The Matrix Revolutions (Widescreen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: The most anti-religion movie ever made (and that's good)
Review: I am guessing that most viewers consider the Matrix trilogy to be a highly symbolic, religiously-themed set of movies. They are correct, but not for the surface reasons that most will think -- instead, the films are the most anti-religious movies ever made.

Consider this: Who has ultimate "control" of the universe? God, of course. Who is supposed to be his foil? Lucifer, of course, but only by his choice.

But the Matrix says quite bluntly that God (the architect) and Lucifer (the oracle) not only are not enemies, they work in tandem to keep the universe (matrix) running as smoothly as possible.

Indeed, they have "rebooted" the universe multiple times...remember, Zion has fallen five previous times. It is as if the "big two" have an on-going bet regarding the outcome.

Neo (Christ) is simply the unwitting tool of these two central figures. The oracle "plays a dangerous game" in that she takes a mighty risk -- a risk that Agent Smith (the anti-christ) might destroy the matrix (the universe) if left unchecked. She willfully generates a christ-figure (Neo), betting that he will overcome the threat through sacrifice, love and "peace" ... but not before extracting a concession from the architect -- that some (but certainly not all or most) of the lesser programs/people can actually gain their freedom if her christ-tool prevails. You can argue that a by-product of her duel with the architect was freedom for a few (and continued misery for millions).

The final scene shows the new, squeaky clean Matrix -- a rebooted Matrix. But for whom? Who stays? Who goes?

Summary: The story as told is compelling and depressing, but a more shocking "Revolution" would have been for the oppressed to have turned against the oracle and the architect...and to have smashed their wicked game. Man's freedom was not God's design -- it was a concession extracted by force. The battle is not over.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing....
Review: This week I watched The Matrix, and Matrix Reloaded before going to see Revolutions. If you are looking for a sweet little film with a neat and happy ending - then don't bother. But if you are more interested in an intelligent, exciting and extremely thought-provoking film - then Revolutions is the best. You have to pay attention throughout the film if you want to truly understand. The fight scenes were even better then the prior two films. The Oracle's role is fully answered. The movie is intense from opening to closing scenes. I will go see it again!

Rating:
Summary: Extremely Disappointed
Review: I was shocked that "Revolutions" turned out to be a bad movie. I saw the previews, and they looked so cool that I thought there was no way this movie could possibly stink. Well, they surprised me.

First of all, I was one of the few people who really liked "Reloaded". That movie was bashed, but I honestly thought that the Wachowski Brothers had done about as good of a job as we could reasonably expect them to do with the movie; after all, "they're only human". It's not fair to judge them on the scale of the first Matrix.

That said, "Revolutions" was almost a complete diaster and disappointment. The film was utterly dismal and I felt like there was very little effort put into making the film exciting or satisfying. Most of the film involved Niobe trying to get through a tunnel, and a bunch of mechs shooting at an endless stream of sentiniles. Some of the battle scenes were mildly amusing, but most of it felt very B-movie standard scifi shoot 'em up. It felt like the Wachowski Brothers spent all their money on that Freeway scene in "Reloaded".

Despite the title of the film, almost none of the movie takes place "inside" the Matrix, and Neo is only marginally featured towards the end, almost like something forced and obligatory. Trinity, Morpheus, and company just didn't do much of anything. Honestly I didn't even know how they were able to fill up 2 hours so quickly with absolutely nothing.

"Reloaded" set up a lot of possible cool ideas, most of which were totally wasted in "Revolutions". The entire "Smith-is-Lucifer/a virus" idea, which was supposed to be the centrepiece of the third film, was surprisingly underused. Very few lose ends were tied up, and the general feeling of the film can be summed up in one word: unsatisfying.

After the movie, my first reaction was "WTF was this?!" My second reaction was "OMG, this movie sucked!" As a Matrix fan I am duly disappointed with this film. Yes, everything that has a beginning has an end, and it saddens me that this is how it ends.

I give the movie 3 stars because it was not so terrible that I couldn't watch it, and like I said, some of the battle scenes were mildly amusing. I would still say that if you're a Matrix fan, you should see it. However, you shouldn't get your hopes up.

