So my first reaction to seeing Matrix Revolutions was that, if I were the Wachowskis, I’d be wondering “what the hell do you people want from us!?!” Because, frankly, I found Revolutions to be a much “cleaner”, more focused film than the tediously overstuffed Reloaded.
After a few conversations about the movies, I still prefer Revolutions to Reloaded, but I can see some of the other side as well. So here’s my take on it all…
Things that worked for me:
First off, as I said, I found this one more focused than Reloaded. As the brothers W had said, this one’s all about the war, and there’s really very little deviation from that path. (That’s also part of the reason people disliked it, I know. More on that later.) But, where Reloaded felt overstuffed and desperately in need of some editing, Revolutions never lagged for me. Sure, the final battle with Agent Smith might have been a little long, but hell, it IS the final battle between these two—they’ve kinda earned it, you know?
And, while I was afraid that the battle for Zion scene, reportedly clocking in at somewhere around 45 minutes, would be another exercise in pointlessness (a la the “Burly Brawl” and the famed freeway chase from Reloaded), I found it to be a pretty exciting, effective battle scene. Unlike the aforementioned scenes, this one actually went someplace—people were affected by each others actions and the actions of the invaders, whereas in both the Brawl and the freeway chase, everything was simply marking time till Neo could fly away or fly in for the rescue.
I also liked the way they chose to end it, in that they actually chose to end the story. At least, as much as any hero’s journey can be said to have an ending. (Of course, the cynic in me is well aware of The Matrix Online—their massively multiplayer online extension of the brand—and that they had to leave some things open to support the game, but really, what storyteller doesn’t leave some room to carry on his tale after the main story’s done?) Ultimately though, I found the ending very satisfying, with all the necessary sacrifices made to get us to that satisfying conclusion.
Things that didn’t work so well:
The Neo & Trinity love story. For a theme that is SO central to the story—the idea that love is the defining difference between the humans and the machines—I found this one horribly unconvincing. And it’s not just that Keanu Reeves is a limited actor (he is, let’s get that out of the way right off the bat). But it’s more than that. Neo and Trinity have become so bogged down in their Matrix-aspect personas—the black-clad superheroes that flinch at nothing—that their “real world” personas have begun to reflect that dispassionate aura. They’re mouthing all the right words, but except for a few moments at the end of their journey, I was unmoved by all their protestations of love for each other. They’ve become more machine-like than the machines they’re fighting (as you can see in the obvious love a pair of programs have for their daughter early on in the film). I find it hard to believe that the Wachowskis couldn’t be aware of this paradox, or that it can’t mean something in the Matrix universe, but since nothing is done or said to indicate otherwise in this, the ending of the trilogy, I have to either accept it at face value, or assume that this theme will resurface in the gameworld… and that leads me to my other problems with the film.
The promise of Reloaded. As I’ve said, I didn’t care much for this one, and not simply because it’s the middle story in a trilogy. But, problems aside, there were a lot of interesting ideas that were bandied about and played with in Reloaded that simply were ignored or given incredibly short shrift in Revolutions. (And I’m not just complaining because my pet theories about Neo and the Matrix didn’t seem to pan out. But, frankly, NO ONE’S pet theories about the Matrix seemed to pan out. All those grand speculations on “what does it all mean” seem to boil down to—as many reviewers complained about in the first Matrix—“I need guns. Lots of guns.”)
The Merovingian and Persephone. Important characters, it seemed, with a lot of influence, incredibly meaningful names, concepts associated with them that tease at deeper meaning… and in the end, a couple of cardboard cutouts to be browbeaten into submission so we can get what we need to move the story on. What a waste. (Again, the Merovingian is apparently supposed to play a large role in the Matrix Online… but I’m detecting a theme here that I don’t like.)
Morpheus, Niobe, & Locke. Passions and tempers were high between these three, teasing at more to come. But, in the end, they’re all relegated to bit parts in the battle for Zion (thought Niobe does get to come into her own in this one). Many of the major characters were, if not sidelined, then downplayed in this final film, taking a backseat to the overarching battle for Zion and destruction of Smith—perhaps a necessity, but it still seems a waste with such strong characters.
What we’re left with is a film that does a fine job of wrapping up the story begun in The Matix… of telling the story of hero’s journey of Neo. And, as I’ve said, on that level, this film worked for me and was a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. But, where it falls flat are all the ideas teased, bandied about and discussed in both Matrix & Reloaded that, quite simply, apparently didn’t seem to have any place in Revolutions. On that level, it was a disappointment and, I think, one of the reasons so many people found the movie lacking.
(Once again, this leaves me wondering how much of this was intentional. How much groundwork are they laying for the Matrix Online? But if that’s the case, then I’m left with a really bad taste in my mouth over this whole thing, because it’s a poor way to treat the people that have stuck with your story for this long… “oh yes, we’ve finished the story. Sure. But, if you want to know what REALLY happened, well, have we got a deal for you!”)
