The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

A Better Ending After A Muddled Middle

After being so disappointed/confused with "The Matrix Reloaded" after seeing it in the theater in 2003, I didn't even see this film on the big screen when it came out, instead renting it once it came out on home video. After viewing, I realized that I missed the wrong Matrix film to skip for a long period of time.

Whereas "Revolutions" does not come close to the first film in duplicating the originality of the idea, it superbly triumphs the sub-par second film by eliminating much of the philosophical mumbo-jumbo and instead focus on a plot that the average viewer has a chance to understand.

Essentially, two things happen during the course of this film (I liken it to the Lord of the Rings series, where Frodo/Sam do their thing while the rest of Middle Earth fights Sauron): First, the city of Zion braces for (and eventually does engage) the approach machine army. The special effects in the war scenes are pretty incredible...not anything we haven't seen before, but not even as close to as faky as those in "Reloaded". The other plotline sees Neo and Trinity traveling deep into the heart of Machine City, where Neo ultimately has his final confrontation with the seemingly unstoppably Agent Smith. That final showdown is so intense (and so awaited) that it will raise the hairs on the back of your neck!

Overall, then, this film falls somewhere in between the originality of the first installment of the trilogy and the over-the-top sequel. Upon the conclusion of "Revolutions", I (and I consider myself to be an above-average viewer of science fiction) was still a bit confused as to what had exactly transpired, but not the utter sense of confusion I felt after viewing "Reloaded". Instead, "Revolutions" prompted me to check out what people were saying on the Internet, and eventually I did grasp the fundamental concept of what had happened.

So, if you were extremely disappointed by "Reloaded" and vowed to never view another Matrix film ever again, I strongly suggest that you give this one a try, as it completes the story of Neo in way that you can understand (even if it MAY take a little extra help from Internet scribes!). September 2, 2008

The End of a Trilogy - That's It

You'll only want to buy The Matrix Revolutions to see how the story ends. There's nothing new here, and the story is so diluted it gets boring. Not worth a second viewing. Still, I give it three stars because of the story behind the entire series. This movie itself only deserves two stars. July 2, 2008

Not A Revolution, Nor A Revelation

"The Matrix Revolutions", the last in the Wachowski brothers' super sci-fi trilogy, is a mixed bag of criticism. Most of us already know what everybody else thinks based upon the surprisingly low opening weekend box office of $48.5 million that the film barely scraped, a direct reflection upon the consensus of the "Matrix Reloaded" back in May of `03. That's right, folks - for those who were disappointed with "Reloaded", "Revolutions" will only upset your expectations even further. For those who eat up every fat morsel that the film industry serves up piping hot from the griddle of hype (the teaser trailers in combination with the cheeky Powerade TV ads), you'll love it pound for gluttonous pound.

The remainder of this now flaccid storyline has Zion up crap creek without a paddle, their firepower no match for the hundreds upon thousands of Sentinels about to breach the core of the city. There is something afoot in the Matrix as well - the malicious Agent Smith (Weaving) has proliferated himself throughout the entire system and is more than prepared for a final confrontation with Neo (Reeves). However, Neo is preoccupied with what measures must be taken to ensure the safety and survival of Zion whilst Trinity (Moss) ever-faithfully prepares herself to accompany him on his most perilous mission yet.

As exciting as this apocalyptic final chapter sounds, you know you've lost something when the story completely overwhelms the characters. Neo, Trinity and Morpheus used to be some pretty damned interesting folks. In the film that began it all, Neo was introduced as a cocksure novice who slowly but surely realizes his true potential. Trinity was a strong and admirable yin to Neo's yang, a woman equipped with a lethal combination of beauty and brains. Morpheus was a wise but humble seeker of truth, a teacher not abject to learning from others.

Where the hell did these people go?

They were killed off by one deadly mechanism: FRANCHISE. This was the point at which art was sacrificed for profit and the Wachowskis lost themselves in the high-tech impressionism of computer graphics imaging. What started as a fantastic premise full of possibilities has resorted to eye-candy for the action movie catalog, a by-product of overzealous marketing.

Aside from this noticeable change in the scheme of things is another inexplicable move - the film's grandiose conclusion. Many people will be baffled as well as fuming, the ending leaving more questions with nothing to provide any answers. The most significant resulting quandary is why some of us chose to spend nine dollars on over two hours of visual excess only to be swindled by a cryptic ending. Sorry to say that the entertainment industry has suckered the lot of us once again.

Let's face it - the only real fun to be had here is by the actors and you gotta hand it to Hugo Weaving - he's successfully managed to find himself a character in which he can completely indulge in all its salacious evil. The bad guys always seem to have more fun in overwrought productions such as this and Weaving is clearly having a blast as Smith, cackling and smirking to the hilt while his markedly arched eyebrows and piercing blue eyes consume the screen.

Reeves, on the other hand, puts no more energy into his acting than what's required and let's face it - there isn't much of a requisite for emotion. His designer wardrobe, stylish shades and killer moves are the real showcase and Reeves excels at this but nothing more. Moss retains her cool surface as does Fishburne, along with Pinkett-Smith as the resolute Niobe. Don't expect much to change; these are repeat performances, after all. Mary Alice joins the cast as the Oracle and the presence of a new face in a familiar role is only a bittersweet reminder of Gloria Stuart's passing (a vague explanation was written into the script for why the Oracle appears physically different).

Bottom line: If you're just dying to know how it all ends, go ahead and spend the few bucks to rent it. Just don't expect to be illuminated or amused by it all (or to get your money back!).
June 23, 2008

Still Good but...

it doesn't live up to the stunts that were performed in 1&2. Yet all that battle came to a satisfying end in an unlikely manner which made the movie..."still good" June 3, 2008

Matrix

The last in a sequence of 3 movies called Matrix. An interesting conclusion to the sci-fi of the first 2. Intriguing. If you like some mind games in a movie this is for you. May 25, 2008

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