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The Matrix Reloaded

by Peter Morris in Los Angeles on May 15 2003

OK this is one of those films which is almost guaranteed (if such a thing is possible) to do well. It’s a sequel to a successful blockbuster and they’ve already told us the next one’s not far behind and I hear that the two cost somewhere between $400-500 dollars in terms of production and marketing so they must be confident, eh?

Well the critics in the States have given it decidedly mixed reviews and I have to tell you I can see why. It’s not that there’s anything really wrong with the film because let’s face it you’re going in expecting to see a rush of martial arts and special effects linked by chunks of futuristic, quasi-philosophical, sci fi gobbledy gook and that’s exactly what you get ! This film isn’t aimed at middle aged film reviewers who’ve eaten out on expense accounts for several years and who want to discuss subtext , use of light and texture - it’s for people who want to see KEANU and Co kick some robot ass in a really cool way and do other video game-like stuff and it certainly delivers that.

The only problem for me was that , at times, I thought I was actually watching a video game rather than a feature film !

There are a few funny lines in the film and some attractive additions to the cast to replace those “permanently unplugged” in the first one notably, JADA PINKETT SMITH aka Mrs WILL SMITH (“Nutty Professor”, “Set it Off”, “Ali”) and NONA GAYE daughter of MARVIN (“Ali” ) but they didn’t really have all that much to do maybe "Matrix Revolutions" will see them do more!

I won’t give away the ending but suffice to say when you spend that much on making a film - even one where you know the sequel’s just round the corner- I feel they could have come up with a better way of whetting our appettite for the grand finale - however that’s just my opinion you can choose for yourself.

I will go and see “Revolutions” in the hope of a spectacular climax but “Reloaded” left me less than full.

Celebrities Worldwide Rating: 6 out of 10

by Nik Amanovic in London on May 19 2003

The year is 1999. The film is "The Matrix". Unsuspecting audiences, adults and teenagers alike, are blown away by a new level of film-making mixing influences such as Sci-Fi, Hong Kong martial arts movies, Japanese animé backed up by a great soundtrack. By the time the film is released on video it has become THE defining film of the 1990s whilst ushering in the 21st century. "The Matrix" ended with the strongest of hints that there would be a follow up to the antics of Neo, Morpheus and Trinity; given its success at box offices around the world there was never any doubt about a follow up. It has been a long wait, four years to be exact, and we are rewarded for our patience with not one but two films that were filmed back-to-back à la "Lord of the Rings". The first of these, "The Matrix Reloaded", is released this week while it will be another six months until we see the concluding episode "The Matrix Revolutions".

We find the crew of the Nebuchanezzer at a turning point in the war against the machines. They have discovered that the enemy has got a lock on Zion, the last remaining human enclave, and is sending 250,000 Sentinel hunter-killers to eradicate every man, woman and child in a paltry 72 hours. Bolstered by Zion‘s and Morpheus‘ faith in particular of Neo being The One who will fulfil the Oracle‘s Prophecy and defeat the Machine Army, Neo and co enter the Matrix to find a way to stop Zion from falling. However, once within the Matrix they are beset on all fronts by a whole range of new individuals; some are friend, some are foe although sometimes you cannot tell the difference. Of course, the villainous Agents are out again to do everything they can to stop Neo in his tracks, although Agent Smith whom we all thought destroyed has somehow returned ‘from the dead‘ and has a few tricks up his sleeve which he hopes to use in order to get the revenge he so desperately seeks.

It is unfair to assume that this film will do well simply because its predecessor was such a huge hit at cinemas; "Speed" was one of the top grossing films of 1994 yet its sequel was reportedly a box office calamity. Faced with the daunting task of coming up with a respectable follow up to "The Matrix" the WACHOWSKI brothers have done the right thing by taking the plotline to a whole new level rather than stagnating the story and giving us more of the same. There are of course large doses of high-octane action sequences that we expect, made all the more convincing by special effects without parallel to date. What is different this time are the philosophical debates that permeate the film from start to finish. Admittedly, some of the scenes where all the characters do is discuss issues such as causality, choice and the Matrix itself seem longwinded and unfortunately slow the pace of the film somewhat. However, without these it would be impossible to understand what was going on at all.

KEANU REEVES ("Speed", "The Devil‘s Advocate"), LAURENCE FISHBURNE ("Apocalypse Now", "Boyz N the Hood"), CARRIE-ANNE MOSS ("Memento", "Chocolat") and HUGO WEAVING ( "Lord of the Rings" ) all reprise their roles as Neo, Morpheus, Trinity and Agent Smith respectively. New faces include WILL SMITH‘S better half JADA PINKETT SMITH ("Ali"), the stunning MONICA BELLUCCI ("Bram Stoker‘s Dracula") and HAROLD PERRINEAU ("Romeo & Juliet"). Finally, special mention must go to Britain‘s very own ADRIAN and NEIL RAYMENT as Twins One and Two; these boys were banging in nails on CAROL VORDERMAN‘S "Better Homes" when the first Matrix film was released… Superstardom awaits them now as the all-white wearing evil Virus Twins!