Empire's The Matrix Reloaded Movie Review

The Matrix Reloaded
Astonishing action sequences abound in the Wachowski Brothers' first Matrix sequel.

Plot
With Zion under threat from an army of robot sentinels, Morpheus disobeys orders to defend the last human city so that Neo might await word from the missing Oracle. Neo needs to know many things, not least, why does he keep dreaming about his lover Trinity

Review
The Matrix (1999) was a stealth fighter, a secret weapon that utterly outfoxed its jumbo-sized near-contemporary, The Phantom Menace. The Matrix Reloaded, the first part of an epic single sequel, thunders into town minus that critical element of surprise. Indeed, trailing close behind Reloaded is the creeping suspicion that the torpedo is now bloated to the point where it has become everything it was once designed to detonate...

If the only outstanding issues with The Matrix Reloaded were that it was too cumbersome to be cool, too obvious to be sexy; if all it failed to live up to was the attendant hype, then we could simply scoff at the non-believers. But, truth be told, Reloaded labours in places, and once or twice the juggernaut actually comes close to stalling. Overwritten exposition, often pretentious rather than profound, weighs heavily on a plot that is actually resoundingly linear. (No Cypher-style twist, here.) Underwritten new characters, meanwhile, distract attention from the core group. True obsessives might dedicate internet shrines to the wisdom of The Oracle or the architecture of the Matrix, but the rest of us will doubtless lament the fact that Neo's struggle with superpowers cannot possibly resonate as deeply as his first tumble down the rabbit hole. Not least because, by the credits roll, his journey has barely begun.

There's more: the disorienting Zion-set opening barely feels like a sequel to The Matrix at all, so keen are the Wachoskis to explore their underground city. The rather rushed climax is also confusing, with the episode where Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) infiltrates the power-station so fleeting you might think it was little more than a set-up for a computer game. Oh, it is. The middle hour, however, is the Matrix to the max, and it rocks like a mutha.

Once Neo seeks the Oracle, Reloaded lurches into action and it quickly generates unstoppable momentum. It is not as sleek anymore perhaps, but it is a hulking brute that grips you by the throat and shakes you out of your seat. Where once there was a sly, Sergio Leone-influenced showdown between Agent Smith and Neo, now there is the 'Burly Brawl', a truly lethal combination of special effects and stunt work that unleashes 100 Agent Smiths on an amped-up Neo. (Total photo-realism? Not quite yet. But this is far too much fun to quibble.)

Add the Burly Brawl to a dazzling freeway free-for-all, throw in the Merovignian chateau sword-clash and a half dozen other bits of hand-to-hand business, and you have more than enough five-star thrills for mandatory repeat viewings. Praise for another quantum leap in action should be split between the Wachowskis, Yuen Wo-Ping's wire-team, John Gaeta's effects wizards and a thousand others, but let's not forget the four principal actors. Reeves et al were convincing enough in The Matrix, but the second time around, with the benefit of continuous training, they all kick serious, serious, grade-A ass. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Verdict

Reviewed by Colin Kennedy

Write Your Review
To write your review please login or register.

Your Reviews

Average user rating for The Matrix Reloaded


When I saw it in cinema back in the day it couldn`t really satisfy me. I haven`t seen it since so now it was time for another viewing. I have to say that I liked it more this time around but it still isn`t a match compared to the first part. With its 2 hours and 20 minutes running it`s at least 20 minutes too long, with some action scenes being driven way in to the extreme, wich can get annoying at times. On the other hand: those action sequences does look awesome. Typical example of style over ... More


Posted by TheGodfather at 21:30, 13 August 2009 \| Report This Post



RE: Hit and miss...
It's still made of win and success... ... More

Posted by clownfoot at 23:20, 12 August 2009 \| Report This Post



RE: Hit and miss...
L: Snake-Eyes arial"]This film was on TV the other night and I tried to start watching from where Keanu Reeves... well, his badly computer generated double fights a whole bunch of Hugo Weavings. what a crap film. I was just reminded of how f**king dull this and the third film were and why I was just completely put off by the whole idea of these films. Cardboard acting, a plot that requires a 200-page manual to work out (I mean seriously, what on Earth was that Architect bloke on about?), ... More

Posted by sam89 at 15:51, 12 August 2009 \| Report This Post



RE: Hit and miss...
Some great moments but they are tempered by some truly abysmal and pretentious moments. It came across very much as a film which had been written rapidly in order to bring in the cash and build upon the popularity of the original film. ... More

Posted by sanchia at 13:21, 12 August 2009 \| Report This Post



RE: Hit and miss...
It manages something very difficult: to be brilliant and shit at the same time. ... More

