Review of The Matrix Reloaded (2003) by Stefan G — 30 Oct 2015

What always baffled me the most about this film was that it took so long after the first film to release this film. By 2003, the style, attitude, and philosophy of The Matrix weren't quite as relevant as they used to be.

Granted, the film itself is almost as edgy as its predecessor, and it definitely raised the bar in terms of style, visual effects, and fast-paced action. The main problem with this film is that it tried focusing very heavily on the story but left a lot of unanswered questions.

I don't really have a problem with exposition, but having too much expository dialogue can be problematic. In fact, if there are too many scenes spent on exposition, then that tends to work against the narrative because the viewer might lose his or her place while trying to follow the already complex story in the broader universe The Matrix is set in.

The acting is alright, though only a few of the additional characters add anything of note to the narrative, and plenty of the film is spent on events and characters of little consequence to the story.

For what it's worth, this awkwardly paced action sequel was a solid attempt to rectify some of the faults of the previous film, but it came way too late, and ended up leaving more questions than it answered.