Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I had high hopes for this sequel to one of the best movies I have ever seen. I was terribly disappointed. The action sequences, while superior in special effects, did nothing to help along the dragging plot. I hate to agree with some print reviewers in my area, but the movie dragged on for what seemed like millenia in some portions and parts of it were obviously recycled from the original script of the first movie. Not a terrible flick but nowhere near as good as the first.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie except for the sex scene
Review: This was a very good movie. Lots of action, great special effects, good story line. Only major problem was the sex scene. Why they included this I do not know. It does nothing for the story in any fashion. If you cut this out it is a very enjoyable movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Majorly disappointing followup
Review: This film is a ... fallback in terms of a sequel for a film that not only broke through certain technical standards of action films and animation, but assembling interesting fragments of big ideas into one concept. With the first movie there was a good setup in terms of where the movie could go. Many philosophical ideas are presented and this movie might've been an interesting statement, but it ends with a ridiculous shootout chase sequence. That put me off, however I still recognized the clever storytelling. With that ending it seemed as if their creative wellspring had hit a wall. And this movie just confirms it. 'Reloaded' isn't as good as the original because it doesn't fit together, have an ending, or even attempt to form characters to care about. The reason it doesn't fit together and have an ending will be tossed off by the fact that the third installment will be released in November so we don't have to wait a long time and the two films were shot back to back so something like this was bound to happen. This film labors on with these conversations that have very little to no sense of urgency and have no payoff, some even meander around important subjects, the writers and directors are stalling here.
When they do get to good subplot about the program that has taken the keymaker it was discarded swiftly. One thing that was executed well by the Wachowski's is the Zion celebration scene where massive dancing is intercut with a sex scene. In both style and effect, they succeed. In both parts the scene should be jubilant and cathartic, but instead it's plodding and painful and gorgeous foreshadowing the coming doom. I understand this is supposed to be a popcorn movie with action, great visual effects, and bass heavy dance music. First of all, I have to agree with the reviewer who said that the effects were bad because they were almost as bad as Spiderman. For example, when Neo goes 'superman' don't tell me you thought that was actually Keanu. I can't cut them a break here because Superman was shot decades before and the actor was used, they looked fine. The least the directors could have done would've been to mix effects with Keanu and the CGI. Next, fight effects fake looking most of the time as well and Keanu never shows his super speed for an extensive period of time in this film and the scenes simply show gravity defying action which is somewhat interesting, but nothing new. Music was bare in this one, it's more rhythmic at times, but lacking in substance compared to the first one. The film leaves just enough new stuff at the end to slightly interest viewers in the third installment simply to explain it, but to end it with 'To be concluded' is inexcusable, they should've just quit after the reveal at the end.
Rating:
Summary: Majorly disappointing followup
Review: This film is a lame fallback in terms of a sequel that not only broke through certain technical standards of action films and animation, but assembling interesting fragments of big ideas into one concept. With the first movie there was a good setup in terms of where the movie could go. Many philosophical ideas are presented and this movie might've been an interesting statement, but it ends with a ridiculous shootout chase sequence. That put me off, however I still recognized the clever storytelling. With that ending it seemed as if their creative wellspring had hit a wall. And this movie just confirms it. 'Reloaded' isn't as good as the original because it doesn't fit together, have an ending, or even attempt to form characters to care about. The reason it doesn't fit together and have an ending will be tossed off by the fact that the third installment will be released in November so we don't have to wait a long time and the two films were shot back to back so something like this was bound to happen. This film labors on with these conversations that have very little to no sense of urgency and have no payoff, some even meander around important subjects, the writers and directors are stalling here.
When they do get to good subplot about the program that has taken the keymaker it was discarded swiftly. One thing that was executed well by the Wachowski's is the Zion celebration scene where massive dancing is intercut with a sex scene. In both style and effect, they succeed. In both parts the scene should be jubilant and cathartic, but instead it's plodding and painful and gorgeous foreshadowing the coming doom. I understand this is supposed to be a popcorn movie with action, great visual effects, and bass heavy dance music. First of all, I have to agree with the reviewer who said that the effects were bad because they were almost as bad as Spiderman. For example, when Neo goes 'superman' don't tell me you thought that was actually Keanu. I can't cut them a break here because Superman was shot decades before and the actor was used, they looked fine. The least the directors could have done would've been to mix effects with Keanu and the CGI. Next, fight effects fake looking most of the time as well and Keanu never shows his super speed for an extensive period of time in this film and the scenes simply show gravity defying action which is somewhat interesting, but nothing new. Music was bare in this one, it's more rhythmic at times, but lacking in substance compared to the first one. The film leaves just enough new stuff at the end to slightly interest viewers in the third installment simply to explain it, but to end it with 'To be concluded' is inexcusable, they should've just quit after the reveal at the end.
