The Moose Hole - Review of The Matrix Revolutions

Rating: 9/10 (5 November 2003)

`Everything that has a beginning  Has an end. I see the end coming  I see the darkness spreading  I see death  And you are all that stands in his way.'
And all that is standing in your way of the most highly anticipated film in years is the massive swarm of people ahead of you. Who would have thought a relatively small film called The Matrix in 1999 would eventually spawn one of the greatest film series in movie history? When the original film grossed $171 million at the domestic box office and became a huge cult favorite on DVD, Warner Brothers quickly jumped at the opportunity to role the (supposedly) final two sequels. It took the Wachowski brothers nearly four years and $300 million but the journey is almost over. There are many questions to ask before seeing Revolutions that one must ask himself: How will it end? Will I understand it? Will everything be answered? Can this truly be the final Matrix film? But the most important question to ask may be the most irrelevant: Do we really want it to end? Surely the Warner Brothers executives know their answer.
The story centers once again on the journey of The One (Neo) as he tries to end the war between man and machine after years of conflict. Revolutions picks up exactly where Reloaded left off earlier this year but here is a recap:
Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus lead the human resistance against the machine world for control of the world. For years, the machines have kept human kind plugged into The Matrix, a simulated dream world, and threatened to destroy the last human city known as Zion. Morpheus believes that their journey is almost at an end but there are some that stand in the way of providence. Namely Agent Smith, who was once destroyed by Neo but now has come back to destroy him and everything else. In the final scene of the film, both Neo and Smith (in human form) have been knocked unconscious just as the machines prepare to invade Zion.
Got it? If you don't then too bad because here we go. Without giving too much away, let's just say everything seems to come full circle. As the humans within Zion prepare to duke it out for control of the world against the machines, Neo goes to the machine city to work out a compromise and stop Smith before it is too late for both man and machine. Did you get confused during Reloaded and hate it for that? Then you're not going to like Revolutions. There is a lot to divulge within the course of the two hour feature and Revolutions will require multiple viewings to unlock all the secrets of The Matrix franchise. Outside of the confusing interlocking concepts, does Revolutions deliver a good plot? Though the beginning starts off a little too slow, the rest of the film smoothes out any rough edges and ends the series with a bang.
Most of the cast (outside of a relative few additional members) is the same as it was with The Matrix Reloaded. But in Revolutions, some perform better then others. Keanu Reeves delivers the goods with his role as The One (Neo). Reeves may seem relatively stiff in the film but that is the point. As Smith becomes more and more human, so Neo becomes more and more machine like and acts that way. Reeves does a fabulous job in dragging that point out though many will probably not pick up on that fact. Carrie-Ann Moss takes on the role of Trinity for the final time but isn't as featured as she was in Reloaded, which is both good and bad. The good? The focus of Revolutions is suppose to be on Neo and that is the point. The bad? She has some scenes but not the way many will want her to go out on. The biggest highlight of Revolutions is not the special effects (though they come in a close second) but rather is the performance of Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith. Weaving is so over the top with this role that it is just absolutely amazing to watch especially in the final battle sequence between Smith and Neo in the rain. So what is bad? Monica Belluci's Persephone has no point in this film, let alone the entire Matrix series. What does her character do that is of any real importance? Nothing other then bring them the Keymaker in Reloaded but still, what is her purpose? And the biggest disappointment comes from the lack of Morpheus. He is barely shown in the film and deserved more screen time then he got.
Overall, Revolutions may not end the franchise in the way everybody would want but the final confrontation between Smith and Neo at the end is worth the price of admission alone. Does the final film answer all the questions? Thankfully, No. Would anybody really be satisfied if all the answers were given to them on a silver platter with no thought put into divulging the film series' secrets for themselves? No. Will multiple viewing be required to fully understand it? Yes but if you don't feel like paying the price of admission then you will only have to wait till at least May for the DVD. Many will leave the theater disappointed and, in certain aspects, they should. Granted, you had to expect that the film would not end with a picture perfect happy ending like you would want but the ending that is given just doesn't serve the film justice. Some fans will feel cheated, some will feel empty, while others will be too blown away from the battle sequences to fully comprehend or care about the real ending. The final scene of the film is one of those either you love or hate kind of things with no area in between. Bottom line is that Revolutions performs better then Reloaded but doesn't end the franchise the way it should have. How will you feel? That is up to you but like the Oracle says in the film, `We can't see past the choices we don't understand'. So grasp the concept of the film before making your final evaluation.
My Rating: **** ½ out of 5 (Grade: A)