The Matrix Revolutions Review
by Andrew Staker (mallowisious AT hotmail DOT com)December 5th, 2003
THE MATRIX: REVOLUTIONS
The Wachowski brothers' terminal episode is also the low point of their sci-fi trilogy. All the gang from Reloaded are back for the ultimate in pseudo-computer-game showdowns. With Zion facing unstoppable annihilation, it is up to Neo (Keanu Reeves) to save humanity.
At the end of the previous film, we saw that he had gained some mysterious power over the machines outside of The Matrix, meaning he could stop machines with a little will-power and the raising of his hand. In the present film, he exploits this new power.
But Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) is causing disasters of his own. He is a computer-virus that is carving up cyber-reality, meaning that even The Matrix itself is under threat. The Oracle (Mary Alice) joins us once again baking cookies, offering candy and generally guiding along the good guys. So is her antithesis the Merovingian and his coolly underused partner played by Monica Bellucci.
What I found most repulsive about the film was the endless onslaught of computer graphics: more uncinematic death than in a George Lucas film. At one point, there's about five minutes of pointless shooting at machines as if they were flies. I guess the filmmakers are putting a point across but it simply becomes boring. To the filmmakers' merit, the soppy philosophical dialogues have been slashed from the script, which means we are less distracted and can see just how hollow the conversations ring. The dialogue is there because there's nothing else to put up.
As is expected, the narrative arrives at an apex with all its resolutions, which obviously shouldn't be revealed here; but if you have a vague knowledge of Messianic mythology, you'll work it out.
I was hoping that after the slide in quality Reloaded caused, the Matrix series would rise up and take a graceful bow at the end. Not the case. The Wachowskis have kept sliding, giving in to many temptations. Perhaps one lean follow-up instead of two bloated ones would have been more impressive.
Andrew Staker
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