Review of The Matrix Reloaded (2003) by George B — 02 Mar 2015

After giving the Matrix trilogy a thorough re-watching, I'm seeing more and more what a spectacular thing Reloaded was and is. I think most fans oint to the original being the best because it was the introduction to the [mindblowing] premise and had some great cringe-inducing body horror elements which its successors lacked and had an obvious appeal to darker, Cronenberg-style science fiction fans like myself.

And the original Matrix film is monumental. It redefined the genre and spawned hundreds of lesser clones, years of tiresome spoofs and influenced pretty much every action/ sci-fi flick made since. But to really look at Reloaded as a singular film, even thirteen years later, is to behold one of the most exciting and impressive movies ever made.

Aside from a few cheesy elements (see: Zion subterranean "rave" scene, the repeated hand-beckoning gesture in every fight) this is one supremely awesome ride. Moreover, we get a lot of questions answered and well-deserved looks at things alluded to in the first film.

Also step back and appreciate how well a wooden actor like Keanu Reeves works as the protagonist- certainly not an overtly complex or intelligent character but would anyone else have worked as Neo? Besides, the real star of this one is Hugo Weaving as (former) Agent Smith, menacing as fuck and now able to copy himself infinitely.

But there are two reasons I loved The Matrix Reloaded the most in the trilogy- It has the most incredible fight scene ever, and the most intense, lengthy car chase ever. The first fight between Neo and the Smith army is out of control, off the chain completely.

Never before or since has anything like that been committed to film. Doubly so for the car/ motorcycle/ semi-truck chase-slash-fight scene with Trinity gunning a Ducati 996 through head-on freeway traffic while Morpheus fights an agent atop an 18-wheeler.

Movies this good shouldn't end.