Rating:
Summary: Three was not the charm
Review: The first installment of the Matrix changed the way films will be shot forever, containing action scenes unlike any other, but what really made it special was the captivating storyline and character interaction. Sadly, this is the area where Revolutions falls short. The second film hinted at so many sub-plots that I was satisfied to wait for Revolutions to have its mysteries revealed, and never considered complaining about Reloaded as others had done. What was revealed was a thin storyline once stripped of the visual images, and a movie devoid of character interaction except for almost laughable bursts of meaningless dialogue(I have many examples, but why bother). The problem for me is that I loved this story, and it characters, and I felt that I was on the verge of seeing something wonderful, moving, and unforgetable. I didn't, and it wasn't even close. Speculating on what this or that aspect may mean in the "cosmic" scheme of things is pointless, as it expresses the visions of the viewer more than what was actually presented. I have my own theories of what the writers may have had in mind like everyone else, but they are just not importantenough to mention. I respectfully submit that many conclusions can be drawn but no hard conclusions are possible because the film is just too "all over the place" to satisfy on that level. See it, because if you are a fan of the series you need to, and see if you think I am right. I am betting you will, and I am very sorry.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing!
Review: I saw this on opening day. It was a complete waste of time. The 'Animatrix', a prequel to the series that I own on DVD, was a lot more interesting.

My guess is that the Oracle manipulated Neo in order to destroy him because Agent Smith is really Neo's doppelganger (like evil Superman).

My expectations on plot development were high, given where we were left off at part 2. Even if part 3 didn't answer all of the questions raised in the first two parts, it should at least have posed more interesting questions. This did not happen.

The movie will probably appeal to those 15 years old and under. The overplayed video game-like sequence at the defense of the docking station was mind-numbing. The love scene between Neo and Trinity just drips with cliche - just the sort of thing from a 15-year old's unsophisticated mind.

This was the rip-off of the year in movie-going if I ever saw one.

Don't waste your money. Rent the DVD when it comes out - if you must.

Rating:
Summary: If we were really in the Matrix...
Review: I would have woken up in my pod by now, cause my mind can't accept how empty and painful this movie is.

Revolutions just feels like it was made in an alternate demension. All of the style and cleverness of the previous ones just takes a backseat to the war in zion. This overglorified sfx battle is nothing like the battle that was implied in the previous movies. It just seems like the CGI guys got a hold of the LOTR software and went a little crazy. If you fight machines with machines, why bother with Neo and friends? Well, actually, they don't bother with them. The cast we came to love is actually hardly seen in this movie, and the few scenes they have just make them feel dead already. So it's hard to care about the meaningless sacrifices they make in the ending, if you can even call them sacrifices, it may feel to some as if it's for no reason. I guess I just had my hopes too high. I was expecting a Revolution or a Revalation, but it never came. After the previous two movies, I really felt this was being built up into something special, but it only took something special away from me. What is the Matrix? Greed. A money-making system designed to keep us under control, while it turns curious human beings into consumer .... Seriously, I know money is good and all, but why sell-out and mutilate beautiful ideas just to get rich off the masses?

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Summary: great movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: In an effort to take its familiar animation style one technological step further, wasabis pioneered an effect called "deep junk" for its big-screen version of the matrix revolutions. The enthralling effect, which tricks the eye into seeing neos high-speed travels through the cyberspace in three dimensions, is just one reason to watch this surprisingly affecting tale of a misfit working to reconcile his differences from both machines and humans. At heart, it's an action movie, and a pretty hip one at that - neos motions, as he surfs along serpentine cyberspace and hurtles through the computers, are modeled on those of skateboarders. Plus it has a handful of clever set pieces in which no less than a vicious wasp, a sadistic hunter, and a herd of stampeding clones threaten the safety of the chosen. Many of these are funny, too - when the wasps debate whether a prankster citizen swimming in their drinking hole might be a wasp, one of them points out that it couldn't be because the wasp is indigenous to South America. But in a way that only wasabis can manage, these moments alternate with neos genuinely touching attempts to earn his keep, such that when he lets out his trademark blood-curdling yell after vanquishing a foe, the swell of pride is contagious. The vocal work is unspectacular, outside of will smith as a teasingly proper neo and spike lee as a neurotic elephant. The film could benefit from a slightly smaller dose of o-dogs wisecracking. But the most visually advanced film that wasabi brothers can produce is also one of its most insignificant, and even Phil lynotts dutifully inspirational score gets swept up in the general joke.

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Summary: The truth of the matrix
Review: The Matrix Trilogy is an art-form of the structure and dynamics of consciousness. Based on my own 10 years of research on the "Geometrical Structure of Consciousness" (email me at [e-mail] to learn more) using math and observation, the movie near perfectly (in art form) describes consciousness.

