Shining example of what is wrong with Hollywood these days...

Rating: 2/10 (30 November 2003)

The original Matrix was a Hong-Kong-cinema-derived action extravaganza with a huge special effects budget that managed to make a profit, so the makers immediately began claiming it was written as part of a trilogy. Considering that the first story was self-contained and tight on its own level in spite of being a derivative load of garbage, the first words out of my mouth were "I don't think so". That, in a nutshell, sums up what I had to say about the final instalment.
My father, after seeing the second episode with me, told me that every single scene went on for too long. Given that this man regards Battlefield Earth as a kind of Citizen Kane, that's a pretty damning indictment. But still, the makers have to press on with this trilogy claim, hoping to squeeze a few more dollars out of the Hollywood system. And then it happens... the film they bring out is, in fact, so bad that it makes me even demand my money back rather than make me kick myself for having spent it in the first place. And I did get it back, believe me.
The main problem with the film is that it makes no sense a lot of the time. And by the way, stop reading now if you give a damn about any surprises in the film. The attack upon Zion is probably the most stellar example of this. Neo finally defeats his nemesis in a manner that is oddly reflective of the way fans of the films attempt to treat those who point out the gap between what the fans make them out to be and what they really are. So with no further ado, the machines, who have no connection whatsoever to said nemesis, pack up and leave with Morpheus screaming that the "war" is over and the people of Zion cheering.
I DON'T THINK SO. Anyone who has studied warfare in which the two sides are bent on genocide of each other will know that one side will not just suddenly pack up, leave, and live peacefully on their side of the fence. The war keeps going until the last man in the other side dies, end of story. To end a war like this in the manner shown here makes not the slightest bit of sense. Not that making sense was a strong point of the so-called trilogy to begin with - the reason given for the Matrix's existence is a scientific impossibility.
Continuity is also a problem here. When our beloved Agent "absorbs" the Oracle, one is reasonably expectant that she will never be seen again, so what the hell is she doing in the final scene? Then there is the childish posturing and dialogue. Doesn't anyone else get the feeling that the Wachowski brothers went to one too many Sisters Of Mercy concerts and began to wish they could make their videos? Every shot in this film reeks of a pose. Send them back ten years and they'd be a member of Poison or something.
In short, this film is trash, and everyone seems to know it except its fans. The series was trash from the very beginning, but this episode sinks to depths that not even Terminator 3 or Freddy Got Fingered could plumb. Giving it one out of ten is like giving the crippled, retarded child in the back a prize for coming last.