The
Matrix: Reloaded
reviewed
by Dave
After
four years of waiting, I was finally able to reload
into the world of The Matrix. Much like the first
film, the results are visually stunning and thought-provoking.
Unlike the first film, the sequel has a couple small
yet glaring missteps (more on that later) that detract
from otherwise perfection.
If
you're at all a fan of the series, Reloaded simply
must be seen on a nice big screen with digital sound
and stadium seating to get the full experience.
Accept no substitutions. (I didn't discover the
first film until after it was out on video.)
Also,
do NOT see the sequel if you haven't seen the first
film. You will be confused. In fact you may be confused
either way. Familiarity with theology (Trinitarianism,
Christianity, Buddhism, Gnosticism, etc.) and philosophy
(Descartes, Kant, Socrates, etc.) will provide some
greater insight, but the last half hour of Reloaded
is ultimately a big mind trip that sets up the final
part of the Matrix trilogy.
That
said, it's really difficult to do this review without
giving away spoilers, but here's my attempt.
The
Matrix film series is not a pure sci-fi action movie.
Though the trailers emphasize the action sequences,
there's a lot more to the film. But let's start
with the action. Explosions, gun fights, sword fights,
martial arts, car chases with massive high-speed
freeway destruction - these are all present and
accounted for, and at times you will marvel at how
these scenes were created. (The short answer: a
$300 million dollar budget helps.) You won't find
a better example of destruction as visual art.
But
action aside, there's a story going on, and here
is where the film stumbles a bit in the first reel.
There's a very complex plot in this series, but
we don't get nearly enough of it in the beginning
of Reloaded. Instead we get a visit to Zion. I better
back up a bit.
What
is reality? The first film suggests that the every-day
life people are living is not reality. Instead,
people are unknowingly plugged into a system run
by machines to harness their bioelectric energy.
This system is an ultimate artificial intelligence
that man created, but that eventually enslaved man.
People are plugged into this system from birth to
death, where they live in a dream-like state in
a virtual world created by the machines - a world
called The Matrix.
But
there exists a few who have discovered the truth.
One of them, Neo (Keanu Reeves), may be The One
prophesized to free mankind, defeat the machines,
and end the war. Morpheus (Lawrence Fishborne) and
Trinity (Carrie Ann Moss) play the roles of mentor
and potential love interest in the first film. Neo
comes to learn that there exists one last human
city named Zion, located deep underground where
freed humans live and plot to re-enter the Matrix
and free more people from the system.
The
Matrix series delves surprisingly deep (at least
for a sci-fi film) into philosophical and religious
thought. It's not usually done in a very heavy-handed
manner, but it is there, and it rewards repeated
viewings.
But
that's not what you get handed in the beginning
of Reloaded. We start off with a bang, but then
quiet down to get a little reacquainted with the
characters, and then off we go to see Zion. Apparently,
we've shown up just in time for spring break.
It
seems not everyone is convinced Neo is The One,
despite the convenient anagram. Morpheus is a cool
character, but here his bare-chested rally-the-troops
speech comes off completely wrong. "The machines
are coming to get us, but we'll be okay, so let's
party like we've never partied before." You
sort of get the impression that before Morpheus
was freed, he may have belonged to a frat. It doesn't
help that this scene is incredibly overacted.
What
follows is a lengthy rave/softcore love scene where
you learn more important things about this last
human city:
1.
Cotton really is the fabric of the future.
2. Miles underground, close to the earth's core,
centuries into the future from now, wet cotton will
still be see-through.
3. That band Stomp is way ahead of it's time.
4. Neo and Trinity like to ditch parties to go make
out.
When
this sequence finally finishes, we get to go back
to the Matrix. The action heats up, and the plot
finally gets back on track.
If
you've seen any of the previews, you've seen bits
and pieces of the big freeway chase. It starts out
a little slow, but a few minutes into this 14-minute
sequence, you will start to experience eye candy
that is far beyond anything ever before filmed.
I won't spoil anything, but it's incredibly intense.
If
you're in the movie just for the action, you may
be a little bored by the last half hour or so. (This
apparently was the case for some reviewers, and
I think they're completely missing the point). If,
however, you're now interested in the story, this
is where we start approaching information overload,
to the point where your head may be spinning by
the cliffhanger finale.
In
the last thirty minutes we get:
