I saw "The Matrix: Reloaded".
It was a real head scratcher.
Here are some random thoughts...
1. Neo fights an ever-multiplying number of Agent Smiths. When there are, like, hundreds of them and it looks like Neo just might get his ass kicked, he flies away.
Why didn't he just do that in the first place, instead of trying to fight them for like ten minutes?
2. What's the deal with the Albino Twins? It's as if, during script writing, somebody said, "We need a villain that can out-Smith Smith." Then somebody added, "What about TWO villains? And what if we made them twins?" To which, in a stroke of genius, it was said, "I know! We'll make them Albino twins!"
Hey, don't get me wrong: Much like female nudity, I'm all for badass Albinos... if it furthers the plot.
Maybe it was just a way to balance out the larger number of black characters in the sequel. Or maybe it was a way to piss of a segment of the audience that usually doesn't get a chance to be pissed off: the "pigment challenged."
I really don't know.
3. Where the hell was 'Tank'? Instead of just dying, he pulled his bloodied self up in the first movie and saved the day. How was he rewarded? Morpheus fired his ass, evidently. Nice.
4. Why does anybody, besides Neo, even go into the Matrix anymore? I mean, they only manage to throw themselves off skyscrapers and get shot or else get blown up while riding on top of a semi, and then Neo has to fly in and pull their fat from the fire.
5. Why does Neo continue to take the advice of the Oracle? She talks in riddles and when he does what she says it leads to all kinds of trouble. Neo should tell that bitch to fuck off once and for all.
Article comments
1 - The Raging Critic
I actually did not care for the movie! It was just like Star Wars Episode II - - too much Jedi counsel, not enough Jedi fighting!
2 - Temple Stark
He he. A fine review. I haven't watched either film and it made me want to watch so I could say, "Yeah I see what Peter was talking 'bout."
3 - visualsimplicity
"7. I was really impressed with Keanu Reeves' subtle acting and vast emotional range, until I realized it was mostly created with digital computer technology."
That's freaking hilarious.
Anyway, Tank thought his character wasn't expendible, so he asked for one too many 0's.
4 - smorley
Fairly amusing comments, but...
1) Neo likes to fight Smith. He's enjoying his ever increasing power.
2) They are not albinos. They are ghosts. When a program goes "rogue" it becomes some sort of "monster" (such as ghost, vampire, werewolf).
3) They talk about Tank being killed, that's why Link's wife (Tank's sister) does not want him serving on Morpheus's ship. She lost two brothers that way.
I thought that Keanu did a good job in this movie.
Carrie-Ann Moss really did ride (drive?) the motorcycle. So it is a mix of real and tech.
Thanks.
5 - Joseph Fischetti
This is in response to Peter Petrisko's "Ten Things About 'The Matrix: Reloaded'". The following is a list of possible answers, although many others exist for each argument, to your ten stupid-ass criticisms.
1. The so called ten minute fighting scene between Neo and and the multiples of agents helps to emphasize Neo's true power, and after having proven this, the fight is no longer necessary and he flies away.
2. The "albino twins" are obviously more powerful than the agents, therefore they pose a greater threat to the crew. Their various skills and abilities prove this.
3. Did you ever consider the idea that Marcus Chong (Tank), for one reason or another, was unable to act in this movie. For example, not enough money. This, though, was not the case. Chong in fact sued Warner Brother's, or at least attempted to sue, for not including him in the sequel.
4. As described in the movie, each character serves a purpose. If they didn't, they would not enter the matrix, which would make things very difficult for Neo, and not to mention make the movie extremely boring.
5. Oracles have always been defined to have the ability to fortell the future. Obviously, the Oracle in this movie does the same. The mystery of the Oracle helps to develop the character, in a sense that it makes her out to be a teacher. She is apparently all-knowing and wise, yet she is only a computer program. If you recall from the first Matrix, Morpheous said that the Oracle told Neo exactly what he needed to hear, which then led him to make the correct decisions. I believe she has done this once again. For example, how would Neo know to find the Lockmaker without her advice?
