The Matrix Reloaded

I was a missionary in 2003 and because I did not watch movies during my two years of service, I missed the final Matrix movies and the final Lord of the Rings movies. After doing a marathon of the latter trilogy and after returning to university, I set aside a day to watch all three Matrix films and I liked the second film. “The Matrix Reloaded” answered one of my concerns that I had when I found out that Matrix sequels were being made. The first film made Neo out to be unstoppable once he realizes his full potential as the One . How could there be a sequel for someone more powerful than the enemy? I guess the machines would logically try to counter this by upgrading. The revelations and twists that come forth in the second film are sometimes bad storytelling in my opinion. With how simple the first film was to understand, the second film becomes quite complicated and we have to think about what we are hearing in the exposition scenes. The best way to critique this film for me is to compare it with “The Empire Strikes Back”. How did that trilogy succeed while "The Matrix" trilogy did not?

A new trial introduced in the second film that I like is that Neo is not exactly sure how to free the human race and destroy the Matrix. He has done a lot with his new abilities but not only is the exact path of the One unknown to him but the machines in the real world are on their way to destroy Zion. The Oracle scene however foreshadows the trouble that the film franchise is undergoing. This time, the Oracle's guiding words are not fully understood. We must interpret them where as on the first movie, things were much more clearer. The agent Smith virus is a good new conflict and I like the first fight between the Smiths and Neo but Smith’s changing role in the franchise was ultimately a mistake. This will be discussed in my review for “The Matrix Revolutions”. I like how Smith's glasses are both round and square so as to differentiate him from the agents that are still part of the system. The Merovingian is a well designed and performed character thanks to Lambert Wilson. I also like how the issue of cause & effect as opposed to choice is introduced. It comes to be important in the scene with The Architect. The fight against the Merovingian’s men and the battle on the freeway are more exciting than the Smith fight and that is good story telling. It would have been better however if Morpheus did not mention Neo just before he arrives to save the day. The surprise of Neo’s arrival would have been better. I love the non-linear editing of the shots leading up to the climax. It creates anxiety and intensity. Throughout the film, there are hints that there have been other Matrixes and other Ones. The Architect scene confirms this but a lot of the exposition in that scene is hard to understand and even the Architect mentions this. So long to the fun exposition scenes that we loved in the first film. We now have to think. Sometimes complex plotlines and expositions compel the audience to revisit the movie to gain a better understanding. This is smart storytelling but hard to accomplish without annoying the audience. The complexity of "The Matrix Reloaded" was almost tolerable but ended up being an annoyance. I do like the fact that the machines created a prophecy that was partially true and otherwise false. By returning to the Source, Neo would have destroyed the Matrix in its current form but the war would not have ended. Just like the devil, the machines will tell truths so as to include lies that end up making all the difference. Another problem I have with this sequel is that the chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss doesn’t work that entirely well. It is because of how the trilogy is scripted. Triumphant romantic films usually include scenes where the couple gradually develops a bond leading up to the end where they are in love. In the first film, there were very little of those moments but that was okay. The focus of the “The Matrix” was not their relationship but rather on Neo and his destiny. Also, Trinity was afraid to fall in love with Neo or anyone. Their expression of love at the very end of the original movie supported Neo’s story and it felt plausible, as they both appeared to be at the end of the lives. Also, this romantic moment brought Neo back to life, which made for an entertaining ending to the first film. The problem I have with the relationship between Neo and Trinity in this sequel is that we missed how their love was fully developed. It appears to have happened in the 6 months of time between the first and second films. We never got to see it. Instead, we see a sex scene that I dislike quite a lot. The second film should have showed their relationship grow from first kiss to true love. “The Empire Strikes Back” did this.

The Wachowski brothers appear to have gotten carried away with the success of their franchise. They were moving too fast in terms of action, complexity and special effects and the importance of the story took a back seat. They lost the balance of cinematic elements they achieved in the first film. The bullet time shots are different than in the first film as CGI is used a lot more. Also, you can tell when Neo and other characters are computer animated as opposed to real. They should have held back on all the great CGI shots until the third film. I did like the replication of Hugo Weaving however. It was well done. Because the directors lost focus, the story had flaws. The biggest story mistake is the battle between Morpheus and the agent on the semi truck. As cool as it was, Morpheus himself said: “Everyone who has fought an agent has died.” He couldn’t defeat Agent Smith in the first film and now he suddenly can take on an agent who has been upgraded from those on the first film? Neo is the “one” who is developing his abilities, not Morpheus. Another use of bad storytelling is the climatic twist where it is revealed that the prophecy is another system of control. When you establish a supernatural source of hope and make it an anchor story-wise, it should not be destroyed. By revealing the prophecy to be a lie, the filmmakers lose their story foundation and their foundational source of hope. The filmmakers try to make up for this by giving Neo power in the real world but I don’t accept it. In another comparison with "The Empire Strikes Back", Darth Vader's revelation did not cause us to lose all hope but instead it made Luke’s opposition more personal and dramatic. Also, it was not confirmed to us whether Vader was telling the truth or lying until the third film. Furthermore, Yoda's revelation that there is "another" besides Luke did not destroy hope but gave us more. Another big difference between "I am your father" and "The prophecy was a lie" is that the former revelation was intended from the begining the franchise while the latter was invented after the first film. By saying that the prophecy about the One is a lie, it is like saying that the Force is completely the dark side or that Obi-wan killed Luke’s father. You reject established truths that the audience cannot let go of. Morpheus at the end of the movie comes to represent the audience and fans of the franchise. The dream of a wonderful film trilogy is no more.

George Lucas, when he made “Empire”, also went big on special effects but his story did not become so complicated, so fast. The character development & drama perfectly balanced the special effects and “The Matrix Reloaded” failed with achieving that balance. The story twists were not the best they could have been. I still like the movie for its fun action scenes and other aspects. This movie introduced me to Jada Pinkett Smith (I guess they went after Will Smith’s wife when they couldn’t get him) and it was cool to see Nathaniel Lees in this film. As neat as the second film is, the franchise ended in disaster.

3.5 Stars