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THE MATRIX RELOADED (*½)
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Movie Review by:
Jim "Good Old JR" Rutkowski
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Written
& Directed by:
The Wachowski Brothers |
Starring:
Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne |
Running time:
138 minutes
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Released:
5/15/03 |
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Rated R
for sci-fi violence and some sexuality. |
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"...a dull, ponderous epic" |
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The Wachowski brothers disappear
down the rabbit hole with The Matrix Reloaded, their
long-awaited sequel to the 1999 phenomenon, The Matrix.
Burrowing deeper into the elaborate mythological underpinnings
of their story, the Wachowskis have gotten in over their heads,
crafting a dull, ponderous epic in the process. Though they are
still capable of concocting riveting action sequences and
eye-popping special effects, they seem more interested in
fueling the myth of their own visionary genius.
The first Matrix postulated that the world is really an illusion
created by machines that have enslaved mankind, and that
computer hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves) is actually the One
prophesied by the Oracle. Only the One can bring an end to the
war with the Machines - or at least, that's what Morpheus
(Lawrence Fishburne) and his followers believe. In the last
human outpost of Zion, however, there are many who feel that
only military action can defeat the swarm of robot Sentinels en
route to destroy the underground city.
As Reloaded opens, Neo is haunted by dreams in which his true
love Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) is killed while on a mission
inside the Matrix. Neo, Trinity and the rest of the crew of the
Nebuchadnezzar (including captain Morpheus and navigator Link,
played by Harold Perrineau of TV's Oz) have returned to Zion for
repairs, but have no intention of sticking around for the battle
with the Sentinels. Instead, they venture back into the Matrix,
so that Neo can figure out how to fulfill his destiny as the
One.
The bulk of the movie consists of Neo's attempt to discover his
purpose, a quest that plays out in a seemingly endless series of
encounters with white-haired sages who intone Zen nothings in a
stilted manner. (When Keanu Reeves is one of the most vocally
expressive actors in a movie, there's definitely a problem.) The
last of these solemn blowhards is the Architect of the Matrix,
who unloads a gob of exposition so plodding and
incomprehensible, it plays like an outtake from an Ed Wood movie
- at least for viewers who haven't immersed themselves in the
videogames, cartoons and other Matrix marginalia.
These talky, portentous scenes are punctuated by brief bouts of
kung fu every 20 minutes or so, lest the audience slip into a
coma. The fights are virtually indistinguishable from each
other: the techno music pumps up on the soundtrack, the "bullet
time" effects crank to life, and one of the heroes delivers yet
another ass-kicking to the forces of evil. The big war with the
Machines never arrives - Warner Bros. is saving it for Matrix
Revolutions, due in November.
There are two somewhat exciting set pieces in The Matrix
Reloaded, and it's a shame that both of them have already been
overexposed in the months-long orgy of hype that preceded the
movie's release. The first involves Agent Smith, played with
winning dry wit by Hugo Weaving, here as in the first
installment. Though seemingly "deleted" at the end of The
Matrix, Smith has somehow survived due to his connection with
Neo. What's more, he has developed the power to replicate
himself. When Smith catches up with his nemesis, the result is
an all-out brawl in which Neo must take on over 100 Agent Smiths
at once. The effects in this scene are a bit like a high end
video game, but for the first time the Wachowskis seem to
remember that the movie is supposed to be fun. The big battle is
marred only by Neo's solution for ending it, which leaves you
wondering why he just didn't do it earlier.
The second big action sequence is an epic freeway chase - and it
is no doubt one of the great car chases of all time. The
highly-touted "virtual cinematography" process allows for
impossible camera angles as cars hurtle through the air,
motorcycles careen through oncoming traffic, and sword battles
break out atop speeding 18-wheelers. It's every bit the
breathless tour de force it's meant to be, but when it's over
there's no escaping the fact that the climactic scene of this
supposedly cutting-edge extravaganza is still...a car chase. The
action scenes do absolutely nothing to advance the story.
Like George Lucas before them, the Wachowski brothers connected
with a huge and devoted audience by devising a comic-bookish
mythology and bringing it to life with state-of-the-art special
effects and rock-em, sock-em action. And now, like Lucas before
them, they have fallen victim to their own mythology, as
perpetuated by their most ardent fans. Long stretches of
Reloaded play as if the Wachowski's actually believe they are
visionaries imparting great wisdom to the masses, rather than
talented purveyors of popcorn thrills.
For that portion of the audience consumed with The Matrix in all
its permutations, the religious allusions, Chicken Soup for the
Soul philosophical nuggets and sci-fi mumbo-jumbo may well add
up to a satisfying sequel. The rest of us, for whom the original
Matrix was nothing more or less than a fun matinee a few years
back, are not so lucky. |
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THE MATRIX RELOADED © 2003 20th
Century Fox
All Rights Reserved.
Review © 2003 Alternate Reality, Inc. |
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