Better than Reloaded, but that's not saying much

Rating: Null/10 (27 December 2003)

After the crushing disappointment of Matrix Reloaded, I allowed myself a cautious hope that the final chapter will manage to redeem the trilogy that started off so well. While in many ways Revolutions is an improvement on its predecessor (no fake CGI shots this time around, for one thing), it still hasn't convinced me that the original film needed sequels in the first place. In fact the third film feels like a mere continuation of the second and not a part of a cohesive trilogy. It inherits its cheesy 3rd-rate-Star-Trek-episode elements like the godawful Zion council and tedious committee scenes. Worse, it doesn't really bother to answer any questions, instead serving up a rather anti-climatic ending that makes a mockery of everything the human rebels were fighting for in the first film.
I'm not sure if it even deserves to have "Matrix" in its title when it is in reality a fairly standard sci-fi pic with Matrix bits glued to it. The bulk of the film is focussed on Zion and the battle to defend the city, and while it is spectacular enough, I just felt no particular urge to cheer for a bunch of generic, interchangeable characters. I found Zion and its inhabitants unlikeable in Reloaded, and, Jada Pinkett's fiery Niobe aside, they remain so in Revolutions, too.
Oh, and what about whatshisname, Neo? Well, he, Trinity and Morpheus are basically guest stars in their own movie, disappearing off the screen for long stretches of time. Morpheus, a king of cool in the original, has zilch all to do except stand behind Niobe's shoulder and look worried. It is a testament to the efforts of the actors that Neo and Trinity still managed to make me care about them, but in the end of the day they simply have nothing to sink their teeth into. Hugo Weaving seems to be the only one around having fun with his role, sneering, hissing and overacting gleefully and most entertainingly.
Much has been made of the philosophical and religious aspects of the Matrix, but to me stuffing a film with a bunch of clever references and solemn questions doesn't automatically make it intelligent or deep. Concept is one thing, but execution is another, and where the first film was successful in marrying the brains with the brawn, Reloaded and Revolutions often come off as exercises in lame noodling about. Oracle's speech explaining her changed appearance is a prime example; completely pointless and making no sense whatsoever.
On a plus side, the visuals are pretty damn neat and stunning in places; not enough to justify this film's existance though.