The wait is finally over.The Matrix
set the movie world ablaze back in
1999, stealing
The Phantom Menace's
thunder in the process, to become the discerning movie buff's
science-fiction-action film of choice. Now, in 2003, the sequels arrive -
first Matrix Reloaded (May), then Matrix Revolutions (November).
So, does the film live up to the huge expectation people have? A
tentative yes is the answer, but only because Reloaded is a movie that
will split audiences more than the original. Not because Reloaded is a
bad movie, but because the writer-director Wachowski brothers have a
vision that may not be to all tastes. But, I absolutely loved it!
Reloaded picks up The Matrix story six months later, with humans still
fighting a war against machines who have plugged an unaware human race
into a virtual-reality world known as The Matrix, in order to keep them
pacified while they feed off their bio-electricity.
After the events of the first film, ex-computer hacker Thomas Anderson
(Keanu Reeves) is now Neo (a.k.a, "The One"); a man able to connect to The
Matrix and have superhuman control over his abilities therein. But how
can his powers save the human resistance's city of Zion in the real
world from an invasion by 250,000 Sentinel machines...?
The plot of Reloaded sounds deceptively simple at first, but fears the
storyline couldn't be maintained for a trilogy have proved unfounded.
Matrix Reloaded packs more plot and twists into its duration than its
predecessor. This does mean Reloaded is more bloated and less concise,
but it's also more satisfying if you're willing to think. Want to see
how far the rabbit hole goes? The last twenty minutes should blow your
mind...
The cast all slip back into their roles with ease, although most suffer
from underwritten parts. Carrie-Anne Moss still ensures Trinity is an
effective leather-clad heroine, and has some nice tender moments with
Keanu Reeves.
Reeves remains effortlessly cool in designer shades, but thanks to his
character's Zen-like calm he's a less involving presence than his
awestruck hacker was in the original. Seeing a computer hacker's gradual
ascension to God-like eminence was far more enjoyable than seeing him
fret over his destiny. But, c'est la vie.
Laurence Fishburne remains good value as Morpheus, although his mentor
figure has altered to that of a War General. Interestingly, the film
shows some new facets to the character, particularly his ranking amongst
the people of Zion, some of whom don't share his pseudo-religious
beliefs that their salvation depends on prophecy...
Hugo Weaving makes a welcome return as the arrogant Agent Smith, a
program now "unplugged" from The Matrix - meaning he's literally a "free
agent" with a score to settle with Neo...
Weaving's vocal intonations are again a highlight, although his presence
still seems quite forced and, particularly to begin with, a little
disconcerting for some reason. But it's soon obvious that his character
is merely being primed for a far more intriguing role in Revolutions...
The supporting cast are dependable, but aren't given enough time to be
anything more memorable. Jada Pinkett-Smith looks fantastic as Niobe,
Morpheus' ex-lover, and some of her scenes hint at a great untapped
character, but she's pushed into the background. Nona Gaye's Zee (a role
singer Aaliyah was cast in before her death) is another wasted
opportunity, unable to breathe life into her short scenes.
Only a few of the supporting cast manage to make lasting impressions -
Italian starlet Monica Bellucci's Persephone is a delicious creation
given short shrift, the late Gloria Foster's return as The Oracle lends
the film some much-needed gravitas, Lambert Wilson, playing a snobby
program known as the Merovingian, is a quite unexpected treat, Randall
Duk Kim's Keymaker is quietly effective, as are Adrian and Neil Rayment
as the dreadlocked "Twins" - despite being introduced and disposed off
far too quickly.
Quite predictably, the special-effects will undoubtedly astonish most
people. The Matrix's celebrated "bullet time" effect (whereby
people/objects are slowed down while the camera travels around them at
normal speed) returns in a whole new dimension: "virtual cinematography".
With virtual cinematography, entire fight sequences are rendered in the
computer - meaning the unrestricted "camera" can move around the action
to its heart's content. This does mean some sequences seem a bit
convoluted and, dare I say it, slightly over-stylized, but for the most
part virtual cinematography pushes the boundaries of film effects and
will take some beating. A standout sequence where Neo fights 100 copies
of Agent Smith is a real eye-opener, despite occasionally "fake"
moments.
Thanks to the massive budget there are more action sequences in Reloaded
than in The Matrix, making its predecessor seem quite anorexic in
comparison. In particular, the freeway chase scene is a spectacular
high-octane delight, boosted by the thumping soundtrack of Don Davis -
who mixes techno beats with traditional orchestral fare.
For some, the effects will be the primary reason for seeing Reloaded,
and the constant stream of "wow" shots will stick in the memory for
days, but is that all the film has to offer? No. Not if you're willing
to understand the complexities of the Matrix universe, anyway.
The second half of Reloaded finds its footing after the somewhat shaky
first half set in the real world of Zion. It's here that the Wachowski
Brothers begin to deliver on the hope that The Matrix Reloaded won't
just be an effects-fuelled excuse to cash-in on the original.
For the unprepared, the intellectual depths the movie dives into may be
confusing (and even frustrating) but for anyone with a love of
science-fiction and cyberpunk themes, the Wachowski Brothers manage to
tap into some fertile ground that should get its target audience
joyously beaming with delight.
Against expectation, The Matrix Reloaded manages to have you leaving the
auditorium with questions and theories pulsing through your mind, and
not just admissions that the visual-effects were well executed.
I'm aware that the initial buzz from America was mixed with Reloaded,
perhaps because expectations were just too high for some people. The
original movie remains the superior work, but Reloaded does what most
people hoped for - delivers jaw-dropping visuals and develops the
overall premise to the nth degree.
There are problems that should never have been made: the tiresome early
scenes in Zion (particularly a silly dance sequence), some useless new
characters (the unnecessary "Kid" who hero worships Neo), some overly
preachy dialogue, and the fact the movie could have done with an overall
trim in the cutting room.
But, even with these criticisms, I personally found myself enthused and
enthralled throughout, and eagerly await the pay-off with Revolutions in
November. The middle-act of a trilogy is always problematic, but
Reloaded is a thought-provoking continuation of the original's themes,
and a great transitional appetizer for what will hopefully be a stunning
final chapter.
Roll on Revolutions!
DIRECTION PLOT PERFORMANCES SPECIAL FX SOUND/MUSIC
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
