The Matrix: Reloaded 2003
I was really looking forward to the movie and I’m glad that I didn’t know much about what was going to happen. I watched my copy of The Matrix a couple of weeks before going, which was about the third time I had seen it. The second time I watched it I was maybe even more impressed than when I saw it at the movies because it made more sense. It was just so interesting and unique, plus all the cool fights. But the third time I started noticing parts that dragged a little.
You can say the same of this movie. It’s still very unique and there are still a lot of new concepts out there that aren’t entirely fleshed out yet because we’re still waiting on the third installment later in the year. Even though the third movie has already been made, we don’t know how it will end up, which is in parallel with the storyline. So you’re not going to understand everything since not everything is revealed. That’s hard to take.
The big action scenes kind of ran together. I liked them purely as entertainment, but there must have been 5 big fight scenes, and after the first one with Agent Smith(s) I don’t know that the rest were any better, but looked to me much of the same. If you like martial arts movies, you’ll enjoy every fight, but it seems like most people would start yawning. My girlfriend said the fight scenes were just stupid. But I feel like they’re equivalent to light saber battles in Star Wars, just part of the deal.
The big freeway scene was cool to watch, like a really bad day on the Connector. It was certainly bigger and probably better than anything ever, but really it just took the car chase up a notch rather than create something new. But the best ever is still worth watching.
Even with all the big action scenes, there is still good character and plot development. We’re introduced to some new characters who have some depth to them. Morpheus’ new ship driver (though I thought Dozer lived through the first movie) and another ship captain has some development, and the military commander of all the ships is fleshed out the most. You get to see the big human city and what is happening there, plus they throw in a lot of twists with the Matrix itself, esp., but not limited to, Agent Smith. I was a little disappointed that things that were brought up in the first movie and weren’t followed through (I thought Neo was supposed to teach others what he could do, but they seem to be much the same; also the superfast blurred bodies and arms as they dodged bullets which was abandoned).
But overall I liked the movie, though it’s hard to give it any grade since you don’t get to see the ending. My girlfriend thought the whole thing was just dumb and asked with dread when we would have to go see the next installment ("And then will it be over?” she asked). I will give it an interim grade of A, but only if the second half can deliver [revised to B upon seeing the finale].