And now for something completely different

Rating: 5/10 (7 November 2003)

CONTAINS SPOILERS
While it's without a doubt that "Matrix Revolutions" is far inferior to the original "Matrix", I'd say it's about on par with "Reloaded", although, most importantly, "Revolutions" is simply a completely different kind of movie.
What made the first, and to a lesser extent, the second Matrix movie so much fun were the spectacular action scenes in the "real world": people being able to do things they're normally incapable of in a seemingly "normal" world.
This third movie instead takes place largely outside of virtual reality (except for a brief part in the beginning and the end battle), and as a result the action is not nearly as interesting. The mass battle scenes involving the defense of Zion and a minute-long tunnel chase look spectacular, but ultimately they're not very plausible since the humans just get away with everything way too easily, overcoming seemingly overwhelming odds with ease, and way too many of the main characters (including that incredibly annoying kid) surviving.
When the fighting does get taken into the Matrix, the results are mixed. The initial fighting scene in the night club is OK, but nothing new. The final battle is certainly spectacular, but also goes so far over the top that it's hard to take it seriously. It's not terrible, but not the climax I'd hoped for either.
In terms of story, we get a much less convoluted plot (compared to the second part) and a lot less quasi-philosophical ramblings, although what is there is admittedly still quite vague and pretentious. I also couldn't find any really plausible explanations for some of the quite large questions (like: why can Neo use his powers when not plugged in, and why/how does Smith die at the end). I also think there are too many gooey love and death scenes in the movie, but this is a minor complaint.
In the end, it's hard what to make of the movie. It's much more like a generic sci-fi movie than the previous two Matrix films, and it doesn't contain enough action sequences of the kind that made the other movies great. Then again, in spite of some reasonably large plot holes, I didn't find the story as annoying as in "Reloaded, and it certainly wasn't as slow. "
Like I said, compared to the first Matrix this third installment falls short on all fronts, compared to the second one it has some pluses and some minuses, and on its own right its a watchable although not very plausible sci-fi movie that probably has more in common with Star Wars or Lord of the Rings (the mass battles) than with the other Matrix movies.

** out of **** start