Director: The Wachowski Siblings
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Colin Chou
Country: United States / Australia
Rating: R
Run Time: 129 minutes
*spoilers abound*
While I have always loved The Matrix Reloaded since its initial release in 2003, The Matrix Revolutions has always been the sequel to escape me. After having seen once it in the theaters in 2003, I never got around to seeing the film again. I don't know what was wrong with me but I know that somewhere along the line I developed the opinion that the film sucked and jumped on the bandwagon for the film's hate. For my excursion into the much maligned Matrix sequels, I decided to watch The Matrix Revolutions back to back with Reloaded. This was also my first time viewing the film in over 10 years. And you know what, I think that The Matrix Revolutions is an awesome and underrated finale that gets an unfair bad rap.
To be honest, I think that Revolutions is a film that needs to be watched back to back with its predecessor. For starters, both films were shot and written at the same time. Therefore, both films were envisioned as a two part finale. Second, both films were released within the same year a mere six months apart; something that is unheard of in today's cinematic world. They were envisioned to be seen very close together. And third, Revolutions picks up from the moment that Reloaded ends on. In a sense, Reloaded is act one and two of the Matrix finale while Revolutions is the third act drawn out to movie length. This is why watching Revolutions on its own may make for a detached and distanced experience if one does not have the events or characters of Reloaded fresh in their mind. Therefore, I believe that Revolutions holds up better when paired back to back with Reloaded (much like the Bond films Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace).
Revolutions takes what started as a small scaled franchise and turns it into a massive science fiction epic the likes of Star Wars with its plentiful characters, epic action scenes, and grand storytelling. The two final battles of the film take place on such a grand scale that I couldn't help but get swept up into their proceedings. It's hard to resist massive machine wars and a grand one on one fist fight when the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Unfortunately, Revolutions has more issues than Reloaded does. However, I still find the film to be thrilling in parts and serviceable as a whole despite its flaws.
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| Why do people dislike this movie again? All I see is beautiful double gun fisted action. |
Revolutions falters from the get go as it struggles to wrap up the loose ends of Reloaded. After Neo used his powers in the real world at the end of Reloaded, he passed out and mentally landed inside of a train station that serves as the go between for the Matrix and the real world. In the real world, Neo was placed on a table next to Bane, a human controlled by Agent Smith of the Matrix. Therefore, Revolutions spends nearly 25 minutes of its run time resolving Neo's imprisonment at the train station.
And while this sub-plot results in a stupendous action sequence that homages and resembles the iconic lobby shootout in The Matrix (arguably the best action sequence in the film), the search to rescue Neo puts us back at square one concerning the war with the machines. It's as if the Wachowskis didn't want to end Reloaded without leaving a cliffhanger for audiences to ponder over until Revolutions. In the grand scheme of things, the opening act of Revolutions is entirely pointless and feels more like cinematic homework than it does an enjoyable viewing experience.
Once Neo is freed from the clutches of the Train Man (Bruce Spence of The Road Warrior fame in a nice cameo), he and Trinity decide to head for the source of the machines in the real world in order to stop the attack on Zion. However, the machines have already begun their war with Zion. Unfortunately, the humans have no ships or EMP's to their name in Zion. Therefore, Morpheus and Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) pilot the last remaining ship with an EMP to Zion in order to help out with the grand battle of Zion. Neo ultimately realizes he must make a pact with the machines in order to destroy their common enemy, the program Agent Smith, and to save his people. What follows is an epic and massive one on one battle between Neo and Agent Smith inside of the Matrix that puts the Superman vs. Zod fight at the end of Man of Steel to shame (just saying, anything puts the Man of Steel fight to shame, it sucks).
Once The Matrix Revolutions arrives to the meat of the film, the war in Zion, the film kicks into gear and never lets up. What results is a fantastic and awe inspiring battle between human controlled mechs and terrifying machines. This anime inspired battle features incredible special effects and visuals that I will never forget. The Wachowskis conjure up some of the most beautiful and horrifying imagery I have ever seen in a science fiction epic during this massive machine battle. You'll never see a more terrifying machine once you have seen the sentinels form up into a worm-like shape in mid-air (pictured above). I want to specify that the Wachowskis do an incredible job at crafting some of the most terrifying robots in cinema history. We all agree that the T-800 in its skeletal form in The Terminator is a terrifying robot. However, the sentinels in the Matrix films are absolutely terrifying in both their design and their actions. Don Davis' score reaches terrifying heights during the many robot heavy sequences of the film in order to reflect the machines' menacing nature.
