06/22/2003 Entry: ""
Posted by Maynard @ 07:52 PM MST
The Matrix Regurgitated Reloaded
I saw The Matrix Reloaded yesterday with my friend Andrew. It was much more vulgar and much more complex than it needed to be. Unless the third movie comes to the rescue for this series, I don't think I will buy the boxed set of DVDs. Spoilers below.
This movie was only redeemed a little by the fight scenes and the music for those scenes. The fighting was more intense than in the first movie, which was a welcome interlude between unnecessary plot complications and worthless vulgarities.
Here's a summary of the movie. The machines are tunneling towards Zion in order to wipe out the last of the human race. The Nebuchadnezzar is sent out in order for Neo to meet with the Oracle to receive some help. Turns out, the Oracle is a program, but a benevolent one. She explains that there are good programs (her and her oriental bodyguard, as well as some others) and bad programs (like the ones that stories about werewolves, vampires, and ghosts come from). Of course, Neo has another choice coming, this time between Trinity and mankind. In order to face this choice, he has to find the key Maker, who is being held by a very french character named the Merovingian (pic, definition). It's very easy to hate this schmuck. Not only is he French, but he is a womanizer (insert redundancy joke here). Arrogant, too. And selfish, prideful, and of all things, communist.
That's right, crappy French Marxist philosophy can be found in this movie.
Anyway, this schmuck is responsible for 2 of the 3 really bad scenes in the movie. After Neo knocks off this guy's henchmen (who are also bad programs) Trinity and Morpheus rescue the Key Maker and then the three of them are rescued by Neo when he does his "Superman thing" (flying), which is used with good effect throughout the movie.
Meanwhile, Agent Smith has managed to reinsert himself into the Matrix, but now he doesn't feel obliged to obey the rules. He decides to create, as Time magazine puts it, "Many-Me", and replicates himself everywhere.
Anyhoo, if you aren't lost by now, the whole point of getting the Key Maker was to get the key that opens the door to the Architect, which is an AI program also known as I Make This Movie More Difficult To Understand Than Multivariable Calculus. The Architect created the Matrix, or more correctly, the previous five Matrices. Every iteration generates an unstable variable known as The One, who reaches a point where he has to make a choice between personal loss and the loss of humanity. The previous five have chosen to save humanity. Either choice persists the enslavement of mankind. In the first movie, it was predicted that either Morpheus or Neo would die, but in the end neither did. In this movie it is predicted that either Trinity or Humanity will die. Guess what choice Neo makes?
So to summarize, we have a Good Program-Hero pair pitted against a Bad Program-Villian pair: Oracle-Neo versus Architect-Agent Smith. Both Agent Smith and Neo can manipulate the Matrix and have an effect in the Real World, but that only makes for good fight scenes. The primary philosophy is that The Choice is out there, but it is not really a choice since we have no independent will. Where the first movie left off with the ability to be set free from enslavement, the second movie takes over and plows things into the ground by saying that there is no such thing as freedom.
The acting is good, and there is good comic relief at appropriate points. There are witty one-liners from Trinity and Morpheus, but the plot complications really cause the movie to struggle. The Architecht's dialogue with Neo is only followed with difficulty, unless you have a philosophy degree or read a lot.
There is a lot of ground that I'm skipping over, but in order to make this series a winner, the W. Brothers are going to have to pull not a rabbit out of their hat in the third movie but an entire zoo.
Replies: 
(3)
*laughs*
"I Make This Movie More Difficult To Understand Than Multivariable Calculus."
So I might have a chance with this flick?
Oh wait.
I've forgotten more math then most people learn in their entire lives.
Posted by Jeremy @ 06/23/2003 08:13 AM MST
Actually, Jeremy, you probably wouldn't like it. It has the characteristic John Woo frame rate that you hate, mainly done so that the viewer doesn't get lost when Neo does the "Superman Thing".
Posted by Maynard @ 06/23/2003 01:42 PM MST
We call it the MATRIX RETARDED. lol hahaha
Posted by jens students @ 02/20/2004 03:51 PM MST
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