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The Matrix Reloaded (Full Screen Edition)

The Matrix Reloaded (Full Screen Edition)

List Price: $19.96
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Really a 3.75 ... NO SPOILERS
Review: It's hard to rate a movie objectively when you've been looking forward to it for so long. About a year ago I saw the trailer for the first time (at Attack of the Clones) and the trailer got more applause than the movie did. So I'll attempt to keep it short and as objective as possible.

The effects are awesome, the fight scenes substantial. The freeway chase will take your breath away almost to the point of it being unrealistic (but not quite). Yet they seem to dominate the movie much more so than than original.

The dialogue seems to sound like it's *trying* to sound deep and is nowhere as thoughtful as in The Matrix. To me it seemed like George Lucas wrote it (he's always been horrible at dialogue).

The worst part being is that you're not much closer to the end. In my opinion there's not much meat to it, even though the eye candy again tends to make up for it.

If you really liked The Matrix, definitely go buy a ticket. Today. If you were "ho-hum" about it, perhaps a matinee or a DVD rental is a better bet. Unless you're a special effects or martial arts junkie and then go see it. Today.

While I overall enjoyed the movie, I feel it would have been better as a 2 movie series, as opposed to the obligatory trilogy. It still does post questions as to the reality of The Matrix and who's really driving the cart. But action scenes and a question or two is all you're really going to get.

Having said all that ... I'm going to go watch it again, hehe.

As an aside, the preview for "Terminator 3" looked good.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: lay off the CGI and get back to the movie!
Review: I'm sorry but, what the... i can deal with some things but this just has a "Block Buster" feel to it.. from the 100 vs neo to, well the hole thing, just well.. "tastes fake" - the fly.
Way to much CGI and needs more RL- Real Life... go see it but remember the original is better then the 2nd. not that the 2nd is really over.. i gave it 3 stars, good see, but not more then one time. If i could talk to them i would say
"lay off the CGI and get back to the movie!"

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: It's not worth all hype
Review: Original movie is so much better than sequel. I actually was bored watching "Matrix reloaded". Too much talking, too many long martial art fights.... Movie is ok to watch once or twice. Needless to say I won't be buying this movie on DVD.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: How deep, the rabbit hole goes...
Review: Firstly, I'd like to say that I was incredibly tempted to give this film five stars (as far as mainstream action blockbusters go, it's at the top of its class)...but since five stars implies perfection, (and since I'm a film snob who hates to give five stars to anything that isn't an art film) I only gave it four. If you collect comic books, play D & D, or cancelled a date so you wouldn't have to miss Buffy, feel free to consider this a five star review.

Next, I'd like to say that the people who are lambasting this film have very little ground to stand on. But the most common complaints that you're going to hear are:

1. Bullet time and slow motion action sequences have been parodied too often...couldn't the Wachowski's have come up with something new for this movie?

2. The action sequences are dazzling but the downtime is way too boring.

3. It's just not the same as watching the original Matrix. The original Matrix blew us away with a world we had never seen, and this film doesn't do that.

4. The ending is too abrupt. A film has to have some kind of resolution.

These complaints are, for the most part, invalid because:

1. The Wachowski's invented bullet time and there isn't any way that they could have done the sequels without the bullet time and slow motion kung fu action sequences, and still remained true to the spirit of the original. You wouldn't want a Star Wars film without light sabers. You wouldn't want a Back to the Future sequel without Biff getting doused in manure. And I for one wouldn't want a Matrix sequel without Bullet time or slow motion Kung Fu.

2. If you are one of the people who was able to watch the original Matrix without realizing that the film was steeped in philosophy, allegory, and social criticism to an extent unseen in an action blockbuster, then shame on you. Go watch it again. Staying true to the spirit of the first Matrix film, Reloaded continues hurling rhetorical malatov cocktails. Now, I knew people who didn't like the first movie because there was "too much talking." If this is you...don't see Reloaded...go watch Blade 2 or the Art of War or something else on your grade level.

3. It's a sequel. It's set in the same hypothetical universe, and even so the Wachowski's are able to turn everything that you think you know about the Matrix on it's head by film's end.

4. This is the only criticism that carries any weight. The ending is abrupt, and there is no resolution. You can call this poor film making. Or you can chalk it up to the Wachowski's ambition and unorthodox film making technique. If it still doesn't seem righ to you, take conmfort in the fact that Reloaded and Revolutions are really one film cut in half, and thank God we only have to wait until November to see the end.

Matrix Reloaded is one of the rare sequels that stays true to the original without simply rehashing the successful elements of its predecessor. (I'm about to ruin the ending so if you haven't seen it yet, stop reading now).