Rating: 
Summary: see it for yourself, but I thought it was a mistake
Review: I'll get to the point right away. The movie was entertaining, but one of the worst I've seen. See it for yourself and make up your own mind, but I wish I hadn't seen it.I saw the first one six times in the theater, and was really excited to see a sequel. But ... the action is good, but pointless. Why does Neo stick around to fight the 100 smiths? He obviously can't kill them (he couldn't kill the original). Every time he knocks one down, two more come. He ends up flying away in the end, why doesn't he do so in the beginning? In the first movie, they fight in order to escape or to rescue someone. In this one, they fight ... because fighting's cool? I asked my brother (who loves it and is mad at me for hating it)about the several fight scenes. Why did Neo stick around to fight? The answer "because maybe he thinks it's fun". There is no diologue. If the characters talk, it's to either explain something, or rant about the philosophy of choice. Both of which get very boring very quick. Yes I understood all the philosophy, but I care more about story and character. I found myself zoning out and not paying attention until the next action scene. What makes it worse, the story and their explanations do not make sense. I don't want to give anything away, but you tell me if the concept of the "keymaker" and him even being alive makes any sense to you. And he's not even the biggest problem. What is the point of the chocolate cake scene? Why do I care?
Again, I asked my matrix-loving-brother about this. His answers to all my questions, "I don't know. Just because." The car chase is kinda cool, but again, it doesn't make sense. The "twins" die in a situation that is nothing compared to other's they get out of. Neo misses the "door" to the car chase because he is too slow. If I remember right, in the first movie, Neo moves so fast he is a blur. Every time the characters get into trouble, they are quickly rescued by a flying Neo, which makes one wonder ... why wasn't Neo there in the beginning? Anyway, if you see it. Enjoy the visuals, but ignore the rest. Trying to make sense of it will only give you a headache.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: With the risk of being dismissed as not getting it, I'm disappointed with the Matrix Reloaded. I like philosophy and paradoxes and nested matrices as much as the next person. Like many others, I think the Matrix concept is clever and thought-provoking. However, this movie left me bored much of the time. Starting with the good, the most interesting aspect of the movie is the investigation and development of different layers and societies and rogues inside the matrix. As I remember the prior film, it was most-focused on a cleaner battle between the good humans and the bad machines. This time around, we are presented with many more nuances. Unfortunately, the disappointing aspects outweighed the intriguing. I had a difficult time getting past some of the more blatant problems. For example, how come Agent Smith can dodge bullets but, in the Burly Brawl, can't dodge another Smith being thrown at him? Another issue is just the fact of more of the same. Besides the relatively good and oft-talked about Burly Brawl and freeway chase scenes, we have to endure several fight scenes reminiscent of the 1999 film. Our peak into Zion and the attempt to integrate more emotion and relationships fall flat to me. As presented, they don't add much to the movie. If I didn't see it myself, I'd still be wondering what it was like. Other than that reason, there are probably other films and books and bike rides that could've better taken my time.
Rating:
Summary: Good fights - nothing else. (this addresses the movie)
Review: As someone who loved the intelligent script and innovative visuals of the Matrix, I couldn't help being disappointed by «The Matrix- Reloaded ». The fact of the matter is I understood precious little of what happened in Reloaded. Don't get me wrong: they spoke English. But what they said was so wrapped in deeply meaningful philosophy or insights that by the time they shut up, I was still trying -and failing- to figure out what they meant. So that's a bit of a let down on the plot line. Anyway, in Reloaded, it's not a story enhanced and supported by great fights, it's pretty much the contrary. It feels like the story is just an excuse for supporting the fights. Every one of those fights would have benefited by being shortened by half. The directors obviously went on a rampage of special effects and for the insiders, who can identify the techniques, cost and time involved, it's probably awe-inspiring. For the laymen, it gets old quickly. It's always a bad idea to give directors limitless money for postproduction: they inevitably get drunk on the possibilities and end up forgetting the story. The fight between Neo and 100 agents is something to watch, grant you, but when in the end Neo simply shoots up and disappears you can't help but wonder why he wasted 15 minutes fighting in the first place.
So the story line is thin and confusing. The acting is appalling, not that the actors were given much to work with. Reeves basically spends the movie looking blank behind some sunglasses and does a great job at it. In fact, it is amazing the sheer number of human emotions and conflicts his face is capable of not registering. (The architect tells him" "I sense your emotions..." He must be good. All I see is more of a blank face.) When he speaks, it's usually to utter: "Why am I here?" or "Where am I?" or "What should I do?", thus sounding much more like a clueless fighting machine than the enlightened One.
Morpheus seems to shrink back to normalcy, in this movie, loosing the aura of leadership and wisdom he had in the first. He spends a good 10 minutes fighting ONE agent and loosing to him. Is this the Master who thought Neo how to fight?