So, while there may be more to come for The Matrix, and maybe some of these concepts will find closure there, I have to say that, at this point, I’m out. Thanks for the ride, guys, it’s been fun.
After a few conversations about the movies, I still prefer Revolutions to Reloaded, but I can see some of the other side as well. So here’s my take on it all…
Things that worked for me:
First off, as I said, I found this one more focused than Reloaded. As the brothers W had said, this one’s all about the war, and there’s really very little deviation from that path. (That’s also part of the reason people disliked it, I know. More on that later.) But, where Reloaded felt overstuffed and desperately in need of some editing, Revolutions never lagged for me. Sure, the final battle with Agent Smith might have been a little long, but hell, it IS the final battle between these two—they’ve kinda earned it, you know?
And, while I was afraid that the battle for Zion scene, reportedly clocking in at somewhere around 45 minutes, would be another exercise in pointlessness (a la the “Burly Brawl” and the famed freeway chase from Reloaded), I found it to be a pretty exciting, effective battle scene. Unlike the aforementioned scenes, this one actually went someplace—people were affected by each others actions and the actions of the invaders, whereas in both the Brawl and the freeway chase, everything was simply marking time till Neo could fly away or fly in for the rescue.
I also liked the way they chose to end it, in that they actually chose to end the story. At least, as much as any hero’s journey can be said to have an ending. (Of course, the cynic in me is well aware of The Matrix Online—their massively multiplayer online extension of the brand—and that they had to leave some things open to support the game, but really, what storyteller doesn’t leave some room to carry on his tale after the main story’s done?) Ultimately though, I found the ending very satisfying, with all the necessary sacrifices made to get us to that satisfying conclusion.
Things that didn’t work so well:
The Neo & Trinity love story. For a theme that is SO central to the story—the idea that love is the defining difference between the humans and the machines—I found this one horribly unconvincing. And it’s not just that Keanu Reeves is a limited actor (he is, let’s get that out of the way right off the bat). But it’s more than that. Neo and Trinity have become so bogged down in their Matrix-aspect personas—the black-clad superheroes that flinch at nothing—that their “real world” personas have begun to reflect that dispassionate aura. They’re mouthing all the right words, but except for a few moments at the end of their journey, I was unmoved by all their protestations of love for each other. They’ve become more machine-like than the machines they’re fighting (as you can see in the obvious love a pair of programs have for their daughter early on in the film). I find it hard to believe that the Wachowskis couldn’t be aware of this paradox, or that it can’t mean something in the Matrix universe, but since nothing is done or said to indicate otherwise in this, the ending of the trilogy, I have to either accept it at face value, or assume that this theme will resurface in the gameworld… and that leads me to my other problems with the film.
The promise of Reloaded. As I’ve said, I didn’t care much for this one, and not simply because it’s the middle story in a trilogy. But, problems aside, there were a lot of interesting ideas that were bandied about and played with in Reloaded that simply were ignored or given incredibly short shrift in Revolutions. (And I’m not just complaining because my pet theories about Neo and the Matrix didn’t seem to pan out. But, frankly, NO ONE’S pet theories about the Matrix seemed to pan out. All those grand speculations on “what does it all mean” seem to boil down to—as many reviewers complained about in the first Matrix—“I need guns. Lots of guns.”)
The Merovingian and Persephone. Important characters, it seemed, with a lot of influence, incredibly meaningful names, concepts associated with them that tease at deeper meaning… and in the end, a couple of cardboard cutouts to be browbeaten into submission so we can get what we need to move the story on. What a waste. (Again, the Merovingian is apparently supposed to play a large role in the Matrix Online… but I’m detecting a theme here that I don’t like.)
Morpheus, Niobe, & Locke. Passions and tempers were high between these three, teasing at more to come. But, in the end, they’re all relegated to bit parts in the battle for Zion (thought Niobe does get to come into her own in this one). Many of the major characters were, if not sidelined, then downplayed in this final film, taking a backseat to the overarching battle for Zion and destruction of Smith—perhaps a necessity, but it still seems a waste with such strong characters.
What we’re left with is a film that does a fine job of wrapping up the story begun in The Matix… of telling the story of hero’s journey of Neo. And, as I’ve said, on that level, this film worked for me and was a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. But, where it falls flat are all the ideas teased, bandied about and discussed in both Matrix & Reloaded that, quite simply, apparently didn’t seem to have any place in Revolutions. On that level, it was a disappointment and, I think, one of the reasons so many people found the movie lacking.
(Once again, this leaves me wondering how much of this was intentional. How much groundwork are they laying for the Matrix Online? But if that’s the case, then I’m left with a really bad taste in my mouth over this whole thing, because it’s a poor way to treat the people that have stuck with your story for this long… “oh yes, we’ve finished the story. Sure. But, if you want to know what REALLY happened, well, have we got a deal for you!”)
So, while there may be more to come for The Matrix, and maybe some of these concepts will find closure there, I have to say that, at this point, I’m out. Thanks for the ride, guys, it’s been fun.
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