So many people were thrilled that the first movie was a thinly shrouded allegory of the life of Christ, they are bound to be upset when we discover in the sequel that the prophecy of messianic liberation was nothing more than another imposed control. What's so beautiful about this movie is the way that the Wachowski's have taken the self assured and at times pedantic proselytizing of the the original and turned it 180 degrees. In my mind this is only the most obvious success. Reloaded is filled with gems. The prayer/rave/sex scene is one of the most brilliant in the film. I also loved the Merolvingian, who has recruited a motley crew of ghosts and vampires (obsolete and exiled programs within the matrix) as body guards. This film works in so many ways and effectively circumvents the hype.

P.S. My wife says I should point out that this film is not as family friendly as the first so if you're planning to take your kids you might want to keep this in mind.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Pulling Out the Stops
Review: The Matrix Reloaded boasts one of the greatest collection of action scenes ever assembled. Make no bones about it, this film has some of the most astonishing visual sequences ever burned on celluloid. The Wachowski Brothers haven't simply raised the bar; they've sent it into orbit. Aside from the action, they have also managed to enhance the story from the first movie by adding new elements, twists, and characters.

Reloaded picks up shortly after the ending of the first film. Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus go to a secret meeting of Zion rebels and learn of the machines new plan for human annihilation. Neo senses something is wrong, triggered by nightmares, but he isn't sure what he knows. Basically this film sets up the next with a series of the most breathtaking and lavishly coordinated action scenes ever. Botton line, they must stop the machines. I will say no more.

The great thing about this film is the action. Martial arts fights, car chases, bullit stoping, swords, you name it, Reloaded has it. However, what surprised me about this film was that they managed to fuse a good plot with all the action (sequals in this genre tend often not to do so). Like Terminator 2, Aliens, and even X-Men 2, The Matrix benefits from a larger budget here and it looks like it was worth every penny. This is a can't miss. It rocks. I can't wait for the next one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant, Not the Original, but Brilliant
Review: There is no doubt that the Matrix Reloaded faces a very steep challenge. Reloaded is the sequel to one of the most fascinating and imaginative sci-fi movies ever, one that redefined both the sci-fi genre as well as the action world. On top of that, it also took special effects to another level rarely seen before. Also, Reloaded is in the tough cinema spot of the middle movie, which is often a tough story spot to be in. With these things weighing it down, Reloaded already has some baggage. Although not as mind blowing or as inventive as the original, Reloaded is an excellent movie. It builds upon the themes of the first, and twists the story to such an extent that the actual basis of the whole series is challenged in a new, fundamental way.

The story begins six months after the first movie. The last human city of Zion is in mortal danger, and thousands of machines have begun digging through the ground, in order to destroy the free city and all its inhabitants. The human camp is split between strategies, undecided whether to follow the more practical advice of some Zion military leaders, or the more vague and opaque suggestions of Morpheus. Morpheus still believes that Neo, or The One, is the key to winning the war. Neo is by now near invincible, fully understanding the dynamics of the Matrix fantasy world. This invincibility actually hurts the movie, as you never actually feel danger or doubt that Neo will not come out on top, a certainty that hurts the excitement and tension delivered in the first movie.

It is hard to review this movie without releasing any spoilers, but let me see if I can do it. It turns out the Matrix is far from the stable, stream lined machine world that we were led to believe. Like any environment, it has numerous anomalies and errors. The human rebels, namely Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity seek to exploit the fissures in the Matrix façade. While exploring these anomalies, they explore whole new regions of the Matrix and the philosophy behind it. Standing in their way is a whole group of rogue programs and the familiar agents. Returning from the first movie is the venerable Agent Smith, who has now gone freelance and has gained some spectacular new powers. The story itself is relatively slow until one pivotal moment, where Neo faces a power never seen before. This meeting really changes the whole back-story of the movie, and I would advise anyone seeing it to really pay attention to what is said. That scene, in conjunction with a shocking display of Neo's power near the end, provides a whole new range of questions and theories concerning the true nature of the Matrix.

