Good closure to the trilogy.

Rating: 8/10 (9 November 2003)

*Mild Spoilers*
The problem with The Matrix Reloaded was the film's ability to completly baffle the audience. Unless you were completely on the ball, there was no hope of the average target audience understanding just exactly what was going on. Also, with Reloaded, I didn't feel connected with the characters. Trinity and general characters had no emotion, no sense of urgency like she/they did in the orginal Matrix. Also, Agents have slowly dwindled from the movies to a point of non-existence. Their brief appearences in Reloaded were laughable, with anyone being able to take them on. No longer are they feared like in the original movie.
The Matrix Revolutions, however, addresed these issues wonderfully. It was as if they shot a new movie in five months, having seen feedback. Acting in general was raised to an acceptable if not good level (although Neo and Trinity's relationship was leaving much to be desired), and I felt the connection with the characters and the movie coming back. I started to care for Zion again, I felt a sense of impending danger when the machines started to invade Zion, and the Kid opening the gate with "Neo, I believe" reminds we why I bought the Animatrix in the first place. It almost brought a tear to my eye. Also, I welcome the idea that Reloaded was about Neo discovering his new found powers and putting them to work for us all to see; all right, we get the point, he's somewhat of a God. What I didn't want was a continution of this in Revolutions, and I feel rather satisfied with the end result.
The movie thankfully didn't completly shut all doors on theories that many a people have come up with over the past few months. While attaining this, it still managed to proviude valuable explanations to certain questions that people wanted answering. I've read reviews that said nothing was explained, and that "there's room for sequels/prequels". Well, I say to them this; why do you want to be spoon fed information? For once in your life, can you draw valuable conclusions as a result of your own thought process? Also, the Animatrix and the Enter the Matrix game (the latter being rather mediocre) fill in those information gaps, even if it is to assertain more money for the franchise. But to prove my point; the Matrix within a Matrix theory is still viable. The Machines could possible still have another level of control, hence why the Architect decided to let the humans free, and why there is a truce in the first place. His ending speech at the end of Reloaded completly backs this up, if you interpret it that way. "As long as they are aware of the choice". On Neo's powers; "the powers of the One can trascend the system". This level of control/power goes beyond the original Matrix and into the "real world" Matrix, hence Neo's "wireless jacking" ability because essentially it's all part of the same system (I was half expecting the Intel Centrino logo to flash up on the screen).

One gripe I have with this movie, however, is that people will go into this expecting high octane action with people plugged into the Matrix. If you have friends who believe this, then dispel this myth as soon as you can. It was always obvious that the third movie of the series was going to be based around Zion, and Neo pointed this out at the end of the second movie; "This is about Zion". The only other complaint I have is the purpose of the Trainman. I didn't really feel this was an important part of the movie, and it all seemed rather pointless. Maybe I simply didn't understand the significance of the little girl (Sati). I like to think that she symbolised both hope, and a new beginning.
The message of the movie is also fairly simple; believe, and anything can happen. Also, the choices we make in life are just that - our choices. There is no set path, there is no fixed equation to be solved. All you have to do is free your mind. I think there was religious reference (Neo spread in the shape of a cross numberous times throuhout the film), but it shouldn't be explored too deeply, like I've seen happen.
I'd give it an eight out of ten. A very enjoyable and memorable way to end the trilogy.