The trilogy finally loses touch with itself

Rating: 5/10 (6 November 2003)

After seeing Matrix Revolutions, one looks back to the original Matrix movie with a sense of nostalgia. A young Mr Anderson awakens to his true potential in amongst a world which turns out to be much larger than he realizes. We watch him grow & mature, and we as an audience sense a connection with his character - a vulnerable individual who has duty & responsibility thrust upon him, yet discovering his true potential in the process. There was a level of sensitivity amongst the glossy action which endeared the audience to the characters. We even grew to love the monotoned Agents. The overall impressions left on the audience were created with a gentle touch - ranging from simple yet unusual camera angles to clever visual effects which enhanced the movie experience. Neo flying away from the phone box hinted at an exciting promise which was never met in the final film.
The final movie in the trilogy seems to have resorted to the age-old Hollywood sledgehammer tricks of bigger explosions, crass one-liner dialogue, louder musical soundtrack and plenty of distracting shiny things. If wile & wit cannot be used to solve a problem, then the barrel of a gun certainly will. It appears the creators have finally lost touch with their own film & forgotten what actually made the first movie successful; the final result reeks of overindulgence, reminiscent of a musician playing a technically brilliant yet soulless performance. New characters of mysterious origin are created & discarded seemingly at the whim of the film's creators, leaving the audience lost in the sea of excess.