The Matrix Reloaded (full spoilers)

The true tragic but flawed hero.

The Wachowskis did the one thing that they needed to do to keep me from being disappointed. The rest of it was gravy (that could have stood some editing; 'specially the rave with the really boring backing music.)

Was a tad disappointed that they turned Morpheus into an unthinking zealot, though. Had hoped for better in that respect.

And they had Neo fighting 'cause it probably would've been boring to have him talking. That said, i'd liked to have seen more crazy anti-fighting instead of the chop socky action. I'd like to have seen him turn all the bullets into flowers or butterflies or otherwise indicate that fighting him conventionally was useless.

The Superman-esque action scenes, however, were pretty ace.

Not as good as the first, but name a sequel that is.

I don't think when there's that many minorities in a movie you can cry tokenism. I don't think I've even seen so many minorities, particularly blacks, in a big Hollywood movie before. It's encouraging.

What really disappointed me was the TOTAL LACK of contemporary super-hep technoid thump traxx to accompany all the kungfulistics. That courtyard dogpile poleaxing scene would've been much helped if it were set to Daft Punk's "Aerodynamic" or something.

I'm sorry I have nothing more interesting to say at the moment.

I didn't think the movie took its serious content seriously, but maybe that's just because I assumed it couldn't possibly.

2) There are multiple times where the human manefestations of the computer bits (Architect, Oracle, etc) all say to Keanu something along the lines of, 'I can see what you're thinking!' or 'Your expression tells me you're confused!'. This is so the audience can tell what Keanu should be doing as an actor.

3) Monica Bellucci is hella-hot. Rubber is a good look for her.

4) About halfway through the Architects speech someone in the audience yelled "Fast forward!!!". He was right to do it.

Maybe Neo can stop bullets beacuse they're ruled by computer-generated physics, but he can't freeze someone in their tracks beacuse they're capable of the same mind-over-matter hooha that he is, just not on his level. That would explain why he has to sword-fight 8 people manual. I mean if you want to start rationalizing... That's like all these negative reviews calling the fight scenes gratuitous and using arguments that result in their jobs as film critics just as unnecessary.

I didn't like the rave scene much either... like what's with these Stomp drums? They have Hoverships and Mechwarriors but when it's time to rock the house they're unplugged all of a sudden. I agree that the soundtrack as a whole was weaker than the first... and DAVE MATTHEWS?! WHAT?!

PS: Thank you, Matrix people for not making Donald Sutherland the Architect. I can tell you wanted to, but it's just better the way it is.

also keanu is fucking hot.

although, because it came from FARK I'm sure most of you have already read it. eh.

I liked it quite a bit. I could pick on the music and the speeches and the acting style in general, but I was happy more than not. Maybe I wanted to like it and that's why I did. I was certainly a bit nervous about seeing it since I'd heard other people's disappointed reviews. I'm not a sophisticated moviegoer, and I guess if you asked me what the point of the movie was, I couldn't tell you. I expected it to be a bridge to the next movie and I think it did a good job of that.

And maybe I'm alone in this, but I think those geek Wachowski boys got the sex stuff just right. I was shocked. I thought the sex scene was really hot, and the rest of the love story very natural and believable. I totally wanted to be Trinity and Neo at the same time, and that's a great feeling.

A+!!!!

Cannonball Run II, natch.

Overall, I think it was pretty lame. I loved the first one, but Reloaded didn't know where it was going half the time. The fight scenes were neat, but it was about as dramatically involving as watching someone play Tekken. Overall there was too much unnecessary, and pointless development (the 'rave' scene, the 'kid') that could have been shortened or cut completely to make room for some real dramatic developments. The CGI was way overblown at points. I see a much better movie in there trying to claw it's way out.

Okay, for one, how many people here had any idea what the fuck was going on at any given point in the film? There they were, going up elevators, driving around in their spaceship, and the whole time I there was really no narrative impulse. Like, they're going to go get the Keymaster! Great! Why do I give a shit again? Even the set pieces I had really no stake in at all; there was no tension at all! (the closest the movie came was the fight on top of the truck).

And those loudmouths they kept going to see. Really, if you're going to wait forty-five minutes to really start the movie, at least show me something interesting! I mean, really, everybody they ran into seemed to just want to chat for a couple hours. I really couldn't pay attention at all to what they were saying, as I didn't really care at all what was going on. Like, the Merovingian, or whatever he was called; do we really need to hear any more about cause and effect? I felt the first movie was exciting enough that I could sit through that stuff--even though I thought there was a dry spell for the whole middle of the first one where everyone kept discussing the Matrix. I was hoping Reloaded would dispense with that now that everyone's got the idea. Boy, was I wrong.