The two monologues in the movie are way too long (once again, where were the editors?) and so convoluted as to be quite confusing, as I mentioned before. Merovingian's speech is overly drawn out, his demonstration with the blonde, pointless. The architect's speech...well I'm still trying to figure out what he said. The saving of Trinity is cheesy and clumsy at best, like an afterthought. You don't buy it for a minute. But then the rules that define these two worlds (the Matrix and outside of it) are so blurred that you totally lose track of what's plausible or not, extraordinary or not.
A good number of new characters are introduced. They all seem phoney to me. Is it their lines? Their acting? I don't know...
Finally, to add insult to injury, The Matrix-Reloaded and the following movie are not two movies. They are ONE movie, cut in half. Therefore Reloaded doesn't even attempt to bring you a closing of some sort. They deliberately leave you hanging right in the midst of the plot with "To be concluded" appearing on your screen. That's just before a savage music, loud enough to leave your hearing permanently impaired, blasts in the theatre for credits.
The fights? Yeah, they're good. Too long but good. They better be. That's all this movie has to sell.
Rating:
Summary: i want my money back.
Review: the first matrix film was mindblowing. great plot, great script, revolutionary special effects, good memorable characters, great philosophical mind-bending questions and concepts etc. this film, by comparison, falls WAY short. confusing and muddled plot, awkward and clumsy script (hello? editor anyone?), over-use of special effects we've already seen (and too many boring and pointless fight scenes), way too many new (and forgettable) characters, jumbled and rushed philosophical noodling that contributes nothing to the story and actually detracts from the original, etc. i could list a million things that make this sequel so awful (and often ridiculously laughable), but i'd rather not divulge specific details to those who haven't seen the film yet. if you're looking for a "good" movie, reminiscent of the first, be prepared for disappointment. one star. i want my money back.
Rating: 
Summary: Ahead of its time
Review: This is an excellent movie. The Matrix totally goes against the established norms of film making in script and special effects. This is an intellectual movie with a true story. Part 3 is going to be fabulous and movies to come will try to out do what has been done in the Matrix series, but ultimate fail. Because the Matrix has set the benchmark from which over movies of this type witll be judged against. Go check it out twice. Make sure you sit through the credits to catch a sneak peak at Matrix Reveloutions. And then when it comes out on DVD, make sure you buy your copy of the DVD. And pick up Enter The Matrix for PS2, PC, or X-Box because it tells you about the story within the background of the Matrix Reloaded.
Rating:
Summary: Matrix Reloaded; Neo Downgraded
Review: There's a point early on in The Matrix Reloaded when Neo tangles with a few Agents. The Agents bust in, Neo launches an flurry of blows but his last strike is blocked. The action pauses and Neo comments "Hmmm--upgrades." While it's interesting that Agents have received a kung-fu boost, what I'm wondering is what the heck happened to Neo? What's with his huge DOWNgrade? Why is he bothering to exchange punches and kicks, when he can simply dive into an Agent's body and blow him apart from the inside? Why was Neo bothering with kung fu? Why didn't he just destroy his opponents? He's The One, he can see and manipulate the Matrix--he doesn't have to bother with petty combat. I would have liked to see something like Neo becoming even more of a messiah. They could take it two directions: one where he truly buys into the prophecy and takes a leadership role, or one where he he goes to far and becomes a megalomaniac who lives only for The Matrix and is frustrated by the limitations of simple reality. After all, if you have godlike powers in The Matrix, it must be depressing to come back to reality where you actually have to reach for a salt shaker and have to walk instead of fly. The story could introduce a stronger Neo/Jesus connection by making it necessary for Neo to die (maybe his powers have corrupted the Matrix, threatening it's destruction--and with it, the deaths of billions of human batteries). Enough could have/should have. This film introduces very neat philosophical elements and mind-bending glimpses into the nature of the Matrix and the human/machine symbiosis. The scene with the Artitect was particularly fascinating. The ending was astonishing and there were plenty of gasp-out-loud moments. The Matrix Reloaded is a 4-star film despite the break in continuity because it makes the fiction of the world so interesting and believable. It shows more ship captains, more badass Matrix rebels, more rogue programs. It even has two powerful programs who have given in to the passions and vices of the flesh. With the one huge exception of Neo, everything in the second film compliments and expands upon what was established in the first. Hardcore fans will relish the details. Just don't think about those details too hard. Otherwise, you'll see the holes. Holes like Neo's lack of power. Or why, if the Machines have assembled 250,000 bomb-slinging Seekers, they don't just make a frontal assault on the gates of Zion (those defense cannons will run out of ammunition sooner or later). Or, as PVP's Scott Adams pointed out, why don't the machines just use cows as batteries instead of humans? The Matrix could simply be a big field of grass. The truly hardcore will dive right into the Enter the Matrix games (Xbox, PS2, GameCube, PC) to fill in the blanks; the games contain hours of footage filmed alongside the movie and were conceived by the Wachowski brothers to be an intergral part of the full Matrix experience. Is it a good film? Yes. Could it have been better? Yes. Will I see it again and again? Yes. Can I wait for Revolutions? No way.
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