The Matrix Revolutions

Starring: Keanus Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, and Carrie Ann Moss

Written and Directed by: Andy and Larry Wachowski

The third installment of the thrilling trilogy makes a few smart choices.  Already gone is the wonder and partial naivety of the first flick.  However, instead of committing to the sins of the sequel, it chooses to streamline the problems and get on with the wonders of the universe…although it doesn’t quite succeed

We do open with a big action sequence, but it’s almost as if it’s to get it all out of the way at first.  It’s briefer than the long sequence in Reloaded, but juicy enough to be exciting.  After Neo is freed from the Mobil Station (Limbo anyone?) due to a Trinity-induced Mexican standoff with the Merovingian, we are brought back to the problems we were left with at the end of Reloaded.

And that’s the film’s first problem.  Gratuitous and overindulgence.  A created scenario just to have an action sequence bring the audience back in. Not really necessary and it actually hurts the story, something that is indicative of the problems of this film unfortunately.

Soon after the film rushes hardcore to the finale by splitting into two parts.  While Neo and Trinity (along with Smith-ridealong Bane) take one of the ships to head towards Machine City where Neo is destined to go to stop the war.   Neo and Trinity…well Keanu and Carrie have their moments, but it seems that mostly they are going through the motions…and the dialogue isn’t helping them.  There are some George Lucasian cringeworthy dialogue here.

The rest of the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar, Mjolner, and Logos, heads back to Zion to help with the defense of the city.   Part of the problem unfortunately is that this should be a huge deal.  This should be exciting, and it is…but not as much as it should be. For the most part it’s a precursor and everyone knows it.

In the meanwhile, Bane awakens as Smith and has an epic battle with Neo and blinds him before he is killed by Trinity.  It is of course the reason, Trinity is along.  And just as subtly, Neo is blinded so he can see more clearly.

Yes, the Wachowski brothers have decided to go with the subtleties of a hammer.

Much like the Zion vs the Machines battle sequence.  As extravagant and over the top as can be, but a helluva lot of fun to watch, the battle bobs and weaves between cliched grizzled veterans like Commander Locke, who is so bullish, pigheaded, and pedantic, that he is completely unlikable on any level.  Then there is “the kid”.  Oh well.  At least the actual action sequences are top notch, espsecially Niobe’s Han Solo like flight back into the dock with the EMP that temporarily saves the day.

But I ask you this….wherefore art thou Morpheus?  Morpheus stole the first film.  It was his passion, his drive, his charisma that the viewer attached himself to.  By this film, he is virtually a non-entity, playing second fiddle to Niobe and left to only spout his belief in Neo’s actions.

The only actor to come through unscathed from the previous films is Hugo Weaving.  His Smith, has grown to be more maniacal as he gets more powerful.  It’s a powerful entity, and Weaving is up to snuff, especially as he takes out and absorbs the Oracle getting a glimpse of at least one possible future.

Neo and Trinity make it to machine world, but Trinity is killed as the crash down to where the mythical Source is.  And this i don’t get.  Why does Trinity die?  Don’t get me wrong, because I love main characters getting killed, but doesn’t that invalidate the whole end of Reloaded?  Why is she able to be brought back to life?  What purpose does she serve?  She was brought back to fly the ship that a blinded Neo couldn’t.  That’s it?

Well, ok.

Neo finds the Source and makes a deal.  He will take out Smith, if there can be peace between the humans and the machines.

The machines stop their attack and Neo goes to fight Smith.  In a Herculean battle, filled with ooh look at me special effects, the final climactic battle is fought….again.  We’ve seen this match a few times before.  Finally at the end the powered up Smith seems to be triumphant, when he realizes he can’t understand why Neo is still fighting knowing his loss and death are inevitable.  Why!? He screams.  Neo tells him simply that he chooses to.   And that is something Smith can never truly understand.

Revolutions chooses to answer all questions in vague manners.  Perhaps it was the intention to spark a cult of fans to debate over exactly what happened.  If so, it’s a fine line to walk and they were successful at walking it.    If you are too vague people just don’t care, afterall, so it answered enough to get the ball rolling, while being challenging to consider.

That truly is the hallmark of the franchise.  The fact is, like Star Wars before it, the trains of thought are truly endless, and the universe created is unending.  On that note, the sequels are a definite positive.  Unfortunately it truly is a great example of the idea being phenomenal and the execution…eh not so much.  But still I do think that Revolutions was a step back in the right direction and certainly ahead of Reloaded, but nowhere near the success of the original film.  I almost want to give the film a C+, but that’s what I gave Reloaded..and I do think Revolutions is better so thus I give it a

B-

although that is generous and it is definitely closer to C+…