Epic in it's own right

Rating: 10/10 (5 November 2003)

many critics and average joes need to once and for all realize that no matrix sequel, or even possible prequel, will ever be comparable to the first. As the saying goes "you only have one time to make a first impression" and from one of the opening lines "No lieutenant, your men are already dead" to Neo stopping the bullets and defeating Smith, nothing will compare with the surprise, intrigue, and flat out joy anyone got from being plunged into a world where nothing is what it seems. With that said, Revolutions is an epic within its own right.
Note that i may reveal a few slight spoilers but not anything huge. Compared to the 1st and 2nd the fight scenes are probably better done, that isnt to say that they'll look noticeably better but the Superbrawl, as it has been dubbed, between Neo & Smith is a beast to behold. The fight itself seemed rather short to me, maybe because I wanted more, but its choreography, lighting, and special effects were done masterfully. Many people will likely enjoy the "Fist Time" effect near the end of the scene, which is breath-taking to say the least. Running thru the action sequences last to first: the battle for Zion is very well done and has as much emotion in it from the warriors as any battle scene really could put forth; the 3rd major fight in the film (while there were smaller scuffles here and there I'd like to say 3 stand out) would be the 'Coat Check' fight scene in the depths of the Merovingian's Club Hell. While the scene may not be a new bullet time to many, if you stop to think about how truly hard it is to have ppl running on the ceiling and on the floor in the same shot, it's hard to not appreciate the difficulty this scene involved and the precision they used to pull it off without a hitch. All in all I feel that the 3 main fight/battle/action scenes in this movie, especially the superbrawl & battle for zion, can stand toe to toe with anything else and hold their own, including the first movie)
Philosophically many have been complaining and even ripping Revolutions as not having the same deep meanings as the 1st, and even the 2nd one. My counterpoint to that is this: as the 3rd, and last movie, of this glorious trilogy, all the philosophic ideas brought forth in the first 2 movies will ultimately end here, and that is exactly what happens. One of the last lines in the movie is "Because I Chose Too", in respect to the manor in which the line is given this can sum up the entire philosophy of the series: choice.
Plot wise I can't completely say that I was happy with the ending but, as in real life, sometimes we won't like the way things turn out even though thats the only way they could ever have turned out. There are some very humorous parts to the movie, in retrospect, which are placed very well throughout. Realistically, I only had 1 single problem with this movie: the cross on Neo's chest. People who have seen the movie will know exactly what I'm talking about.
Suffice to say: was the third installment as good as the first? No, the first will always be the best of the series because it was first. But was this movie epic nonetheless? to me, it's a great movie, regardless of time period or it's hype.
I give it 4 out of 4 stars