the matrix reloaded

      It’s 2023, and that means it’s time to make (and most likely) break some resolutions!  This year, I’m going to try to watch movies that have been recommended to me by friends and family that have been on my watch list for quite some time, and the first one on my list is Matrix Reloaded.  Oh man, not a great way to start the year.
     The original Matrix remains a highly regarded sci-fi classic and for good reason.  It takes a crazy concept, such as the world being fully digital, and eases the viewers into such an elaborate universe, and then there’s the freaking awesome action that, for the most part, holds up fairly well.  I’ve seen it almost 10 times now, and I’ve enjoyed every viewing.  For some reason, I never got around to the sequel, which was recommended to me by an old coworker.  Oh boy, why did he tell me to do that?  This was not up to par in terms of quality compared to its predecessor.  In fact, this was unintentionally one of the funniest non-comedy movies I’ve ever seen.  I couldn’t help but laugh at most of the very odd choices that the Wachowskis made.  I feel like there was a meeting, and the Wachowskis said something along the lines of, “You know how the first movie was kind of weird but understandable?  Well, let’s bump up the weirdness way, way up, and the reasoning and logic of everything way, way down!”  To their credit, it was entertaining, but not for the same reason as the original.  Let’s start with the main gist of the plot and work our way through it.  The idea for this movie isn’t a bad one, and it even sounds like an interesting continuation.  Neo and the gang must stop the overlord machines from destroying the last human city on Earth, but as they try to end the war before the final battle begins, Neo has disturbing visions that make him question his actions.  It sounds exciting and potentially has some great character development as Neo struggles with his identity as the One and the responsibilities that come with it.  Unfortunately, the movie is more focused on “artistic” shots and bigger action pieces.  It ultimately feels like a mishmash of so many neat ideas, but they all feel underdeveloped and lack any cohesion to them.  Smushed in between the crazy ideas are some truly awkward moments that baffled me.  What could have been time spent honing the new material was instead spent on some of the most ludicrous and random blobs of buffoonery that I’ve seen in a sci-fi flick.  I don’t even want to mention what happens because of how awkward it is.  These moments were both hilarious because of how poorly executed they are, but also, they feel unneeded and a waste of time.  Again, they could have chosen to further development their insane universe a bit more, but instead, we get some of the most useless parts that will either make you cringe or laugh from the absurdity–or both!  Speaking of absurdities, the fight scenes are way more complex this time around, which is both impressive and way too ambitious.  On the one hand, the highway scene is an absolute blast from start to finish, with some well-timed edits, beautiful shots, and impressive choreography, and on the other hand, there’s a scene where a fully CGI Keanu Reeves fights a wave of fully CGI Agent Smiths…and it looks like a video game cutscene. You know how back in the day it was kind of jarring to see a cutscene in a video game that had better graphics than the game itself?  Well, it's like that but the other way around.  The bewildering story coupled with ambitious filmmaking techniques that have not aged very well left me very disappointed after enjoying the first one for so many years.
     Though some of the graphics are disappointing and laughably bad sometimes, the majority of the film does look good. In fact, it takes the leathery, dark, rustic, and slow-motion elements of the original and throws it into different scenarios, creating a unique art style that still remains different to this day. The grimy underworld of the last human colony is an aesthetically cool sight to behold, though some of its animated parts are a bit rough around the edges, and the major contrasts of blacks and whites in the Matrix itself is used in some very visually pleasing ways. There's a lot of artistic creativity that I greatly appreciate. The Matrix trilogy is something that never would get made today, but back then, they got weird and crazy and were rewarded for it. It's a testament to the ingenuity of the filmmakers and the crew members both on set and on the computer. If you plan on watching this movie, just be aware that there will be some eye sores, but you also have to take into consideration that it came out in the early 2000s. No one else but Star Wars was attempting to do special effects like this at the time. And I'm willing to bet that some of these animators, set designers, artists, technicians, and everyone else that contributed to the artistry of this film went on to influence the creation of better techniques and technologies, that have ultimately resulted in the unbelievably good special effects we have today. I think this film is to be admired for its contributions to the industry and its ambitious effects as a steppingstone to greater things.
     The performances range from boring to drastically odd, and I don't think it's at the fault of the actors, for the most part. There are a lot of moments where the characters try to recapture the coolness of being expressionless like they did in the first movie, except there was a reason for it there. The scenes called for it. It fit the tone, and it seemed like the cast understood how to give compelling performances even when they're told not to convey emotions. This time around, everyone seems to struggle at being cool, even Mr. John Wick himself Keanu Reeves. It seems as though the actors are not invested in the scene or have absolutely no idea what's going on--maybe a little bit of both. On the other end of the spectrum, we have performances that go so over-the-top that it clashes with the tone of the other actors. I don't believe this is the fault of the talent onscreen, as there were probably takes that were a bit toned down, but the decision to include the takes that are cartoonishly dramatic made this feel like a completely different movie than it did five minutes prior. Kind of like the story itself, the characters and their interactions feel like a jumbled concoction of different tones and levels of excitement. It's certainly not the worst acting I've seen, but what was presented didn't pull me in and make me care for the characters like the original did.
     The Matrix Reloaded is like a new version of an app. There's some bugs and odd designs that affect your experience with it, but at the same time, it's the same app you've enjoyed using before. So, at the end of the day, I enjoyed The Matrix Reloaded and seeing the continuing adventures of Neo and his friends. I just hope the next one got a major upgrade.