6. Obviously computers were involved in the making of this movie. I assume you are just being ignorant, and this topic need not be discussed.
7. IGNORANCE.
8. I trust that the Wachowski brothers know what they're doing, and although I may not see the purpose of the slo-mo dancing, I am sure they do. Considering all your bad criticisms, or bad attempts to be funny, I think you should try to make a movie of your own and compare its success to that of "The Matrix: Reloaded".
9. How the movie was made has no relevence to the storyline of the movie. Does the sex of a poet affect the poem? NO. The idea of control relates to real life (both in and out of the movie), while the philosophy is a reference to the past and how it is relevant in the movie.
10. I agree that buying the game or animation DVD will not give you the "full effect". Although millions of dollars were made solely from the movie, I believe these were made to futher increase profit.
I hope I have not in any way offended you, I just felt some of these topics needed addressing.
6 - Phillip Winn
Hey, Joseph (#5), lighten up, man! I disagreed with some of the points, too, and I liked the movie, but give the heavy-handedness a rest, okay? Besides, your own rebuttal points contain errors as well.
For example, #3. I'm amazed that nobody else remembers this clown. A couple of years ago when they were still in preproduction for M2, he was all bent out of shape. He sent letters to the brothers insisting that he was worth twice what they had offered, and in those letters he embarrassed himself badly. After that there was eventually information leaked to the press about how the actor stole things, crashed meetings and parties to which he was not invited, made a series of phone calls that some might consider harrassing, and so on.
The details are muddy and ugly, and serve no real purpose. Some of them could be, as the actor alleges, exaggerated or made up. The point it, I saw Marcus Chong's own letter which revealed all I need to know. He gambled that he could get more money, and he lost that gamble.
None of that justifies what happens inside the movie, though. While I didn't find his absence to be that big of a deal, if it did bother someone, they shouldn't have to think about events outside the film to justify it.
And his #7 was funny!
7 - Luc
Reloaded got many flaws.It made alot of money mostly due to the hype.
2. Twins, sooo unnecessary.
3. It's so easy to bitch an actor who's not well-known. If you think he was greedy, well actor jet lee ask 13 millions when the W's could only offer $3M.
The fact that Chong's fans are pissed about his absence is because they loved him in the role and Tank broutgh intensity to his brief apparence.
I mean, have anybody hever thought that the W'bros could create rumors about the cast?
8 - LostProphet
1. Didn't you hear when Seraph said "You do not know someone until you fight them" ?
Smith had changed, Neo needed to figure out if there was a way to stop them. Tried, figured out that he couldn't do it there and then, flew away.
2. Introducing exiles, and a visual reference to the Oracle talking about "ghosts"
3. Can't remember if it was in Reloaded or Revolutions but Zee aludes to his death. His wounds were obviously fatal, albeit not right away.
4. Their whole goal is freeing the human race, in case you missed that hugely obvious bit that they called the first film. They jack in to free minds.
5. Subjective.
6. Actually, if you watch the making-of you'll see that a lot of it was more real than you think.
7. Clever. I see what you did there. You should be in comedy.
8. Yeah yeah, everybody rags on the rave scene. It was long and fairly unnecessary, but why must everyone go on about it? Does it make you 'cool' to whinge about this scene?
9. Oh please.
10. Well if you're so in control, why do you need to complain about it?
9 - ParaDr0id
1. I'd bloody fly away too if I could. And let's face it ... if he didn't fight them would YOU pay to watch him share out waffles?
2. Why is the Merv French? Why does Neo wear black. Does it really matter if they look like they do for the sake of plot ... exactly ... who cares!
3. Tank was mentioned in Reloaded in a post-tank kind of way. Unlucky with the contract negotiations eh ... ;)
4. Cos you can do kung-fu and jump REALLY high!
5. Agreed.
6. Some done with CGI yeah, some stunts too though ...
7. See 5.
8. Couldn't give a monkeys .. I went for a cup of tea during the dancy bits ... oh and a waffle.
9. Whole point of the film disregarded.
10. I did buy all ... I'm poor and happy.