AVOID!

Rating: 1/10 (8 December 2003)

***SPOILERS***
Yes, spoilers in this review, but that might save some the ordeal of seeing this terrible film.
The first and second parts of the Matrix trilogy were OK, enjoyable and stylish sci-fi films with brilliantly filmed fight sequences. Though in the second film they were beginning to get a bit tedious. The idea was an interesting one, with Neo being elightened by Morpheus he had to re-evaluate what his concept of reality was. In the second film the Matrix world was expanded and the story focused around the free-will verses determinism debate within the Matrix framework. With an ending that left the audience wondering and me excitedly awaiting the final installment I expected much from the final chapter.
Matrix Revolutions is simply dire. I thought nothing could be as bad as Braddock: Missing In Action III, but at least that was redeemed by unintentional humour and laughably offensive simplistic politics. Matrix Revolutions is a staggering expensive failure as a film. We are told Zion has hours before the machines find and destroy it so Neo goes on a quest to the Matrix centre. The film proceeds with no tension and while the invasion of Zion looks good, it just isn't interesting because as a spectator I was more concerned with what Neo was going to do.
Trinity's last words before her death was perhaps the longest speech of its kind in film, I just wanted her to hurry up and die so the film could continue.
By the end of the film I had lost all empathy with the characters and had to endure yet another tedious fight between Agent Smith and Neo. Yawn! As expected it went on for ages. Pointless really because Neo was always going to win in the end.
And then the story was revealed: The Oracle created Agent Smith, who became too powerful. Smith would be forced into a final showdown with Neo, the only person who could stop him. The Matrix would have to bargain with Neo to ensure its survival - the result a truce between mankind and machine. By that point I barely cared.
The Wachowski brothers could have just made one film and concluded their first Matrix film rather than a decent second film and a terrible conclusion.
1/10 because there was not a single moment when I was watching this film that I was enjoying the spectacle.