Not everything that has a great beginning has a great end

Rating: 7/10 (15 November 2003)

After seeing The Matrix Reloaded, earlier this year, I was quite hopeful on the third part of the series entitled The Matrix Revolutions. I was expecting that the characters I ran into in Reloaded would have some significance to the story of the Matrix and I was expecting that the story would take an original twist or two. Well, I must say that not unlike many others I was disappointed and I guess many others will yet have to be disappointed.
The bad thing about the Matrix Revolutions is that it is neither The Matrix, nor the thing Reloaded promised us. The Matrix introduced us to some very interesting and ingenious new characters, who I thought (and perhaps others too) to have some sort of higher relevance in the Matrix story. Well, they do not! I expected that there was more behind Persephone, Merovingian and his henchmen, but there wasn't. But what is worse, I thought that after Reloaded, Revolutions could still be original and inventive cinema. It couldn't.
The main complaint I have about The Matrix Revolutions, is that it is not what The Matrix was. It is not a cybernetic spectacle with high intelligence. It is rather an uninspired, destruction derby of the likes of Independence Day and other disaster / destruction movies, where everyone and everything within range is crushed and demolished, (in an attempt) to enjoy the viewer. Well, Mr. and Mr. Wachowski. If I wanted to see such trashing and demolition, don't you think I would have watched Bad Boys 2 in the cinema. Really, how unoriginal of you.
Another thing that really struck me, while I was watching the film was the immense stupidity that was called Neo in this film. Sure in the first film he was rather ignorant, but he learned and by the time I watched Reloaded he had learned immensely and I would have actually thought there was some brain in the man, but that vision I held of Neo was completely destructed whilst watching The Matrix Revolutions. I mean, how can it be, that Neo (also called The One, as in our last hope) can sense things, other people cannot even see, while he still remains unable to figure out things any human being with the IQ of a biscuit can hear (you'll know what I mean when Neo is aboard ship with Trinity). That was such a lame scene and I saw it coming like 10 minutes beforehand (including an intermission of about 5 minutes though). Saying this, I'm already at my next point of complaint and isn't it easy today? What is that complaint you ask? Well what abut the fact that this film is too predictable at times. I mean not just the usual, I was actually saying the lines of the characters in my head, before they uttered them themselves. How about that? That does not only mean that the lines were not good, but also that the scenes were not always good, or why else would I be thinking about what the character might say next?
So far, one could conclude that I had a pretty shitty afternoon, watching this multi-million dollar slice of film-making, but that is not true. I was neither bored, nor mad. Instead, I was only slightly entertained and a bit disappointed. Especially with the ending. I could have done dealt with it, if the film had ended, when The Architect left, but the part that came after he left, what the hell was that all about? It did nothing, but leave me with some odd taste in my mouth (this is a figure of speech).
The thing with this film is, that the original, inspiring and truly great thing that The Matrix was (and that Reloaded built on), was (in my opinion) destroyed with Revolutions. For me (an owner of The Matrix), this means that I will hold on to that copy for as long as I can, for it is a truly amazing film, but that I will not have anything to do with the other two parts. As far as I am concerned the story about The Matrix begins and ends with the first film. Not only because after seeing that film, you have about as much questions left as you have after seeing all three films, but also because the other films are just not too memorable. I'm really disappointed that Mr. and Mr. Wachowksi made two sequels and I must honestly say that I expected more from men who could invent such great stories as Bound and The Matrix. You know if there is nothing more to show, don't show it, just because you can get the money, or because all the actors have their autographs on a contract. If the sequels are not up to the original (in Revolutions' case NOT EVEN CLOSE), do not make them. I hope that the Wachowski's learn from this, that not all ideas are great and that not everything should be turned into a movie and in a way, I guess I hope that 'we' viewers learn that too. But, maybe I am to blame for expecting intelligent film-making.

7 out of 10

post scriptum: while I was writing this comment I found out, that Gloria Foster, the 'original' Oracle, was not in this film, because she died before her scenes for Revolutions were shot. I am very sorry to hear that, because she gave so much fun and flavor to The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded. I must admit though, that I was a bit astounded as well, because there was no 'In loving memory of.' right after either Reloaded or Revolutions. I could continue my criticism about this film at this point, regarding the new oracle, but I will not. I just want to reemphasize that Mrs.Foster did a great job as the Oracle and that she will be missed.