The Matrix Reloaded Review
by Richard A. Zwelling (razwee AT yahoo DOT com)May 16th, 2003
THE MATRIX RELOADED
*** (out of ****)
a film review by
Richard A. Zwelling
When I saw the trailer for The Matrix Reloaded last week, I was extremely skeptical about what the final product would be like. It seemed like the Wachowski Brothers might have gone overboard in cramming CGI effects and flashy fight choreography in an attempt to give the audience "more than they expected" for the sequel. To a certain extent, this is precisely what happened. On the bright side, however, it did not happen to the extent that I thought it would.
It has been more than four years since the first film exploded into mainstream culture, receiving high praise from critics, garnering fame for the previously low-profile Wachowski Brothers, bringing notice to fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping (who would then choreograph the Academy Award winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), and receiving equal acceptance among action-craving teens, pontificating college students, and film academicians.
For those of the aforementioned who desire nothing more than some kick-ass fight scenes, The Matrix Reloaded unquestionably delivers. Although there is a certain amount of material that is recycled from the fight sequences of the first film (both in terms of choreography and cinematography), there is certainly some new fun to be had.
As to be expected, the extended action sequences are on a larger scale with more background action, new opponents, and some clever use of weaponry. The Wachowskis and Wo Ping take the revolutionary tactics that made the combat of the first film so memorable and build upon it to startling new degrees. The highlight of the film occurs during the middle fight sequence (which gives a whole new meaning to the term "cloning").
Fortunately, the story is not eclipsed by all of the chaos ensuing during the action-oriented moments. Unfortunately, the story is not quite as engrossing as that of the first film. One of the things that made the initial story so captivating was the idea that our everyday lives were of a fabricated world and that we could be "set free" if shown the path. With Neo (Keanu Reeves) now free, a certain amount of the novelty is lost, and the world of Zion and the deadly machines now seems more and more commonplace. New attempts at novelty are made towards the end of this film (which segues abruptly into the third film, due this fall), but the "startling new secrets" this time around have less of an impact and feel more contrived.
For The Matrix Reloaded, the primary players of the first film return. In addition to Reeves as Neo, Carrie-Anne Moss returns as Trinity (whose love affair with Neo plays a much bigger role in this film), and Laurence Fishburne again takes on the role of Morpheus. Some new additions include Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe, who shares a volatile love triangle with Morpheus and new character Commander Lock (Harry J. Lennix); Link (Harold Perrineau, Jr.), who fills in the roles of Tank and Dozer in the first film; and Merovingian (Lambert Wilson).
There are three supporting performances that are particulary worthy of notice. As in the first film, the now late Gloria Foster returns as the Oracle, and her brief scene with Neo easily entails the most entertaining dialogue of the film. The other two are Anthony Zerbe as Hamann, one of the councillors of Zion, and Helmut Bakaitis, whose role I will not go into too deeply for reasons which will be obvious after viewing the film.
Although, the story of The Matrix Reloaded does not, by itself, equal that of the first, it cannot be said yet whether this is merely due to the "middle-chapter syndrome" (i.e.--no beginning, no end) or whether the Wachowskis did indeed fall short of matching their initial masterpiece. Only The Matrix Revolutions will tell.
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