REVIEW: ‘The Matrix Reloaded’ (2003)

Neo and the rebel leaders estimate that they have 72 hours until 250,000 probes discover Zion and destroy it and its inhabitants. During this, Neo must decide how he can save Trinity from a dark fate in his dreams.

The Matrix Reloaded is surely one of the most ambitious sequels ever produced and exceeds its predecessor (The Matrix) in presenting more slow motion mayhem, impossible wire-fu, and even more philosophic babble. But, with the cover of anonymity removed by the first film and subsequent hype, Reloaded has overshot its own ability to wow its audience. There is plenty of cinematic meat to chew on here, but its sustainability is hampered by as many flaws as there are assets.

There are a lot of things going on in this film, but it can be nailed down to the following. The machines that govern the Matrix are within days of tearing into the last remaining bastion of human civilization known as Zion. Neo (Keanu Reeves) gets a tip from the Oracle that a “Key Master” must be found in order to reach the core of the Matrix, which will fulfill the prophesy and supposedly result in the destruction of the Matrix and save Zion. Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus embark on an incredibly destructive mission within the Matrix that leaves a trail of banged up agents, cars, trucks, buildings, and more rogue Smith agents than you could possibly count. At the end of this journey lies a tough choice for Neo as he faces the maker of the Matrix who offers him a chance to save Zion or his love, Trinity.

What ultimately lies in store for Neo and humanity? Reloaded smartly drops a few clues, but opens up new questions in a true cliffhanger ending. Stick around after the credits and you’ll be treated to a sneak peak at Matrix Revolutions.

Aside from the unknown fate of humankind, the big dangling carrot left by The Matrix was Zion, which we never saw. In Reloaded we get to see an industrialized Zion in great detail with a stunning level of detail on set design and CG backdrops. Then the Wachowski’s muck it all up with a series of overlong, and ridiculous scenes. Completely uninteresting supplemental and stereotypical characters waste valuable screen time with their bland dialogue. They include Zion’s council leader who mentors Neo, the hot-tempered defense chief who has a personal rivalry with Morpheus, and a gawky kid who hovers around Neo like an annoying insect. But these scenes pale next to an unbelievable religious gathering featuring Lawrence Fishburn doing a cheesy, Bill Pullman in Independence Day speech that turns into a rave, interspersed with Neo and Trinity getting it on. Where is the real action? Its not to be found in the first 45 minutes, aside from an opening that foreshadows later events.

The filmmakers promised action scenes to blow away the effects of the first film. In truth, its more of same, but turned up a few notches. Neo is nearly all powerful now, which presents a problem in finding worthy opponents. Well, he finds several hundred as Agent Smith – no longer an agent for the Matrix – duplicates himself in an effort to take over Neo. This leads to a long and well-choreographed fight where Neo is fending off Smith clones with reckless abandon. This mass of bodies in motion features slick moves including some pole work, but it’s clear that much of the action is being done by animated characters. This is equally apparent in a few other scenes, notably the extended freeway chase. The Wachowski’s actually had a 2-mile stretch of highway made just for this scene that involves plenty of car crashes and kung fu.

Speaking of kung fu, Yuen Wo Ping, Yuen Cheung Yan, and other elite Hong Kong choreographers lend their expertise to the film with greater effect. Keanu Reeves still cannot act, but to his credit, he busts out impressive moves when he’s not being doubled by CG animation. He gives hope to aspiring, pasty-faced action stars everywhere with delusions of fighting grandeur. The slightly rigid, but complex combat he performs with sais against other armed opponents is a fine example. If only the film had stuck to more live martial arts action. The inclusion of expensive CG technology is no substitute for the real thing.

Reloaded disappoints in other areas as well. None of the characters are any more interesting than in the first film, and are even less so in some cases. Neo exhibits little strength of character or intensity despite his powers. Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity is wooden. Morpheus is little more than the team’s coach, offering pep talks at every opportunity. To be fair, Fishburn has some presence and his character does show some development as he’s faced with new challenges to his faith in the “prophesy.” Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) seems like she might be an important character early on, but doesn’t get much to do.

The philosophy and religious overtones inherent in the Matrix mythos gets ramped up with several discourses that will leave some scratching their heads or bored, although they contain some merit. Perhaps the key concept to glean is the idea of free choice versus predestination and causality. It’s made clear that despite Neo’s skills, he still remains a pawn of his destiny, rather than the master of it.

The Matrix Reloaded has great action sequences that are definitely worth seeing. But the film is uneven with poor character development and pacing. The real problem with the film may be that the Wachowski Brothers get too caught up in their own vision. Their intense efforts to create the most stunning action leads to overstaged scenes that scream too loudly for attention while their elaborate, yet highly conventional image of Zion waters down what is otherwise an edgy action film capable of stimulating conversation.