The Matrix trilogy comes to an epic conclusion as the machines breach Zion’s defenses, humanity makes its last stand, and Neo races to the center of the machine world to face his greatest enemy.
The Wachowski brothers finally bring their massive cyber-punk meets wire fu meets live-action anime epic to a close and all we really need to know is, does it kick butt? Honestly, apart from philosophy majors and audiences craving religious fulfillment in their mass media, no one really cares whether Neo is a god, if the Matrix is all a dream, or if Zion is populated with nothing but a bunch of hemp-wearing hippies who like to get down and rave. The Matrix Revolutions, which is mostly set in the “real world” ups the ante on heavy metal action in a big way with hundreds of bullet-spewing mecha laying into thousands of swarming squid-like sentinels. We also get to see one of Zion’s ships racing through a narrow conduit with the clock running down as Zion marshals their beleaguered forces and we even witness the incredible Machine City in all its mechanized glory. But what of the Matrix itself, the people trapped inside, and the super-powered martial arts action? Revolutions displays a few cracks and dull edges in the story and rehashes much of the choreography from its two predecessors, but chugs along to a mostly satisfactory conclusion.
The film picks up right where The Matrix Reloaded left off with Neo in a coma, the machines mere hours away from tunneling through Zion’s defenses, and Agent Smith continuing to assimilate the Matrix. As Trinity and Morpheus return to the Matrix in an effort to help recover Neo, they have another run-in with the rogue program known as the Merovingian, his wife as played by Monica Bellucci looking to bust out of her dress, and a new player known as the Trainman. A cool twist on the series’ shrapnel-filled gun battles occurs as our heroes storm into a nightclub and the guards take to the ceiling. But the real action is taking place in Zion as the machines finally break through the dome ceiling that covers the massive dock. The principle cast becomes bit players as Mifune (Nathaniel Lees) leads an army of mecha in a jaw-dropping defense of Zion. Meanwhile, our heroes split up with Niobe and Morpheus leading a charge back to assist Zion while Neo and Trinity head for the center of Machine City in a last ditch effort to stop the machines.
In all of this sci-fi insanity, the martial arts action under the direction of Yuen Wo-ping and brother Yuen Cheung-yan hasn’t been forgotten. Hong Kong actor and stuntman Collin Chou returns as Sereph, the Oracle’s protector who teams up with Trinity and Morpheus for a little goth-bashing party. But Keanu Reeves who dominated the first two films with his slightly stiff, but styled kung fu presentation doesn’t work it until his final confrontation with Hugo Weaving. There is an interesting contrast found in a “real world” fight that takes place between Neo and Agent Smith’s fleshly alter-ego. It’s all rough tumbling and simple fisticuffs and none of the finely tuned martial arts as performed within the Matrix. For the final fight, Neo faces off against Smith as rain pours down and thousands of fellow Smiths look on. After literally shattering Smith in episode one and taking on hundreds of his clones in episode two, this fight represents the final meeting of the trilogy’s two great adversaries. It has to be epic and it is, but a decent exchange of martial arts turns into something so extravagant, outrageous, and seemingly unending that you may be wishing for that “real world” fight to return. What may be most disappointing is that with all of the Eastern thought about karma and such being discussed, the internal or esoteric arts in martial arts are completely overlooked. Had this been a Chinese production, “chi” energy would have been channeled to destroy Agent Smith. Instead, we get something even more nebulous.
For many, how the series is concluded will have a big impact on their final judgment of The Matrix Revolutions. Part three feels a lot like the Japanese anime or manga that influenced the visual style. There is some closure, some questions left unanswered, and a lot of puzzlement. But there sure are a lot of interesting things to look at. Revolutions does succeed in sidestepping some of the gripes lobbed at the first half of Reloaded, but deserves to be plastered with invective concerning the failed attempt to make Neo and Trinity’s love a central and poignant theme. Its not convincing and causes the film to stutter every time they exchange impassioned looks or nauseatingly soulless sweet nothings. The pacing is also off again with overlong battle sequences wrapped around dull chatter from everyone except Hugo Weaving. The tedium of listening to Neo and Trinity talk at length before the end battle had me reaching for my empty popcorn bag searching for a couple of errant kernels as a way to pass the time.
Revolutions may not leave audiences with the same awe of a kid in the candy store for the first time as it may have felt with the first installment, but the Wachowskis deliver a visually impressive film nonetheless. The martial arts action is again overwhelmed by digital effects, but not before providing a powerful exchange between Reeves and Hugo Weaving. None of the acting is great apart from Weaving’s wild antics. He pretty much outshines everyone. If nothing else satisfies for sheer excess, the siege of Zion gets credit for delivering unrelenting sci-fi violence on a mammoth scale. It won’t replace the insanity of Jimmy Wang Yu single-handedly slicing his way through an army of swordsmen, but for this series it’ll do.
by Mark Pollard
