75% Great, 25% Crack

Rating: 1/10 (6 November 2003)

I just got done watching this movie at the IMAX. I actually liked Reloaded a lot, despite the fact it was loaded with plot holes and improbabilities.. it still managed to show us things we'd not seen before and a creative spark that inspired things like the Ghosts. The third movie starts out just fine, and introduces some more interesting sequences, and in fact, the real world seagments that were so awful in the original were actually the best parts this time around!
In fact, I was going to say the reviewers were wrong, and my low expectations were seriously raised by the movie. There's a hovercraft chase that is reminisciant of the Mallinium Falcon chase through the Death Star and tons of great robotic combat. There's also a pretty interesting, if mostly pointless, shootout in the Matrix early on.. about the only action scene you'll see inside.
Yep, it's all exceeding my expecations for, while having NONE of the elements that made the original Matrix great, a good action movie. One with some senseless points that I don't like, such as Neo's real world powers, but I figure "Hey, I can buy 'mutation' in X-Men, I can buy this if it stays this fun."
It doesn't. The last quarter of the movie, I am convinced, is the result of someone bringing the Wiskowskis some complimentary cocaine, and it serves as a giant anti-drug commercial.
Despite the fact there are so many plot holes in the 2nd half to mention in the word limit, it is THE WORST ending to any movie, ever. It seriously takes all the good work before it and makes you ashamed to even like anything in the movie. Hell, I can't even watch the earlier matrixes without these 20 minutes wrecking them for me now. Bad, bad, bad, BAD. If you don't want to hate the Matrix, leave the minute the 'machine city' comes into view.
--- SPOILERS AHEAD ---
In the last five minutes, thinking the ending was too dark, they amp up the crack by trying to back pedal it rapidly. Dead characters show up, with no explenation. They act as if they will "free minds that wish to be freed" and "end the war" - but by my calculations, EVERYONE IN THE MATRIX IS DEAD! Trinity is killed for no good reason, in one of the most pointless, horrible death scenes ever.. and it goes on forever! If you ever saw National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon, you'll be laughing as you expect her to cough up blood right before the "Kiss me one last time" line I knew was coming showed up.. I won't mention the incredibly dumb last fight of Neo vs Smith, the ripped off mummy effects of sentinals forming a face so it can talk to Neo (WTF couldn't it just float over and talk?), the fact that the original Smith did NOT get unplugged, but rather a clone.. the fact that going up kills sentinals attached to a ship hull (why the humans don't just fly in on planes is beyond me..).. it's awful. Beyond awful. Mind numbingly awful. Worst ending EVER.
In short, see it at the IMAX, enjoy the first half as a great sci-fi popcorn flick and when the city shows up (it looks like an ACTUAL CITY! And it's in the real world!) plug your ears, cover your eyes or run from the theatre.