Rating: Summary: Unless you are a Matrix wanna-be...skip this garbage Review: To briefly recap - Zion was a reason to extend the movie - Superman Neo was absent any time they wanted to insert an action sequence into the movie - the true suprising plot twists are gone - If you daydream about the Matrix...you'll love it
Rating: Summary: Daring and Bold, Flawed but Fun Review: "The Matrix Reloaded" tries to be a lot of things. It tries to be more visually mind-blowing than "The Matrix". It also tries to ask more philosophical questions, show more of humanity in the world of the machines, and to introduce us to numerous entities in the real world and the Matrix. In some ways, the film succeeds (the highway chase is an amazing set piece!) and in others it fails (the "Burly Brawl" ends up looking unreal because they went farther than the effects were really capable of). Many people have dissected the plot, the effects, etc. What it boils down to is this: "The Matrix Reloaded" is a kick-arse sci-fi kung-fu flick with gobs of philosophy. If you're expecting anything more than that, you've got the wrong DVD.
Rating: Summary: Another step forward. Review: Matrix:Reloaded is great! It has some of the best fight scenes ever, and, like all second movies of a trilogy, is all action. The extras DVD had a lot of cool stuff and a good reason to buy the video game or Animatrix. It sets the stage better than 1 because it definately is serial fiction and not stand alone.
Rating: Summary: Gets better after multiple viewings Review: When I first saw the Matrix Reloaded back in May... I left the theater with a feeling of 'huh?... what just happened'. I knew I had witnessed some pretty 'revolutionary' film making, and some pretty impressive set pieces, but overall, the film left me feeling unfulfilled. After viewing the DVD recently, I can safely say that I'm more satisfied with the film, and it makes a lot more sense to me. While not as earth shattering as the original or memorable, Reloaded is still much better than most of the action garbage out there today. And that Freeway scene is worth the price of admission alone. It's hard for a sequel to live up to the original, and Reloaded doesn't... but it ain't half bad.
Rating: Summary: Not as good as the first Review: Ok, I rented this with some hesitancy. This film was almost universally disliked by the critics, and many of my friends disliked it as well. So... I waited until the DVD was released to see the film, and I am so glad that I did. The good: Even though it's been overdone, I will admit that I enjoyed the special effects fight scenes, at least at first. They were very well-choreographed. Unlike most, I also liked the Zion scene. I always wondered what everyone seemed to be fighting for in the first movie, and now I know. And, of course, who can forget Carrie Ann Moss and Hugo Weaving. Great actors, do justice to their roles. Also as usualy, great cinematography. Those folks do know how to use cameras. The bad: Overdone fight scenes. After about the first hour, it started to get tedious. The Oracle. One of the few scenes which should have been a bit longer. Lawrence Fishburn: emotes like a poorly trained Shakespearean actor. He's one of those who tried to make the 50th row in the house feel what he was feeling, but too bad there's only 25 rows in the house. Jada Pinkett Smith, the Albino Twins, and Monica Belucci: hope they get more play in the third installment, I actually think they can be good characters. The ugly: Keanu Reeves. The man has no emotional range whatsoever, making the emotionally-challenged lunkhead that is Neo the perfect role for him. About the only good thing I can say about him is that he's easy on the eyes. Philosophy 101: Uhm, I felt like this flick was a lecture taught by a poorly trained doctorate candidate. It was heavy-handed, sermonistic, and preachy. At least the first film challenged the viewer to think; this one practically rammed it's philosophy down our throats. Story/plot: I'd say ugly, except that would imply that there was one, which there wasn't. The fight scene with the 100s of Smiths: It was drawn out, poorly done, and bordered on being a parody of itself. Sadly, this film doesn't even have the excuse of being a guilty pleasure or a popcorn flick. This, along with Mr. Lucas' recent work with the Star Wars franchise shows just how far filmgoers will go to make a buck or two without concern for quality. If you want good, quality, modern sci-fi, check out the X-Men series or LOTR examples of how good film should be made.
