The Matrix trilogy has closed. Satisfying? Yes and no.

Rating: 6/10 (8 November 2003)

Reloaded had its problems, so having been shot back to back this was bound to have certain problems too. Not so much similar problems in this instalment, whereas Reloaded essentially forgot that the first movies philosophical and religious reference was in subtle sub text, Reloaded brought it to the forefront of the movie in a rather ostentatious manner. The pacing and the dialogue was also a problem. In Revolutions however there are still problems with pacing and even more so with dialogue but there is a lot less philosophising.
The two sequels essentially take on a hole different tone to the first movie. They don't feel like the same movie. When watching the first film there is no way of guessing where the next two will take the story and characters. It is quite an imaginative and at times exciting journey but understandable that many fans don't feel satisfied. The Matrix had one of those great endings leaving it wide open for another but looking back now having seen the two sequels I feel it would have been better off as a stand alone film, I mean much as I would love to see a continuation of Blade Runner it is a film that is best as a film of its own. What it boils down to in some ways is that the story the Wachowski's are trying to tell in the final two instalments are very complex ideas, essentially twice as much movie material than the running times of both together. It feels way to much like the two sequels have crammed information in, they've been cramming so much into the films, and the game and the Animated films, yet still the explanations need such time for the audience to fully understand that come the resolution of the final chapter you still feel you don't now enough about the Matrix, the relationship between the humans and the machines, Neo's purpose, Agent Smith's role and purpose, the Oracle. You get a basic gist of most of it but you never quite feel satisfied enough about certain characters roles, objectives and so on.
These are the major gripes but at the end of the day the two sequels are still enjoyable action movies, they do have their slow points but then most action films do. The action is still fantastic. This has the awe factor of the second but this time I felt more emotionally involved. The battles in Zion are amazing, great displays of CGI. The CGI in this film is superb. The level of detail is amazing, the Machines city is particularly jaw dropping. Also the much touted super brawl between Smith and Neo is something to behold. There is no doubt that while the Wachowski's have had problems with the scripts of the last two they have not lost their visual style and their unique imagination. The fight that ends the trilogy is perhaps the best, it is not as emotionally involving as the fights in the first film due to story and character problems but for sheer spectacle they are astounding. The fight reminiscent of Dark City's final showdown but on acid, is just very exciting not to mention the fact that it really does look cool.
The cast are good although for about a third of the movie Keanu Reeves and Carrie Ann Moss disappear from the film while the battle of Zion takes place. Reeves is more than ever a little bit wooden but Laurence Fishbourne is back on form from the last film. Also Jada Pinkett Smith has a much better role than the last film too and she is looking very sexy. Also Ian Bliss is excellent as Bane, his impersonation of Agent Smith is superb. Of course the man himself Agent Smith played by Hugo Weaving steals the show. On a minor point Monica Bellucci is sadly wasted in a very brief one line role, although she does stick in the mammary, I mean memory for other reasons, I nearly shouted out `Holy Wazoombas Batman!' in the cinema, thankfully I didn't.
Despite some flaws and the feeling it has been needless, I liked the much debated resolution to the story, and there were shocks in it and deaths for two major characters. I just wish I was 100% clear about the whole trilogy, I imagine the only ones to fully grasp everyone that has happened or been implied would be the writers themselves. It seems in some ways the two sequels are just too big, they seem so different from the subtle and self contained original. To sum up the original to me is endlessly repeatable and can be read in so many different ways, thanks to the intelligent scripting, while the sequels are good, they have some depth but the way the stories are told in two and three are problematic and the films will not be anywhere near as repeatable. Overall this is a good cinema going experience but still in the context of the first movie, sadly lacking. ***