The Matrix Reloaded (full spoilers)

1. So the Architect is the father of the matrix and the Oracle is the mother, right? This is not explicitly acknowledged by the Architect but let's assume so. She has said that she's a program, but she has also said that you can't necessarily believe what she says.
a. So her motivation all along has been to get neo back into the mainframe so that the system can be rebooted (so to speak) and zion can be destroyed. So she's bad?? I say that that was her purpose in the previous five matrices but that she has recently gone rogue for this one...she says in the park-bench scene that 'you've convinced me, Neo' or something to that effect. (this scene has way more useful information than I thought the first time.) I don't see what exactly he's convinced her of but whatever. Still possible that she hasn't gone rogue at all...

2. Mr Smiths. Definitely rogue, explicitly pointed out by lack of earpiece. I'd go for the virus theory as well. He's out to cause trouble, but still has scraps of his prime directive to neutralize Neo. This is the first time such a thing has happened--that is, it didn't happen in the previous versions of the matrix...think back to the scene where Mr Smith drops off his earpiece and then the other three agents come in and fight Neo...one Smith says 'that happened as expected'...the other: 'it's exactly as it was before'...the first: 'well, not exactly'...*evil chuckles.*

3. Merovinginian et al: He is a powerful program who wants more power. By his nature he does not want a disruption in the status quo unless it brings him more power. He has been around for previous versions of the Matrix. I guess that he's making it hard for Neo to reach the mainframe (by keeping the Keymaker captive, etc) because then he'll have to start from scratch. I'm thinking of him as a brilliant industrial baron who could probably build an empire if he was dropped on a desert island naked if it came to it, but he'd much rather keep all the power he's accumulated.

And then the bit at the end where Neo repels the squiddies through the sheer force of his mind or whatever, I'm guessing that somehow he's still in the Matrix. Either the whole of Zion and the scorched world is just another level of the matrix or somehow they took a wrong turn through all those doors and entered a replica of the real world. I'd guess the first option really. Classic sci-fi plot device; leave you wondering at the end what world is really the dream world.

I think they (or at least Neo) are still stuck at the Merowingian's place because in the Superbowl trailer Trinity says "you give me Neo or we all die right here, right now" to the Merowingian.

As a film, this was quite good. As the first half of a film, it might well be excellent. As an episode of The Invisibles, it's great.

Trinity says "you give me Neo or we all die right here, right now" to the Merowingian

Well, she says it, and someone else (who may or may not sound like the Merovingian) replies. The actual scenes could be at opposite ends of the movie.

Amen. Something the first one seemed to have going for it was that it knew it was a mediocre but cool as shit looking movie (or seemed to).

Trinity dies but Neo saves her! Just like the first one! Neo catches Trinity just as she's about to fall to her death! Just as he saved Morpheus 30 minutes before!

And the fight scenes seemd to trade a lot of martial arts via pulleys and wires for straight cgi. Bad idea.

Also, Cornel West on the Zion Council = CLASSIC!

Ha, I was expecting a theory on why Neo, the savior, is a pastey white boy.

isn't this a requirement of the genre? and isnt it a part of the fun?

I would've enjoyed this movie so much more if there had been a scene with fifty outraged Morriseys trying to kick Neo's arse.

(bascially a two hour ILM effects reel)

Again, if only! "poison roxx u r all gay", "hahaha not really" and "oh no!!! FITE! oh no!!!" would have really spiced up the dialogue, plus the architect would have explained rockism to Neo.

Is it wrong not to always be Keanu?

It is, but not when it gets bogged down in trying to explain itself. Did we really need anything about the Council in Zion? That was about as exciting as listening to the Councl in the Phantom Menace talk about their policies on intergalactic trade. The plot is about Neo, leave the "how do they recycle their water on Zion" questions for geeky internet messageboards.

Stranger has happened, they could make a musical out of Silence of the Lambs and...oh.

Top Five reasons I can't hate on this movie:

1. Fighting on top of an 18 wheeler and then crashing it into another 18 wheeler and everything blows up and then the cheesy reaction shot of whatsisface in the ship as Neo rescues them Justice League stylee

2. The idea that the Matrix has people like the Oracle's bodyguard and the french-cursing dude and his wife. The gun with silver bullets and those freaky twins with the butter knives were entertaining, I thought, much more interesting than anybody or anything in the first film (save Hugo).

3. Agent Smith (though he got crapped on in this movie, really. He had the only lines worth remembering from the first installment and this time he doesn't even get to properly explain himself. I do like the idea that he has a manifestation in the 'real world' now. Freaky-deaky.

4. the TV screens showing the alternate reactions of Neo during the Architect blah blah. Proof that the bird is not obsolete.

5. more interesting questions dealing with free will vs. fate etc etc. Much better than the first movie, which was over-obsessed with the idea of the world we live in being fake (LAME unless that was a new concept to you, in which case, I'm very sorry)

Top Five reasons to hate it:

1. Saving Trinity's life inside the Matrix = lame! The flying was okay. The slow-mo endless falling with the bullets etc. was just k-dumb, and they made you watch it like 3 or 4 times. Fucking A.

2. Carrie Ann Moss in black plastic = SO NOT EVEN HOT, dude. Give it a REST.

3. Lawrence Fishburne opening his mouth to say words

4. I didn't have enough hit points when I got to the last Boss and it took me forever to figure out how to beat him, plus I kept getting lost in the Portal, dude, it sucked

5. Sunglasses on everybody is just a little tired. The way the Zionists dress inside the Matrix is completely fucking absurd.

That said I haven't enjoyed a film so much in ages, an action/sci fi film so much in maybe years. Didn't think it took itself seriously.

I mean come on lots of the fighting scenes border on Tom and Jerry style anvil on head ridicule, it must be intentionally ott. The ending was very poor though and a big deflation after that scene on the freeway which was more exhilarating than anything in the first film as far as I'm concerned.

I hate all the cod psychology and the subtle as a knife in the head anti capitalist messages but I suspect the reason people hate this is because they imagine various wankers they know thinking the Matrix is something more than the most bling bling obscene splurge of special effects and kung fu ever.

It is the benchmark as these in the know types tell me, can you ever imagine watching another god awful gun film again. They had been boring for years. The action scenes are usually the ones I'm bored by. Not in this case for once.

(obviously the rave scene was classic)

Finally am I the only one who thinks the next film is going to reveal how Zion too is part of the Matrix yadda yadda.

(is the ps2 game good?)

Would it help if you thought of it as an intermission?

the idea of great power being generated by the humans partying and having sex - cliched and Titanic/Ewok Village reminiscent

An Ewok sex/rave scene... we can only dream,

Actually I heard LB2 was going to be the Empire Strikes Back of the saga.

Not possible. I was ready to enroll in the French Foreign Legion and raise a militia after seeing Menace.