I also didn't think it look particularly great, especially all that sackcloth Zion shit. The fight with the multiple Mr. Smiths (and why exactly is it cool that there are more than one of him? There were tons of faceless agents in the first one) just looked so shitty, especially Keanu's face. And what about those dreadlocked guys? Were they scary to any one? Intimidating? Did anyone breathe a sigh of relief when they blew up?

Oh yeah, and I really couldn't stop laughing during Morpheus's big speech. He seemed really nervous, and his voice went up a few octaves. And then those Stomp guys! The rave! Shit! What the fuck?

Oh, and did anyone else find it funny that Morpheus wasn't the supreme commander of the place? I think he misrepresented himself a little in the first movie--he's just a lowly captain of one of many countless ships, right? Not the impression he gave me...

P.S Is there anyone on this board who doesn't hate hippies?
Is this a british thing?

Well, I imagined the Winter brothers as rastafarians for a spell and got pretty fucking freaked out.

This argument drives me crazy. I didn't expect a crystal-clear plot, I expected (or at least hoped for) an enjoyable movie that was coherent enough for me to get into it.

Hark! Methinks I hear the old familiar cry of the rationalizer, the one who is convincing himself more than anyone else.

We've all been there, right?

Unfulfilled promise of The Matrix #117. But who's counting?

This is obvious, no? They're easier to wake up because they have less psychic investment in their Matrix lives - the assumption is as American minorities - than their white counterparts.

Also, Cornel West on the Zion Council = CLASSIC!

other disconnected thoughts: the philosophy parts were less integrated into the movie than the last one, it felt like "okay everyone sit tight, cos here comes the obligatory existentialist bit, but don't worry someone is getting kicked in the face *real soon*". i did like the modernist architect dude tho. he was like an evil colonel sanders. few attempts at charm this time: the oracle is still a sassy elderly black female, that kid with the spoon gave neo the spoon, french ppl are so fucking french you just gotta drive medieval weapons through their hearts. and that's that. oh and the wisecracky smiths i guess. maybe the dreadlocked warhol-entourage phantasm guys. nevermind. the persephone 'sexual tension' bit was horribly forced, some 'truth or dare' dropped into the middle of the film without clear purpose (and then philosophically 'redeemed' with the "such things are not made to last" bit). also, some poor action pacing towards the end, the nuclear power plant blowing up was maybe ultimately a minor plot point, but its also like the most unearned explosion i've seen since like... 'swordfish'. i liked the superobvious neo-christ 'heal the poor' scene, i thought maybe the chance to interesting things with those parallels was ended a little prematurely. the rave scene/nelly video went on a bit long, the whole african-ness/blackness/people-who-wear-black-ness being equated with primal physicality (their machines are all proto-industrial sweaty, churning cog-driven affairs) prob deserves a sneer.

disclaimer: everything i didn't mention above kicked ass. kinda.

Or at the very least, a need to dress people in leather or rubber. And nothing else.

And just think, you could've saved us an IMAX frame from these scenes! I still can't believe you missed this - that's just hilarious.

I still dunno how ppl hate on this film when it contains the most intense fight/chase/fight sequence ever created. even when you know everything that happens, it still gives the clench. <3 <3 truck kombat.

i rewatched this after seeing it only once 10 or 12 years ago and it is not very good

trying to read about the plot and the purpose of neo in these sequential matrix iterations is hurting my brain

the first one has a similar amount of corny bits but it is ultimately a very thrilling and enjoyable movie

i never got round to watching the sequels but I caught a bit of the first one on tv the other day and it's in that awkward spot of being old and of its time enough to be egregiously dated but not quite old enough to induce fond nostalgia (caught a bit of austin powers: the spy who shagged me yesterday and it's in that same space in my brain). still a pretty fun film though.

i remember seeing this at a midnight show the night before it opened and it was pretty amazing how the thrills of the first film were completely absent here. i watched the car chase again recently and it was boring. i can't even watch the original matrix now tbh because the ending shot of superman neo just reminds me that his continuing adventures are going to be complete garbage.

but you get to rock out to ratm while you ponder the disappointments to come

the first film had a decent amount of humor and keanu was fully charming and the action scenes were scaled to a size that made them palpable and human level as opposed to video game-like.

neo and his pals certainly "raged" against a "machine" in this series you might say

i'm planning on rewatching the third film soon, i remember absolutely nothing about it except for like neo riding around a spaceship and seeing green code everywhere

the action scenes also seemed purposeful in the first movie

xp that's pretty much all there is too it tbh

I still dunno how ppl hate on this film when it contains the most intense fight/chase/fight sequence ever created. even when you know everything that happens, it still gives the clench. <3 <3 truck kombat.

― El Tomboto, Friday, October 3, 2008 11:54 PM (ten years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

truly otm, love and miss u tombot

good movie

Hadn't seen this since it came out. Tried watching a bit tonight, and you know what? Sucks.

everyone has always been bald

no wonder they all have to wear shades then!

its just too much