Frustrating, But Ultimately Brilliant.

Rating: 10/10 (10 November 2003)

*****CONTAINS SPOILERS*****
As a devoted fan of The Matrix trilogy I waited for baited breath for the final installment. I had loved both The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded and I was dying to know how the Wachowski's would wrap up what has been a fantastic and entertaining slice of science fiction cinema. What we get is an action packed extravaganza that is undeniably brilliant, but at the same time very frustrating. Allow me to elaborate.
You see The Matrix Revolutions promises answers. Joel Silver and the cast promised that this would wrap up the series once and for all and while many core elements of the story do conclude, such as the war between man and machine, the elaboration of what happened to Bane, the link between Smith and Neo, many of the character arcs are left in the air too much. For example, what happens to Neo. Does he die after destroying the multiple Smiths after their fierce battle? Why are the machines taking his body away? If he is dead what do they plan to do with him, likewise for if he is alive? Then there is Persephone? What happened when she kissed Neo is Reloaded? We never found out as she only appears in one scene and says one line. Also frustrating is how little the main characters have to do with the battle itself. Morpheus, Link, Niobe, Ghost, Sparks, Roland and his crew are battling to get back to Zion and are not immediately caught up with the battle, instead being the ones who temporarily save the day. Likewise Neo and Trinity. Instead they are on their way to Machine City. None of the main characters have much to do with the dominant story arcs, save for Neo of course. Morpheus is literally in the back seat while all Trinity gets to do throughout the bulk of the movie is guide Neo and then die.
It may sound like I'm one of the band of people who did not like this movie but I assure you I am not. The battle sequence is superb. The sight of hundreds of thousands of sentinels swarming into Zion and engaging in battle against the APU's is superb cinema and a sequence that demands a viewing on the largest screen. The sequences in the Merovingian's S&M club, Club Hell are fantastic also. The henchman running on the ceiling while Trinity, Morpheus and Seraph shoot them down brings to mind the Government Lobby sequence from the first film. Then there is the final fight. Neo versus Smith. Fantastic. The extreme nature of the special effects as buildings are destroyed and Neo and Smith fight against a thunder clouded sky are awesome sights and show that this is truly a classic trilogy.
My only gripe is that the Wachowski's have left maybe too much for the audience to decide, the biggest one being regarding Neo's fate. He has been the center of this journey, the story in effect filtering through Neo so it is heartbreaking that we never know what happens to him. That aside, the directorial touches from Larry and Andy are masterful as always, the performances from all are superb (Trinity's death scene is handled fantastically by Carrie Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves and Fishburne and Weaving are stand outs as usual) while Don Davis' music score is quite simply one of the finest committed to film. The mixture of pounding orchestra and chorus choir is fantastic to hear and is a classic piece of movie music.
Overall Larry and Andy have given us a sight to behold, a magic piece of cinema that I am sure many will never forget.