May 18, 2003
The Matrix Reloaded Revisited
I saw The Matrix Reloaded for the second time this evening. I enjoyed it much more than the first time I saw it. Why? Because I figured out which parts of the movie were bothering me and ignored them:
- The Dance Scene. This scene really ruins the movie. Since it occurs so early in the film, if you try to accept this scene on good faith, it will kill the rest of the movie for you.
- Neo Flying. Neo's flying ability is just too corny and stupid. Sure, I know he's The One, but just because he could theoretically fly doesn't mean he has to. I really wish the plot had been designed so that Neo could save the day without flying. Flying worked for Superman, but it doesn't work for a guy wearing a black trenchcoat and sunglasses.
- Zion Politics. Who cares. The look of the Zion counselors screams Star Wars ripoff. As my friend Bean said, they might as well put Samuel L. Jackson and Yoda on the counsel.
I think the common thread among the things I dislike is that they shatter the cyberpunk/cypherpunk feel of the movie. Ignoring these things greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the film, but Reloaded is still is a much weaker film than The Matrix.
Sidenote I noticed the following continuity quirk: when Trinity jumps out of the building, her hair is heavily greased back. However, when she is shot and when Neo catches her, her hair is no longer greased back. I supposed they needed to make her look more feminine or something.
Posted by Dirtae at May 18, 2003 12:29 AMAlright, I can handle the flying. I just can't handle Morpheus' speech. Ugh, that was so disgusting. All the politics and philosophy of that movie were over the edge, which was the second key factor to the 1st movie's success (besides the incredible action). I'm not sure how he could say more words without meaning anything less. The movie really struck me as an amateur effort in terms of thematics. The philosophy is surface-level stuff and the allusion to religion is pretty weak. The action was kick-ass, though. For that I will see it again and again.
Posted by: kurt|ss- at May 19, 2003 06:07 PMGood: I think the movie is a success. It's hard to make a sequel without alienating some of the original audience, but I believe this had something for everyone. The fights were top-notch, especially the one against Collin Chou, where Chou is testing Neo if he is The One (so Neo could see the Oracle).
Bad: Keanu Reeves still can't act; the romance between Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss was hugely disappointing due to his constant blank expression and "whoa!" demeanor. Moss was awesome throughout the whole movie, though.
Ugly: The switch from Trinity's beaten body (avatar) inside the matrix to in real life with her perfectly clean complexion really jarred me.
Summary: Unlike the first movie, the ambiguous ending and gobs of pseudo- psychology causes me to relegate The Matrix: Reloaded to an action flick that is only worth watching once. I have good hopes for The Matrix: Revolutions.
Posted by: DJohn89 at May 25, 2003 07:53 PMI think the whole trilogy is a little too religous for my taste. The cinamatography was challenging to spot in some places. Anyone who has greased back hair and is picked up in the air by a person going mach 8 I believe would no longer have the smooth greased look.
Posted by: mike at May 29, 2003 08:50 PMI'm sorry the flying disappointed you, but just because it worked for Superman doesn't mean Neo isn't going to. It's the fastest way to "save the day," and that's enough reason for it. And also, maybe his character actually likes flying? Nobody in the fictional or real world has to do anything just because they theoretically can. People do what they like to do and what they have to do. Duh.
Posted by: I_like_guitar at October 9, 2005 02:28 PM
