Review of The Matrix Revolutions (2003) by Starfox — 10 Nov 2003

About halfway through "Revolutions," I realized that there is a clear distinction between a "good" movie and one that is purely exciting on a visceral level. Having such low expectations for the film (after the abysmal "Reloaded"), I found myself very much enjoying the third entry.

It was then that I realized, that the truth was is that it is purely entertaining, but that it really didn't make any sense and has numerous gaps in logic and plot holes. I also realized that somewhere inside of "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" lies a single good film.

After this film, it is clear that the second part could be edited down to a mere twenty minutes and tacked on in place of the opening twenty minutes of "Revolutions," which has absolutely no bearing on the rest of the story.

The entire Merovingian subplot in both films is superfluous and only serves to add confusion, not important plot elements. And the ending, well, it doesn't make a lot of sense either, since (***SPOILERS***) the purpose has shifted.

In the first film the purpose was to free humanity from slavery, but this ending suggests peace between the machines and man, though the machines rely on humans for an energy source. So in the end, the machines won't attack Zion anymore, but what of the millions of people trapped as machine batteries.

There can be no peace, unless the goal is no longer to free humanity, but rather to repopulate the charred planet with the inhabitants of Zion. No explanation, I guess. What it comes down to, is the film is a fun ride, exciting to watch but anytime it tries for an intelligent idea or explanation it fails on every level.

Which is a shame, because the balance is exactly what the first film established so brilliantly.