Today’s quick review: The Matrix Reloaded. As the Machines tunnel to Zion, the last refuge of humanity, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), Neo (Keanu Reeves), and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) journey inside the Matrix to look for a way to stop the onslaught. Their only hope lies with the Oracle (Gloria Foster) and the prophecy of the One, but even that hope might prove to be yet another layer of Machine control.
The Matrix Reloaded is a science fiction action movie that picks up six months after the events of The Matrix. The war against the Machines has spilled into the real world even as the Matrix grows more dangerous. Written and directed by the Wachowskis, The Matrix Reloaded continues its predecessor’s trend of special effects innovation and stylish sci-fi action. Though it lacks the tight writing of the original, it offers spectacle and creative sci-fi in abundance.
The sequel takes a risk by expanding the universe of the Matrix beyond the limited slice seen in the first film. The movie introduces the concept of Exiles, programs banished from the Machine mainframe who have taken up residence in the Matrix. The reborn Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) is a great addition to the canon, while a number of smaller changes help set up some of the movie’s creative fight scenes.
But these changes come with a price. In its attempts to grow beyond the confines of the first film, The Matrix Reloaded sacrifices its philosophical finesse and sense of mystery. The answers Neo finds are vague, cryptic, and unsatisfying, robbing the movie of much of its intellectual and emotional impact. Fans of the first film’s qualities as a science fiction drama may be disappointed in the sequel’s weaker mysteries and action-oriented plot.
What The Matrix Reloaded lacks in philosophical coherence, it makes up for in pure action. The sequel improves on the already outstanding action of the first film, upgrading its special effects, inventiveness, and scope. Featuring physics-bending martial arts, a wide variety of weapons, polished CGI, and uniformly excellent premises, the action sequences in The Matrix Reloaded are some of the most iconic in cinema.
Any action fan who enjoyed The Matrix will get something out of The Matrix Reloaded. The movie’s weaknesses in writing and exposition keep it from being an entirely satisfactory sequel, but its decent plot, strong atmosphere, and jaw-dropping action scenes are enough to set it apart from typical action fare. Those who only liked The Matrix for its cerebral side will dislike the answers the sequel provides.
7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.5 for superb action, a decent plot, and an excellent setting.