Rating: Summary: Better than the First....and I Like the First a Lot Review: I couldn't have hoped for a better sequel. Yes it is a bit different compared to The Matrix and I guess things either appeal or don't, but hey, this is an absolutely brilliant movie. It is an extension of what was laid down in the first and goes into the specifics more so part of its trans market appeal to the more orientated action fan is lost, even though there is more action, it has less of a straight ahead action feel about it. Couple that with various things in the film that probably make different types of people feel a bit uncomfortable or challenged, and you have some fans of the first film feeling a bit cheated. So why this blockbuster film won't appeal to everyone, if u love myths, fantasy, philosophy, archetypes and have a heart, u will love this. Did I mention brilliant cinematography/ stylish shots, flowing coats and shiny black vinyl?
Rating: Summary: What a Disappointment Review: Matrix: Reloaded. Save your money. What a god-awful piece of crap. Discombobulated story, bad acting, bad script, very little story direction, even bad musical score. What a disappointment. We had stayed up late the evening before the premiere, after a longer than necessary week, just to see the first Matrix again to make sure we had the story details right. Unfortunately, it seems like the whole Lord of the Rings or Star Wars all over again. The first one(s), outstanding, the sequel financially successful on hype or anticipation alone, but falling flat as a story. When will Hollywood stop producing products based on popularity and go back to talent or substance? My only hope now is that every character will die in part three so they can't make another sequel.
Rating: Summary: Disappointing Review: Being a big fan of the first Matrix movie, I was extremely excited to see the second installment. I left the the theatre with an entirely different opinion. The entire film played out like a video game. Neo was no longer the confused but determined protagonist of the first movie, but simply a hollow action figure fighting his way from scene to scene. Granted, these fight scenes were impressive, but whatever happened to the story? We were forced to sit through hours of explosions, presented with some philosophical musings, and then left to dangle for several months until 'Revolutions' is released. I felt as if this movie was lacking something special. It focused way too much on Neo's fighting, and not enough on what he was fighting for. I give this movie two stars because of one truly touching scene in this movie. Neo is presented with a gift from one one of the orphans - a dirty, tattered looking spoon, which we can only assume is from the 'there is no spoon' kid from the first movie. More moments like this may have turned off a lot of hardcore action fans, but would have made this film a lot more enjoyable.
Rating: Summary: The Matrix Reloaded came out too early. Review: This move is phenomenal; other reviewers are hitting on a lot of good points. So I just want to point out some counter argument concepts. Remember the cartoon the Transformers, which came out about 15 years before the matrix. The idea is somewhat the same in the Transformers: The Autobots and Decepticons are robots that rebelled against their creators when they developed more intelligent and emotion. The Autobots' Matrix, which Optimus Prime holds, was the most powerful weapon in the universe. The first Matrix was my favorite movie for a period of time. It had some new fresh ideas, it was stylish, artsy, Gothic, and best action and visual movie at the time. It has an atmosphere similar to another animation call "Aeon Flux" which came out 5-7 years before. This was set in a hyper-techno organic future environment. The Matrix Reload is almost just an extension of the first movie. The mystique is gone. The visual is still awesome and superior above other. A lower budget film "Equilibrium" that came out a year ago is another Matrix action movie that actually feels more creditable and fresh. I wish they didn't release the next Matrix until they had something revolutionary coming out like the first movie. I guess it about feeding the mass pop culture and money. I give this a five star, since it is magnificent on many levels that I didn't touch on, but you know what they are.
Rating: Summary: Trite and Unoriginal Review: About halfway through this movie, I wondered if I was sleeping through a philosophy 201 lecture and the professor was intruding on my dream - but no, it was a pretentious screenwriter. Philosophical points in film should be made through the story (such as the issues of reality in the first film, and similar movies like dark city or existenz) not through (very boring) dialog. Beyond this very serious flaw, the plot of the movie was very weak. At the end of the first matrix, Neo is shot and recovers from the injury completely, and then enters Agent Smith's body, showing that he does not need to follow rules about what is corporeal and what is not. Therefore, hitting him, any of that - does not require martial arts. He's outside of the system, it doesn't work for him anymore. On the plus side, the entire issue of there being multiple copies of "the one" for a further control of the matrix - that was nice, I liked that it seemed at least somewhat interesting. On the downside, the assault on Zion - I am not sure that this was done as well as it could have been.
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