Disappointing End To The Series

Rating: 6/10 (6 November 2003)

This took its time getting started. The first hour offers a few "been there/seen that" kung fu/machine gun/exploding concrete wire fights, and, like the last one, lots of conversations that don't really go anywhere.

I think the biggest problem I had is that all the characters are out of their elements, and as a result the action scenes are very different than what we're used to. In fact, most of the really good action scenes go to secondary characters. Morpheus and Trinity are given little to do, and even Neo takes a backseat until the last half hour or so.
Halfway through we get the battle for Zion. This is where the movie really hits its stride. This is one amazing sequence that goes on for half an hour. Worth the price of the ticket alone.
Then we get the wrap-up, with Neo fulfilling his destiny. This is where i felt the movie really fell apart. The entire showdown with Smith and the reasoning behind it seemed forced, and their fight was way too overblown. It was like something out of Superman 2. You would think that would be a good thing, but its not. Their fight in the first one was much better.
The entire conclusion is murky and unsatisfying. It makes the whole series seem like much ado about nothing. Some like it that way. To me, it feels like the W brothers didn't know how to finish what they started.