Overall Rating
  Awesome: 30.17%
Worth A Look: 21.69%
Average: 13.22%
Pretty Bad: 12.03%
Total Crap: 22.88%
11 reviews, 524 user ratings
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| Matrix Revolutions, The |
by Brian McKay
"The Matrix: Redeemed"
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After all the hype, anticipation, reservations, and lingering mixed emotions from last year’s uneven installment, the capstone of the MATRIX trilogy (which was never initially conceived as such) is finally here. Is it “revolutionary” filmmaking in light of its predecessors? Uh, not really. But is it entertaining as hell and a worthwhile resolution to the saga? Most definitely!The critical backlash against this film is not only surprising, but generally unwarranted. Reviewers have griped about everything, from the slick martial arts of the previous installments being supplanted by the “clunky” Mech Warrior style combat, to the overabundance of secondary (read: superfluous) characters, to the film’s inability to answer every question presented in the previous installment and tie everything together in a neat little package.
Well, I say all of these Matrix-hatin’ bitches can bite me. While no follow-up could exceed the bar set by the original, Matrix Revolutions is a marked improvement over Reloaded. The action sequences, a fairly even mixture of bullet-time kung-fu/gunplay and “real world” armored combat, remain as exhilarating as ever. Secondary characters introduced in the last film (and who most of us didn’t give a shit about) are each given the chance to do something fittingly heroic in the defense of Zion, giving them an emotional weight distinctly lacking in the previous outing. And while segments of the film (particularly the first act) are still a bit dialogue-heavy and occasionally stilted, the plodding pop-philosophical babblings of Reloaded have been toned way down, making for a much more streamlined and enjoyable film. Best of all – NO extended rave scenes!
Keanu is wooden as ever as the protagonist-cum-SaviorChristAlmighty of the Matrix, and as usual his relationship with Carrie-Ann Moss’s Trinity has about as much chemistry as a block of wood merged with a brick of mild cheddar. However, in some of their later scenes together they manage to generate just enough emotion to be halfway credible. Hugo Weaving can always be depended upon to liven things up as the maniacal Agent Smith, and does a fairly decent job of channeling Jack Nicholson in his opening scene. Captain Mifune (Nathaniel Lees), a character briefly glimpsed in the last film, gives one of the greatest cinematic last stands ever from behind the controls of a suit of power armor, with two very big guns blazing. Both Mifune’s battle against the sentinels and Neo’s final rain-splattered showdown with Smith should be duly recognized as two of the most memorable action sequences ever. In other words: they fucking rock.
Unfortunately, some of the more enjoyable characters from Reloaded are briefly re-introduced and then quickly forgotten. The Merovingian (Lambert Wilson) is given a few lines, then never seen again after the first act. He fares only slightly better than his wife, Persephone (Monica Belluci), who gets no lines at all – although her cleavage is damned impressive on an IMAX screen.
Whether you get any satisfactory closure from this third (and final?) film depends on your interpretation. I can divulge that, while not every loose end is neatly tied up, the story seems to make a lot more sense, being un-muddled (or less muddled) when compared to its predecessor. But while everything may not be wrapped up with a neat little bow, Revolutions gives sufficient closure and ends the series on a relatively high note, and it's refreshing to see that the Wachowskis were willing to make a few sacrifices along the wayWhile there is always the possibility of a sequel, it seems that the Wachowskis are saying goodbye with this film, as well they should. As fun as this movie was, there’s no denying that the concept is becoming stretched thin. Now that they’ve wrapped things up with a Bang, it’s time that the brotherly director team moved on to different territory.
link directly to this review at http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=8292&reviewer=258
originally posted: 11/07/03 09:09:21
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This film is available for download or online viewing at CinemaNow.com For more in the CinemaNow.com series, click here.
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USA
05-Nov-2003 (R)
DVD: 07-Dec-2004
UK
N/A
Australia
06-Nov-2003
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