Even though the massive battle between the machines and the humans makes for a stupendous array of special effects, thrilling action beats, and memorable character moments (The Kid!), it is not the be all end all of the film's action sequences. Instead, the Wachowskis posit the face off between Neo and Agent Smith as the grand finale of the film. Even though I am typically for as much action as possible in a film, I think that the Neo vs. Smith fight is too much to handle after experiencing the incredibly tense and jaw dropping machine battle. The Wachoswkis go from a truly massive set piece to yet another massive set piece within 10 or so minutes of one another. Because of this, the fist fight between Neo and Smith feels monotonous and exhausting instead of tense and gripping as it should be. Still, the fight scene is cool and showcases more of those computer rendered characters that I "loved" so much in The Matrix Reloaded.
Unfortunately, this final fist fight is rendered completely useless when reflected upon. In order to enter the Matrix to fight Smith, Neo allows the machines to plug into his body. Once Neo lands face to face with Smith, the two engage in a ridiculous 10 minute fight scene that pails in comparison to their previous fights from both The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded. At the end of the fight, Neo stands still and allows Smith to duplicate him. Once Neo is taken over by Smith, the machines destroy Smith using their mechanical connection through Neo's physical body. Therefore, both Smith and Neo die. However, the entire fight between Neo and Smith was completely useless than. Why didn't Neo simply allow Smith to duplicate him from the start? The machines could have destroyed Smith in a matter of seconds instead of having to wait 10 minutes for Neo to stop fighting Smith. It may seem like a silly error to some, but I found it to be a laughably silly excuse for a fight scene once reflected upon.
Unlike The Matrix Reloaded, there isn't much to say about the final Matrix film. Revolutions is essentially a third act finale dragged out to movie length. And even though the film wastes its opening act, features a hilariously over the top performance by Hugo Weaving, and rushes to the credits before you know it, I still enjoy it. Plot holes aside, The Matrix Revolutions is a grand and epic finale to a series mostly forgotten by today's movie goers and movie buffs. Once the film arrives to the battle of Zion, the film kicks into gear and never lets up. And even though the film is mostly special effects fueled, the imagery is beyond beautiful (except for the slow motion shot of CG Hugo Weaving being punched in the face, what were they thinking?).
In my personal opinion, the Matrix trilogy is one of my favorite movie franchises, warts and all. I love the characters, the action scenes, the music, the cinematography, the story, and the franchises' plentiful inspirations ranging from Akira, to Ghost in the Shell, to the cinema of action maestros John Woo and Yuen Woo Ping. And even though Revolutions is easily the most flawed of the franchise, it still stands as a serviceable and awesome finale that kicks more ass than any one of Michael Bay's Transformers films. In all honesty, I don't believe that movie fans will ever get an R rated blockbuster franchise like the Matrix series ever again. Therefore, I hope to be one of those movie fans who reminds people why the Matrix films are so special and why haters be damned.
Rating: 7/10 - Unnecessary story and plot errors aside, The Matrix Revolutions is a damn awesome finale that deserves a second chance after all of these years.
And while this sub-plot results in a stupendous action sequence that homages and resembles the iconic lobby shootout in The Matrix (arguably the best action sequence in the film), the search to rescue Neo puts us back at square one concerning the war with the machines. It's as if the Wachowskis didn't want to end Reloaded without leaving a cliffhanger for audiences to ponder over until Revolutions. In the grand scheme of things, the opening act of Revolutions is entirely pointless and feels more like cinematic homework than it does an enjoyable viewing experience.
Once Neo is freed from the clutches of the Train Man (Bruce Spence of The Road Warrior fame in a nice cameo), he and Trinity decide to head for the source of the machines in the real world in order to stop the attack on Zion. However, the machines have already begun their war with Zion. Unfortunately, the humans have no ships or EMP's to their name in Zion. Therefore, Morpheus and Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) pilot the last remaining ship with an EMP to Zion in order to help out with the grand battle of Zion. Neo ultimately realizes he must make a pact with the machines in order to destroy their common enemy, the program Agent Smith, and to save his people. What follows is an epic and massive one on one battle between Neo and Agent Smith inside of the Matrix that puts the Superman vs. Zod fight at the end of Man of Steel to shame (just saying, anything puts the Man of Steel fight to shame, it sucks).
