Everything that has a beginning has an end... thank goodness

Rating: 3/10 (9 November 2003)

This trilogy started out so promisingly; a fact that makes its demise all the more disappointing. When I saw the original Matrix, I was blown away; I had never seen anything like it and therefore was excited to see the next `chapter'. Reloaded was actually a passable film, but more for its flash than its substance. But, I decided to reserve full judgment until I saw Revolutions. Now I can very succinctly describe my reaction: Disappointment.
How can a film be histrionic and convoluted with sufficient amounts of action and yet still be incredibly boring at the same time? See the film and find out. Love scenes that I should have found endearing instead elicited snickers instead, and the action and plot progression was handed to us in an orderly manner that betrayed the films that came before it.

Was there anything good about this film? Sure. The end result was mildly satisfactory and the special effects were tight, but probably the most gratifying and beneficial thing that I personally felt that came from seeing this film was the strain it put on my brain while trying to figure out why this film was such a bummer. In honor of the reverence I hold for the first installment, I tried to make allowances. One example: The effects have been so overdone since the original Matrix and there have been so many copycats that we have become desensitized to it. The more I think about that statement, the less I believe it is true, at least personally, because I was impressed by the effects and action sequences in Reloaded, which I just saw less than 6 months ago. I also second-guessed my decision to reserve full judgment of Reloaded based on the conclusion in Revolutions. I recently saw Tarantino's Kill Bill twice and loved it so much without seeing Vol. 2 that I realized that my hesitation with Reloaded could be construed as a cop-out, simply because I wanted so much to enjoy the film based on my admiration for The Matrix.
Bottom Line: Go see it if you want to `complete' the trilogy. But don't expect anything because you won't get it.
--Shelly