Posted by CORLEONE at 10:22, 12 August 2009 \| Report This Post



RE: Hit and miss...
I remember liking the second one. ... More

Posted by Tech_Noir at 09:00, 12 August 2009 \| Report This Post



RE: Hit and miss...
rial]This film was on TV the other night and I tried to start watching from where Keanu Reeves... well, his badly computer generated double fights a whole bunch of Hugo Weavings. what a crap film. I was just reminded of how f**king dull this and the third film were and why I was just completely put off by the whole idea of these films. Cardboard acting, a plot that requires a 200-page manual to work out (I mean seriously, what on Earth was that Architect bloke on about?), the single worst sex s... More

Posted by Snake-Eyes at 07:37, 12 August 2009 \| Report This Post



Hit and miss...
A big disappointment after the first film. This is clunky, pretentious and often the Wachowski's have tried SO hard to up the cool-factor that it blows up in their face (the dance/orgy scene in Zion being a perfect example). However to say it is a total loss would be unfair as it contains some truly awesome sequences and some clever ideas as to how to expand the Matrix's world (even if some are delivered with not-so-much finesse). Worth looking into ...just don't expect it to even touch the cl... More


Posted by SkullKassidy at 09:24, 02 August 2008 \| Report This Post



Slightly disapointed.
I liked some of the fight scenes in this one better than the 1st one,(even though I thought the fights from the 1st one would be hard to beat)but for some reason i was REALLY bored.(It felt like the longest movie ever seen in my life.)I still have"nt seen the 3rd one yet,I"m actually seeing it today,hopefully it"ll be good. ... More


Posted by JohnPaul1996 at 12:27, 01 July 2008 \| Report This Post



One of the greatest films of our generation
This film is a work of art without many contenders to easily outwit it. Ultra high tech, superbly cool, uber clever for a mass market movie, and containing some of the most monumental set pieces of kung-fu action since... since nothing! Not even Bruce Lee made fight scenes like that of Neo verses the multidue of Agent Smiths. Don't believe me? WATCH IT AGAIN! It's possibly the greatest martial arts fight scene ever transposed on cinema walls. (Aside maybe for some realism based Jackie Chan sc... More


Posted by ApotheosisX at 18:16, 10 April 2008 \| Report This Post




I was not let down by this movie one bit, yes it will never rise above the first one, but it is a worthy sequel, the only negative thing is that the plot is slightly complicated, I still have no Idea what the old guy was on about, but the movie does boast some superb acting and some of the most beatiful martial arts on screen. ... More


Posted by dgribble at 19:45, 25 February 2008 \| Report This Post



The Best Matrix Film
This is one film that lives up to and surpasses the original: Breathtaking! ... More


Posted by blaud at 13:38, 04 February 2008 \| Report This Post




Disappointed to say the least. I DNT GET IT, giving the choice of the "fake world" and living in porridge-eating Zion i know wot i wud choose. I'd much rather have steak! The Matrix was class but this...the highway scene was clas but it felt like the writers never knew the ending. Funniest moment of the film was half way through the film, having seen The Matrix, my brother turns to me and says,"its a bit far fetched" ... More


Posted by Edie d at 03:56, 05 December 2007 \| Report This Post



Hmmmm...
Very good but i watched this expected more. In no way does that mean this is a bad movie. I definate watch for people that are easily excited by loud noises and frequent fight scenes. Do not watch if you hate the matrix cause this is alot worse than the first movie. Well theres nothing really bad to say aboot this but they could fit a larger plot into it. ... More


Posted by rockerjo at 17:43, 15 December 2006 \| Report This Post



A Post-Modern Masterpiece
An incredible excercise in experimental, post-modern cinema. This kind of big-budget risk-taking is what classics are all about. Like 'Blade Runner' and '2001: A Space Odyssey' before it, 'The Matrix Reloaded' manages to say the things that are so difficult to say. Yes, there is action. Yes, there is spectacle. But beneath the jaw-dropping action sequences and the beautifully surreal art direction is a movie that questions the foundations of life, love and reality to a fundamental core ... More


Posted by max314 at 15:43, 19 May 2006 \| Report This Post



perfec!
brilliant car chase. liked all the agent smiths, loved the pole swinging. And albino twins are so damn kool, should have had them again in the last film. Did they survive or not? thought the first half of the film was a bit boring....and what the hell was that sex scene about... i had to close my eyes or squint... shame! ... More


Posted by alexisreaver2132 at 12:09, 16 May 2006 \| Report This Post



Ouch
I'm sorry, but the Wachowski Brothers went in way over their head. They realised they liked anime and then decided to fuck up possibly the best potential movie franchise ever by churning out The Matrix Reloaded. The special effects are far too overwhelming and you really don't believe a single thing, 'bullet time' has been twisted completely out of proportion and the need to start and finish a conversation with a fight sequence is just moronic e.g. "I'm here to see the oracle" <INSERT POINTL... More


Posted by Q.T at 22:27, 07 February 2006 \| Report This Post



Previous Page

The Matrix ReloadedAstonishing action sequences abound in the Wachowski Brothers' first Matrix sequel.

The Matrix Reloaded
Astonishing action sequences abound in the Wachowski Brothers' first Matrix sequel.