Don't fool your self. If someone didn't like the movie, it is not for any other reason than that it scares them. Someone who can appreciate the movie and understand it may have achieved a level of consciousness; continued on with their "path". Those who don't like the movie and cannot understand it feel threatened by the movie because it incites feelings of guilt for losing their soul and "way" many years ago. They are lost souls like the "vampires" and "werewolves" in Reloaded.

You can't blame them...to lose your path and stop developing in consciousenss means stupidity, igonorance, blindness, repression, shallowness, arrogance, etc., and movies, they believe, should arouse their genitals, not their mind (they probably stopped day dreaming during "orgy" in Reloaded.

This is a quite a psychological observation, those who report their liking or not of the Matrix. You have (1) those who like the movie because they achieved a level of consciousness and are following their path; (2) those who despise the movie (come on, 1 star?) because it reminds them of what they lost in the past and know they cannot get back (they commited metaphysical suicide); or (3) those who love the movie because THEY are lost but haven't given up on the search -- they are not bitter yet.

I am surprised to see so many DID like the movie. You had to think and it required a level of intelligence and experience to even enjoy or see the movie...as far as I am concerned the rest can just continue to watch the "Telli Tubbies".

Brian Woodward, Ph.D.

Rating:
Summary: The Matrix Revolutions-Better Than You May Think
Review: The Matrix Revolutions, the final part in the Matrix trilogy didn't disappoint, atleast me. The acting and dialogue were not as exceptional as displayed in the first and hell maybe even second flim. The action sequences were stunning, featuring excellent CGI. Highlights include a ceiling shootout, an APU vs. the machine army battle and a grand finale betweeen Neo and his arch nemesis, Smith. Unfortunately, the final confrontation was not as memorable as it could be in my opinion and it also seemed a bit short in time. The fight scene between Smith and Neo in the original Matrix film was a lot more intense and suspenseful.
As for the premise, well it's still slightly incomprehensible. Essentially, Neo, Trinity and Morpheus return, and Zion is near total chaos. The city must be protected for the war against the sentinels is rising. Neo is on his mission to finally battle and hopefully kill his arch rival, Smith. The ending of the film was inevitable and a little predictable in my opinion. But all in all, this was a pretty entertaining film. Though it must be stated that Reloaded & Revolutions are not at all as good as "The Matrix," the true film which created a new visual style in cinema, with it's intricate plot, themes and concepts. Reloaded has the best action of all three though and probably the most too. I've heard a lot of negative reviews on this film, but hey it's not horrible and I should point out it's watchable. Keanu Reeves, loses his ability to convey Neo as well as he did in the first, Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus didn't seem to get much screen time. Carrie-Anne Moss was quiet as Trinity, in fact the relationship between her and Neo wasn't very strong, if you know what I mean. There wasn't a great deal of character development.
Even the inevitable appearance of Smith played masterfully by Hugo Weaving wasn't that great, considering he had only about 2 or 3 scenes.
The Matrix Revolutions is rated R for Sci-Fi Violence and Brief Sexual Content. The violence includes gunplay, fistfights and some bloody wounds. This one has the most blood of all three films I'd say. The sexuality is extremely mild, mainly brief nudity and sexual innuendo. Also some profanity, not particularly strong, mainly some instances of the "s" word. All in all, a fine film, and worth viewing in theatres. Not too sure I'd buy this one yet on Video or DVD though.

Rating:
Summary: Certainly Different
Review: I did not know what to think coming into the third Matrix movie. I was a fan of the first two. What I saw though was a film that was certainly different from the first two. The first one was essentially a mystery - a quest to discover what the matrix was and what was going on. The second film was a kung fu/action film which I found personally quite enjoyable (especially the freeway chase). The third film however was completely different from the first two. With only two fights scenes occuring within the Matrix and 90% of the film in the "real world" the film smacked more of Aliens than the Matrix (especially with those mechs...) - the action was of a completely different nature to all that that came before - whilst spectacular lacked some of the magic that defined the first two. It was a bit too symbolic with the blinding of Neo etc and the obvious christ metaphor with Neo splayed out at the end and all the Satrian philosophy with the train station etc. The movie was enjoyable although some of the dialog was a bit dodgy in places, especially at the start. It was certainly different from the first two but I believe deserves a second viewing