the biggest disappointment in cinematic history.

Rating: Null/10 (6 November 2003)

"The Matrix" was an amazing movie. Innovative, mindblowing...just insane. "The Matrix Reloaded" was totally satisfying. Not mindblowing like the original, but full of plenty action and suspense. It certainly left me pining for "The Matrix Revolutions," and I was fully expecting to be blown away by the final installment of this trilogy. Yeah, I was blown away. This was the worst movie I have ever seen. Towards the end of "Reloaded," when Neo had to make his ultimate choice after the Architect had clearly given him his options, I thought, "Wow...how are they possibly going to follow up on this, after all the doom that the Architect guaranteed?" and "How is Zion not going to fall? How can they get out of this situation?" and whatnot. Well, here's how: the Architect's comments barely came up in "Revolutions." One small reference by the Oracle (which, in essence, hastily denounced his comments as being meaningless). This is when I knew trouble was brewing. This could have ended in so many ways. I figured that "Revolutions" would create a sense of closure by bringing everything back around to the first movie. (Like, maybe somehow Neo could have gotten out of the Matrix and gone back to his old days as a simple computer hacker.) Instead, it drifted further away, and although there was a bit of definite closure at the end, it was completely unsatisfying. The dialogue was horrible throughout the movie; there was barely any action; there were no mindblowing revelations. It was as if the Wachowskis couldn't think of a good way to end it, so they said, "Let's make this painfully simple, and make a terrible film." If you're a Matrix fan, you obviously have to go see this. So yeah, it's going to rake in a lot of money. But be forewarned. If you're walking in there expecting to be blown away (as I was), prepare to walk out really REALLY angry and disappointed (which I was). Maybe if you're expecting just to be simply entertained, you'll enjoy it. But the Matrix is about so much more than entertainment...although apparently not anymore. It's all about the box office now. This is what happens when awesome things spin out of control and become horrendous things: "The Matrix Revolutions."