A Trilogy with One Film Too Many

Rating: 5/10 (5 November 2003)

CONTAINS SPOILERS
Upon leaving the theater after watching the culmination of the 'Matrix' trilogy, I was wondering only one thing: why was this story three movies long? The fatal flaw of 'Revolutions' is that it renders 'Reloaded' completely irrelevant. In fact, I daresay you wouldn't even need to see 'Reloaded' to understand 'Revolutions.' This series would have been much better served to take the best ideas from both films and trimmed them down into one.
Now that I can reflect on the trilogy as a whole, I can almost picture how the sequels came into being. The Wachowskis sat down and said to each other "Now where can we take this story?" (I will never believe they originally planned it as a trilogy from the beginning). They rattled off a deluge of ideas, but instead of paring them down into a coherent narrative, they crammed EVERY concept they had into 'Reloaded' and then when it came time to resolve everything in 'Revolutions,' they just came up with a few interminably overlong action sequences and resolved the two main conflicts (Zion vs. The Machines and Neo vs. Smith).
Everything else in 'Reloaded' is all but ignored. Didn't understand the Architect's monologue? Guess what, you don't need to. It's not ever mentioned here. Want some of those conflicting philosophies on the nature of reality clarified? Don't hold your breath. Want to know about Merovingian's role in the grand scheme of the Matrix? You won't find out (his appearance here is little more than a cameo). The Twins, the Keymaker, the relationship triangle between Morpheus and Niobe and the general....all of it ignored. In fact, Morpheus has such a trivial role in this final chapter that it's pathetic. He doesn't guide Neo, he doesn't fight anyone, he doesn't even give lame speeches at Zion raves. He's just there to get yelled at by Niobe and watch others die in the defense of Zion.
If only the Wachowskis had just streamlined all their ideas into one coherent film, maybe they would have given us something to stand the test of time. Something to put alongside 'Star Wars' and 'The Lord of the Rings.' But instead they opted to pummel us with a 2 1/2 hour philosophy lecture with 'Reloaded' (albeit with a few stellar action sequences) and a generic resolution that offers no answers with 'Revolutions' (which has redundant, familiar action sequences recycled from the first two films). This trilogy cannot be whispered in the same breath as those classic fantasy epics.
So should I care? Should I try to decipher all their vague intentions in making these films? Should I attempt to make sense of it all?
I choose not to.
The Matrix - 9/10 The Matrix Reloaded - 7/10 The Matrix Revolutions - 5/10