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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Reloaded is a completely different film than the first Matrix. It seems as if it wasn’t even made by the Wachowskis, but rather by James Cameron in cooperation with Paul W.S. Anderson. Cameron is brought to mind by the bombastic set design in Zion, Anderson by some of the excessively digitalized visual effects (Neo’s face during the fight with the Smiths is a bad joke). The content is for nothing – whereas the previous film’s dialogue got its charm from the interesting idea of a parallel world, the dialogue here just messes around with words in a pseudo-intellectual way. The fistfights combined with the exotic techno soundtrack are very elegant and all the action on the highway is fantastic. And the nice costumes and detached humor (Frenchman Lambert Wilson and his vaginoscopy) are also pleasing. Beyond that, however, The Matrix Reloaded is just a synthetic formalistic diversion and fashion bubble.
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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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It's incredibly easy to criticize this film, especially when compared to the first one. It's extremely blockbuster-like and almost mainstream, and its stylization may not appeal to everyone. In my opinion, it should be evaluated together with the second film because they don't make sense without each other. The first film can stand alone; the series could have ended with it. However, the second film needs Revolutions. I am satisfied with the result. The only thing that annoys me is the nonsensical philosophizing, which reaches its peak in the third installment.
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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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