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| I'd be just about speechless if I witnessed this first hand. |
Once The Matrix Revolutions arrives to the meat of the film, the war in Zion, the film kicks into gear and never lets up. What results is a fantastic and awe inspiring battle between human controlled mechs and terrifying machines. This anime inspired battle features incredible special effects and visuals that I will never forget. The Wachowskis conjure up some of the most beautiful and horrifying imagery I have ever seen in a science fiction epic during this massive machine battle. You'll never see a more terrifying machine once you have seen the sentinels form up into a worm-like shape in mid-air (pictured above). I want to specify that the Wachowskis do an incredible job at crafting some of the most terrifying robots in cinema history. We all agree that the T-800 in its skeletal form in The Terminator is a terrifying robot. However, the sentinels in the Matrix films are absolutely terrifying in both their design and their actions. Don Davis' score reaches terrifying heights during the many robot heavy sequences of the film in order to reflect the machines' menacing nature.
Even though the massive battle between the machines and the humans makes for a stupendous array of special effects, thrilling action beats, and memorable character moments (The Kid!), it is not the be all end all of the film's action sequences. Instead, the Wachowskis posit the face off between Neo and Agent Smith as the grand finale of the film. Even though I am typically for as much action as possible in a film, I think that the Neo vs. Smith fight is too much to handle after experiencing the incredibly tense and jaw dropping machine battle. The Wachoswkis go from a truly massive set piece to yet another massive set piece within 10 or so minutes of one another. Because of this, the fist fight between Neo and Smith feels monotonous and exhausting instead of tense and gripping as it should be. Still, the fight scene is cool and showcases more of those computer rendered characters that I "loved" so much in The Matrix Reloaded.
Unfortunately, this final fist fight is rendered completely useless when reflected upon. In order to enter the Matrix to fight Smith, Neo allows the machines to plug into his body. Once Neo lands face to face with Smith, the two engage in a ridiculous 10 minute fight scene that pails in comparison to their previous fights from both The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded. At the end of the fight, Neo stands still and allows Smith to duplicate him. Once Neo is taken over by Smith, the machines destroy Smith using their mechanical connection through Neo's physical body. Therefore, both Smith and Neo die. However, the entire fight between Neo and Smith was completely useless than. Why didn't Neo simply allow Smith to duplicate him from the start? The machines could have destroyed Smith in a matter of seconds instead of having to wait 10 minutes for Neo to stop fighting Smith. It may seem like a silly error to some, but I found it to be a laughably silly excuse for a fight scene once reflected upon.
 |
| "Should I bother fighting him even though I want him to win? Oh, whatever." |
Unlike The Matrix Reloaded, there isn't much to say about the final Matrix film. Revolutions is essentially a third act finale dragged out to movie length. And even though the film wastes its opening act, features a hilariously over the top performance by Hugo Weaving, and rushes to the credits before you know it, I still enjoy it. Plot holes aside, The Matrix Revolutions is a grand and epic finale to a series mostly forgotten by today's movie goers and movie buffs. Once the film arrives to the battle of Zion, the film kicks into gear and never lets up. And even though the film is mostly special effects fueled, the imagery is beyond beautiful (except for the slow motion shot of CG Hugo Weaving being punched in the face, what were they thinking?).
In my personal opinion, the Matrix trilogy is one of my favorite movie franchises, warts and all. I love the characters, the action scenes, the music, the cinematography, the story, and the franchises' plentiful inspirations ranging from Akira, to Ghost in the Shell, to the cinema of action maestros John Woo and Yuen Woo Ping. And even though Revolutions is easily the most flawed of the franchise, it still stands as a serviceable and awesome finale that kicks more ass than any one of Michael Bay's Transformers films. In all honesty, I don't believe that movie fans will ever get an R rated blockbuster franchise like the Matrix series ever again. Therefore, I hope to be one of those movie fans who reminds people why the Matrix films are so special and why haters be damned.
Rating: 7/10 - Unnecessary story and plot errors aside, The Matrix Revolutions is a damn awesome finale that deserves a second chance after all of these years.
Franchise:
The Matrix (dir. The Wachowski Siblings, 1999)
The Matrix Reloaded (dir. The Wachowski Siblings, 2003)
The Matrix Revolutions (dir. The Wachowski Siblings, 2003)
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