Review of The Matrix Reloaded (2003) by Keith A — 14 Apr 2013

It possibly crosses the line on it's attempts to mean something, with the mock philosophy becoming even more prevalent than in the first instalment. The magic of originality is lost here also, as, while it's still pretty damn original, it is nonetheless a sequel and some things begin to wear thin. These are only some of the downsides prevalent in this instalment but it's still sci-fi at it's most inventive and appealing to mass audiences- it's also a damn good film.

"I have some wine and I must take a piss- cause and effect" is how this one treats philosophy and some of the dialogue and characters are as ridiculous as that. It leads to a more typical brainless action movie format than the first film but the smarts are in the brilliant fight scenes here that take things a step up from "The Matrix". The Wachowski brother's influences show more than ever and they capture the Kong-fu action spirit perfectly and the scenes pack a punch. there's the occasional CGI overdo but it's rare and forgiveable considering the technology is more realistic now than when this film was released.

The plot is pretty silly like the first one but also very fun, and I don't think this should be taken particularly seriously anyway- it's a serious action movie with some great sci-fi, it doesn't need to be more than that. As long as it has enough conviction in itself and can keep you engrossed then it works, and this works.

As I mention in my review of the first instalment- it looked like there was a flame that was diminishing and that a sequel would quickly run out of fuel. I think the Wachowki brothers knew this and they introduced some new characters and ideas to keep things fresh and it worked.

It's not as good as the first instalment- mostly because the dialogue becomes harder to forgive and the magic isn't as strong as it was, but it's a strong movie in it's own right and a good sequel. The first one is memorable for it's overall experience whereas this is memorable for specific moments- they are both memorable though and that's enough.