The special effects are mind blowing. Some of the scenes are really pioneering, such as the car chase scene, which is one of the best action sequences I have ever seen. The acting and dialogue are pretty good, but are nothing new. Overall, I found the movie to be fascinating, with new ideas brought up and great action episodes to move the story further along. There are some problems. I found some of the scenes involving Zion a little lame, and the first hour or so is a little slow. The ending, well, let's just say it is going to be a long wait until November. A great movie though, as intellectually stimulating as it is visually pleasing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: SEE THIS MOVIE
Review: I have seen this movie twice now since its release yesterday and oh my god. I was kinda concerned yesterday before seeing it because I was hearing alot of negative reviews from the critics. They said the action was monotonous and got old really fast and that the story was not as engaging as the first one. So I headed off to the theater expecting it to suck, but then a little voice reminded me...Hey didn't these same critics not like blade? So my spirits lifted a bit. Alright back to the movie. The plot is incredible. It is so much deeper than the first one. I feel like I am still tumbling down the rabbithole of the matrix. It just keeps getting weirder and cooler. The philosophy of the matrix reloaded is amazing and it comes across easily enough for most people to get the basic understanding of it. But there are also scenes for us who want the HARDCORE philosophy, like the scene with the architect. The action is amazing as well. It pushes the envelope of the last movie, which had the best special effects of any movie in 4 years, to an ungodly height. After watching this movie and watching the first again I got the sense that the real world was fully complete. It seemed like all the people in the real world were just the crew of the nebakadnezzer(sp?) with just a brief mention of a city. The second one seems much more alive. It is teeming with new characters that fully flesh out the real world. Bottom line SEE THIS MOVIE MANY MANY TIMES. Thank you.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Unloaded
Review: The Matrix Reloaded does what WB hoped it would and what Neo-files hoped it wouldn't: It sells out--I mean both in the box office and also in its values. One might forgive the product placement (America's favorite gas-guzzler) as the movie attempts to gratify those of us who not only enjoyed, but believed in, the first film by offering truly mesmerizing action sequences which surely go beyond anyone's expectations. But the script was nevertheless weak, also beyond anyone's expectations. You will scratch your head in bewilderment during long stretches of sophomoric bedroom dialogue which neither support the film nor provide any interesting excursive value. A second failure of the dialogue is its gratuitous attempts to supply seemingly endless facts which could only serve to sell the companion video game. In fact, while the movie is rather wordy, almost none of the dialogue is worthy of attention. One notable exception is Neo's first fight scene, when he cocks his head and makes an unforgettable passive comment, perfectly delivered by Reeves. Even the action scenes often seem more in keeping with Mission Impossible than with the first Matrix--at the end of which one could have ignored Neo's "Superman thing," whereas in Reloaded it becomes routine--as the directors have chosen now to copycat contemporary Hollywood's penchant for making action scenes so implausible as to exceed the bounds of human imagination. We still want to believe in Newton; we like to see his rules bent, perhaps broken, but certainly not discarded. My only real praise for this film goes to Carrie-Anne Moss, whose portrayal of Trinity is superb. She deserves an Oscar nomination for this film. She delivers every line with the kind of conviction lacking elsewhere. It is as if she still believes in the Matrix, and after watching the sequel, I hope that I still can too.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Almost surpasses the original, almost
Review: Picking up where the first film left off, The Matrix Reloaded is the most visually impressive film to come along since the first film. The ante has been upped for just about everything: the computer FX are so incredibly presented they must be seen to be believed, and the story has grown more complex than the original. Not to mention these are some of the best fight scenes ever conceived to celluloid, albeit most are computer generated, they are undeniably impressive, especially Neo's battle with over a hundred Agent Smith's. The look of the film seems much more slickly put together than the first, but when the credits start to roll your left wanting more and you feel a bit disappointed, and I'm not just talking about the cliffhanger ending either. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Anne Moss are as fine tuned in their roles as they ever have been, although Jada Pinkett-Smith felt a bit underused and Monica Bellucci leaves more to be desired in her role. Hugo Weaving chews as much screen time as he can as multiple Agent Smith's, and the Twins (whose names I can't remember for the life of me) help bring the freeway scene, which may be the best car chase/battle scene ever filmed in recent memory, to life. Some parts of the film are a bit drawn out, an example being the rave like celebration at Zion, and Matrix Reloaded just isn't as mind blowing as the first film, although there are plenty of surprises and revelations that lead into the third and final film of the series, The Matrix Revolutions. All in all, The Matrix Reloaded doesn't quite live up to the awe-inspiring original film, but this way above average flick is much, much better than all of the other wanna be blockbusters released as of late. And remember to stay tuned after the credits are done rolling for a special sneak peak.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome Movie!!!
Review: I just saw this movie yesterday and it was the absolute bomb. The movie is bigger, badder, and better than the first. The action scenes totally rocked. The music was great, as were the special effects.However I do have a single complaint. There was way too much talking. But don't let that one thing spoil it for you. The movie is kick[in] and anyone who has not seen this flick.... GO SEE IT BECAUSE IT ROCKS!!!!!


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