not film makers or even writers. If they were then Reloaded would have actually ended up being a film instead of being a string of choice shots from a new, rather shallow, shooter video game. A film maker would have been able to put Reloaded and Revolutions into one film with out losing any of the excitement, story, or development of character that is abundant in Revolutions and is completely absent in Reloaded.
However, this is not the case and we are left with the rather disappointing fact that the Matrix is a fluke. It is the single immaculately conceived brain child of a couple of well read, geeky, video gaming, pop culture junkies who lucked out, which maybe is not so disappointing after all. The Matrix cannot be recreated, simulated, copied, or sequelled. As cheesey as it sounds it changed the way we look at film, how we make movies, and how we consider the future of our species and its relationship with technology. Yet it compassed all the human qualities that a make a classic. It achieved a rare and keen resonance with the zeitgeist to produce an enduring artifact which became the momentary fulcrum of contemporary culture. A thing is either before the Matrix or after the Matrix. That is hard act to follow.