Cinematography:
Bill PopeComposer:
Don DavisCast:
Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Steve Bastoni, Jada Pinkett Smith, Monica Bellucci, Daniel Bernhardt, Ian Bliss (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
In this second chapter of the "Matrix" trilogy, Neo assumes greater command of his extraordinary powers as Zion falls under siege to the Machine Army. Only a matter of hours separates the last human enclave on Earth from 250,000 Sentinels programmed to destroy mankind. But the citizens of Zion, emboldened by Morpheus's conviction that the One will fulfill the Oracle’s Prophecy and end the war with the Machines, rest all manner of hope and expectation on Neo, who finds himself stalled by disturbing visions as he searches for a course of action. Strengthened by their love for each other and their belief in themselves, Neo and Trinity choose to return to the Matrix with Morpheus and unleash their arsenal of extraordinary skills and weaponry against the systematic forces of repression and exploitation. But there exist powerful figures within the Matrix who refute the artifice of choice, evading the responsibility it brings as they feed on the emotional truths of others. Meanwhile, there are exiles like Agent Smith, whose inexorable connection to Neo compels him to disobey the system that has called for his deletion. Driven by the humanity he once despised, Smith will consume everything in his path on his quest for revenge. On his treacherous journey toward further insight into the construct of the Matrix and his pivotal role in the fate of mankind, Neo will confront greater resistance, an even greater truth and a more impossible choice than he ever imagined. At the confluence of love and truth, faith and knowledge, purpose and reason, Neo must follow the course he has chosen. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (8)
In my day, I grossly underestimated the film, or rather overestimated it. I searched within it for more than a perfect post-cultural encyclopedia, richly overwhelmed with meanings and inspirations, narcissistic in its visual beauty. That was a mistake. The Matrix Reloaded can only be enjoyed if you accept it in this lightly coated yet childishly honest position. Years later, I saw a film that seemed to contain within it all the beauty (narrative, thought, visual) of all the magnificent epic works of fantasy. It's a real imaginative charge, unbridled by any self-criticism, guided only by a love of pop culture as a whole, and also by an excellent idea that turns the first film into a fairy-tale coloring book. Reloaded is a more mature but no less stimulating experience. What was encoded in Star Wars for generations before that, the Wachowskis offer in the cinematic language of the new millennium. I sincerely feel sorry for those who do not appreciate it – the most conspiratorial feeling of a person who feels at home in a green world.
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The rating applies to the entire trilogy. Regardless of whether the Wachowskis had planned only one film or the entire saga, the resulting triptych is incredibly complex and brilliant. Even though Reloaded has several parts that pissed me off (the beginning in Sion, the way the characters figure out what to do next, Neo as cool Superman), the shift from the first part is so radical that the quality bar didn’t drop too much. Technically, it’s just as awesome, but content-wise it’s somewhere else. How you’ll relate to Reloaded it’s entirely up to you, either you will accept that shift or you won’t, and the film says that very subtly several times – have you you decided – now it’s only up to understand that decision.
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I remember the second Matrix film as something that disappointed me, because part of the promotion was, among other things, a strong targeting of Monica Bellucci, who really can't be the main reason to see Matrix Reloaded. However, in retrospect, it is not that much worse than the first film. It's just that the party time at the beginning still seems so inorganic. Especially considering how Neo and Trinity's relationship is written like it was out of a fairy tale.
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If you are willing to endure tons of logical and illogical wannabe profound nonsense, you can expect a fairly solid film that offers a lot, especially in terms of visuals. Excellent action, where, in my opinion, there is practically no blood, but I can accept this fact comfortably given the exceptional style of the film. The shooting scenes are fantastically filmed (something similar can perhaps only be done by Michael Bay and Michael Mann), and last but not least, the fantastic sound and music mix deserves praised. The screenplay is relatively solid and the performances are quite decent for action sci-fi. At times I was bothered by the excessive amount of visual effects (the fight with Smith, the ending), but that can be overlooked. Stylish and innovative entertainment.
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Once in a while I watch The Matrix: Reloaded because it still has power, even two decades later, but it's always missing something – and I can never describe exactly what it is. Maybe it's the magic of something new, or a certain innocence that works in the first film even after multiple viewings. Here the biggest problem is shared by the dark and overcomplicated Matrix Revolutions, which, at least as I perceive it, only shares a bond between the main duo and the action side. There are unfinished ideas, precise action scenes (often just to have some action present), clumsy dialogue, aging special effects, or the overly dramatic and now truly idiotic interlude with the Merovingian. Surprisingly, even after all this time, I still insist on what I said about the film back in 2003. If the second and third installments were one whole, if unnecessary philosophy and excessive fighting with machines were omitted, or if the path to the source material had ended as it should have, this could have been a cohesive, more optimistic, and overall better story.
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