The Matrix Reloaded

Reel Critic Grade: B+ Running Time: 138 Minutes Rated: R

In 1999, with The Matrix, the Wachowski brothers sent us on a thrill-ride the likes we had never seen. Four years later we enter The Matrix again in The Matrix Reloaded. This time around, the thrill-ride still works, but it's been slowed by long-winded and unnecessary scenes. It's like a roller-coaster with a mile of straight-a-way between each cork-screw, loop, and drop.

Reloaded brings back the trio of Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss), and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) as they continue to wage war with the machines and Agents. Their mission is to get Neo into the central server of The Matrix to destroy it before the machines dig their way to the underground city of Zion, which is home to the humans who have escaped the fake green-hued digital world.

This endeavor takes our heroes in and out of The Matrix as they work to put the puzzle pieces together and find a way into the server. It is inside The Matrix where the film truly shines. After all, the action sequences and special effects are what we came to see. The most notable of these are a slow-motion sequence where Trinity falls backwards out of a glass building, shooting a pair of sub-machine guns at an agent who has jumped out the window after her and a freeway chase scene involving cars, semi-trucks, motorcycles, fights, and guns. These scenes are a mind-boggling combination of creative genius, computer generated images, and stunts - truly awesome! Honorable mention would have to go to the pasty shape-shifting twin bodyguards who become ghost-like in order to move through objects and avoid being killed.

My only gripes inside The Matrix are the fight scenes. Reloaded relies more heavily on martial-art fight scenes than the original, which was more focused on gun play. Although these scenes are a showcase for amazing fight choreography, they become drawn-out and boring. I preferred the over-the-top gun battles of the first film.

When we are unplugged and taken outside The Matrix the film tends to drag. Reloaded spends far more time outside The Matrix than the original; giving us a glimpse of life for the human refugees. It's an attempt to add warmth to a movie that often feels cold, but only serves to slow the pace of the film.

In one scene sequence, the masses of Zion are gathered for a kind of town-hall meeting. After Morpheus delivers a long-winded pep talk, concerning the pending doom of the digging machines, a massive dance party ensues that can only be described as a vertical orgy. These scenes are inter-cut with clips of Neo and Trinity entwined horizontally in a love scene that is anything but sexy or necessary. Now, I'm not a prude, but these scenes did nothing to drive the overall story. The disappointment in the content is further fueled by their length. I kept looking at my watch waiting and waiting and waiting for these scenes to end.

As the story of life outside The Matrix began to unfold, I was struck by the similarities to another famous sci-fi film. See if you can guess which one. A spiritual leader guides a young apprentice to realize his potential in order to defeat the evil empire. A counsel of rebel leaders assembles to decide which course of action - military, spiritual, or both - they should employ to protect their existence. Guessed it yet? That's right - Star Wars. Just look at he characters - Morpheus (Obe Won Kenobi), Neo (Luke Skywalker), Trinity (Princess Lea), Agent Smith (Darth Vader), etc. The parallels may only be coincidence, but they are there. This doesn't distract from the film, I just thought it was interesting.

Reloaded was filmed simultaneously with the franchise's third installment, The Matrix Revolutions, due out in November of this year. Now, I'm all for continuing a good story, but each film should be a complete story in itself; beginning, middle, and yes, end. The ending may only conclude subplot elements, but when the credits role I want to feel like I have some closure to the two hours I just spent with the characters. Reloaded violates this simple rule. It ends, not at the end of a story line, but with the words, "To be concluded;" an obvious set up for Revolutions. It serves its purpose in baiting the audience for November's upcoming release, but it would be as easy to put an ending on the film and let the franchise itself draw the audience back. Maybe the Wachowskis wanted to continue the similarities to Star Wars, whose own sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, left audiences in the lurch.

Admittedly, this column is focused a little heavily on the problem areas of Reloaded. This is only because the expectations for this film were into the atmosphere after the amazing debut of The Matrix. As a whole, The Matrix Reloaded is a damn good sequel. It's not as tight and fresh as the original, but entertaining none the less. The Wachowski brothers deserve continued accolades for putting forth a competent and mostly entertaining sophomore effort. Like the rest of The Matrix franchise faithful, I'll be lined up come November to see if our dynamic trio can win the day.