Make no mistake, Revolutions is different enough from earlier chapters in this sci-fi saga

Rating: 9/10 (6 November 2003)

Firstly: I rate highly the original "Matrix", and overall, though a weaker film, I enjoyed "Matrix Reloaded" a fair bit in the end. But, I went into Reloaded with high expectations, that, sadly, were not met in many places. Thus, naturally, my expectations for "Matrix Revolutions" were somewhat more subdued.
Well: I'm happy to say that in all, Revolutions pleasantly surprised me, and I enjoyed it more than I expected to.
**SPOILERS** (you have been warned!!)
To me, Revolutions stands out as the superior sequel, for two simple but very important reasons. Firstly, and more than once, I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation as to what was about to happen. When Seraph was leading the young girl away from the Smiths after having seen the Oracle, I was genuinely concerned for their safety. This was the first time I felt afraid of Smith. Reloaded never kept me in that kind of suspense. The trouble with that film on this basis is that you never sensed that the main characters were in any real danger - Neo was invincible, and the villains seemed to lack what it takes to overcome the 'goodies'. This time, the stakes were so much higher - we saw, as the film unfolded at a pleasant pace (not too fast, never dragging either) some recognisable characters killed off - more blood too - and above all, we saw some payback as to what happens when the villains encountered the heroes. And thus, there was a real possibility that our heroes were in danger, and that, yes - they could actually die.
**SERIOUSLY, MAJOR SPOILERS ALERT NOW**
Secondly, and more importantly, this time we actually cared for the main characters - something that not even the original film managed to pull off. When the commander general guy was slugging it out in his robo-machine, and was eventually overcome, his death invoked a certain feeling of sadness. And more surprisingly to me, as someone never a fan of Trinity, when she died, I was rather moved. That particular scene (fresh from the beautiful scene where she and Neo - for the first time in their 'real' lives, saw the sun once they flew above the clouds) was handled very well - perhaps one of the finest throughout the entire trilogy. The score was wonderful, and the script wasn't overly cheesy. Also, and this is the real shock - Neo's grief was actually well-acted in my opinion, which, given the fact that Reeves is as wooden as actors come, was something of an achievement for him. I for one had a lump in my throat as the blind Neo finally became aware that his beloved Trinity was skewered and was slipping away before his very eyes, and all the while he was powerless to stop it.
Moving on - the set pieces. The battle for Zion was great - not too long (as was the very real danger - that car chase in Relaoded was overly long) and full of moments where you winced, where you really rooted for the heroes, and where - yes - you truly were on the side of the good guys. This kind of action sequence has eluded the directors thus far - Neo was never in any real danger in the Burly Brawl in Reloaded, was he? In fact this sequence was reminiscent of the old Star Wars battles in space (a good thing). I guess one could sum this up as suspense, and as demonstrated blindingly well in the scene were Neo blindly fought Bane onboard the Osiris(?), this film managed to actually have some. Visually, the battle (for Zion) was great, and overall, the effects in general were miles ahead of either prequels. They seemed more polished, less rushed, and the CG is FAR better disguised.
The other main action sequence was of course the final showdown between Smith and Neo. The dark brooding menace of the setting, and the heavy rainfall made for great cinema and underpinned by the beefier, more operatic score, was a real treat to watch. Having made the risky decision to power-up Smith, at least this time round Neo actually had to fight, and in the end, whereas he took on a hundred Smiths before and come out on top, this time he was out-punched by just one. Marvelous stuff - well choreographed, beautifully shot, and above all - epic.
And I think that is it - this final installment was more epic than either of the other two, and it's epic that one demands with such a film.
Performance wise, no Matrix film is ever going to get Best Acting nods, but the acting certainly wasn't any worse than either prequels, and Weaving, as the deliciously malevolent Smith, was on top form again, outshining his contempories by light years. Though I must add, Smith as a character, whilst more menacing this time round, wasn't nearly as witty as in other outings.
I missed the Key Maker (he was very likeable) and I missed the original Oracle - Gloria Foster (R.I.P.) was far more likeable than her replacement in this film, and this is something Revolutions pays for when compared to its sequilian brothers.
As for the ending - well, I'll leave that up to you to take from it what you will and make up your own mind - as intended by the Brothers Wachowski, but whilst it didn't blow me away, I (was seemingly in the minority when I say I) wasn't disappointed.
So, in brief, what does Revolutions have going for it? Greater sense of 'epic', a more triumphant score, some real suspense, thankfully some more screen time for the love-to-hate Merovingian, less post-modern philosophy, some visually pretty action sequences (the sentinels looked far more effective this time - as I said, the 'CG-ness' was better disguised) and a genuinely gripping storyline that on the whole was never predictable, and kept you guessing what was coming next.
Coupled with the 'beauty shots' - ie, the first real sighting of the sun for Neo and Trinity, and the sprawling juggernaught that was the Machine City, this film seemed like it really is the final showdown. It was a shame that our heroes spent less time in the Matrix - but then, how the critics would have scorned a replica of the earlier Matrices. We've seen the digital heroes, this film's purpose was to make Matrix history and showcase the real-life heroes, in the real world.
Make no mistake, Revolutions is different enough from earlier chapters in this sci-fi saga, and though by no means flawless, it was in my opinion a fitting end to the three-part saga, and above all, was more human than Reloaded. We cared for the characters as they struggled, we felt for them as they died, and we were behind them all the way. Something that can't be said for much of Reloaded and even some of the original.
In all, it doesn't live up to the original, but it surpasses Reloaded, and if you've seen those two, don't be a fool and miss this one.
You wouldn't want the Matrix to still have you, now would you?!