The Matrix Reloaded (DVD)

The Matrix is all around us. Or so my brother used to say, and I never really knew what he meant until I receive the first Matrix on VHS as a Christmas present many years ago, and I was pretty young to appreciate it - although even back then I knew it was something special. That gave me an extra interest when I heard that the movie was part of a trilogy, and on the Friday of release my mum picked up a copy of Matrix Reloaded during her late night ...
...watching it for the first time.

It's not 1999 anymore though, and in 2003 the creators of the Matrix trilogy with their strange vision for the film can use more outlets than ever to try and get the vision across. Whilst the follow up to the original Matrix wasn't as widely recommended, that did not turn me off wanting to see the movie. Reloaded opens with Neo's premonition, and in turn an exciting action sequence. Neo is played by ... more

The Matrix is all around us. Or so my brother used to say, and I never really knew what he meant until I receive the first Matrix on VHS as a Christmas present many years ago, and I was pretty young to appreciate it - although even back then I knew it was something special. That gave me an extra interest when I heard that the movie was part of a trilogy, and on the Friday of release my mum picked up a copy of Matrix Reloaded during her late night shop, and I remember I was up til past midnight watching it for the first time.

It's not 1999 anymore though, and in 2003 the creators of the Matrix trilogy with their strange vision for the film can use more outlets than ever to try and get the vision across. Whilst the follow up to the original Matrix wasn't as widely recommended, that did not turn me off wanting to see the movie. Reloaded opens with Neo's premonition, and in turn an exciting action sequence. Neo is played by Keanu Reeves, and for those who didn't see the first, Neo is supposedly the 'One' and the 'prophecy' says that Neo will be able to stop the war between man and machines (I'll explain it more later). And as the 'One', Neo can do things that most would never even be able to dream of doing.

Neo's powers were only slightly shown to us back in 99, with him being able to dodge bullets and come back from the dead, although as the film begins we are apparently led to believe that Neo can now tell the future, and he can see that Trinity is going to die. Trinity is played by Carrie-Anne Moss, and is Neo's girlfriend. As Neo awakes from this premonition, Trinity tries to get him to explain what he saw, but he refuses. There is no time for Trinity to pursuade him any longer either, because they have an important meeting to attend that they are already late for.

Led by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne - who apparently didn't even have to read the script before signing up for this movie), the trio walk into the meeting where it is being discussed what they can do to win this war against the machines. The machines are what control the Matrix, and these people fighting the machines are who have been freed from the mind control that the Matrix is. The meaning of the Matrix basically being that everything we see, hear and feel is not real, all of it being created by machines. When you are freed from the Matrix you can see it for what it really is, a load of machine created coding. All the meanings and tones in the film can be very complicated, so if you don't listen carefully it will probably all go over your head. I'm not even sure if I've got everything the movie tries to say one-hundred percent correct.

What is for sure is that the machines are digging, and soon they will attack and destroy Zion, the underground city that all these people freed from the Matrix live in. Morpheus advises that they disobey orders and keep one ship load of people in the Matrix to await word from the Oracle. The Oracle is a very wise woman, and the prophecy says that she will contact Neo and tell him what to do to stop the machines. Nothing more can be discussed, as we are soon thrown into a fight scene where Neo fights agents. Agents are basically programmed by the Matrix to stop people finding out the truth, and agents can take over other peoples bodies. Agent Smith, the leader however, as now taken on a campaign of his own to stop Neo and he can take on other peoples forms to make multipul copies of himself, making him a much stronger foe than the other agents.

This fight scene ends with Neo revealing another of his new powers, he can fly. I know, it sounds like the film completely jumps the shark right there and then, but try to stick with it. A big deal was made out of this film because for the first time ever we get an insight into what Zion is like, and it is every bit the cavernous city you would expect. On approach to return we get these cheesy, "It's good to be home," scene mixed with Neo and Trinity desperate to have sex because they haven't in so long. Once again, stick with it, because it does get better. Immediately after returning to Zion, Morpheus is ordered to explain his decision to keep a ship in the Matrix when Commander Lock, incharge of defences, wants all the ships he can get to fight against the machines. There is a rivalry between Lock and Morpheus because Morpheus used to date Lock's current girlfriend, Captain Niobe. Morpheus ultimately gets the last laugh in this, with the Councillor and head of Zion believing Morpheus did the right thing.

Link is the operator of Morpheus' ship, and his role is basically to help them get in and out of the Matrix using telephones to transport themselves. Link also has a role in the film as we see he is married with two children, and his wife is incredibly upset to see him working with Morpheus - as it turns out it was her two brothers that died working with Morpheus in the first film. Whilst this does act as a side story and doesn't have any real purpose in Reloaded, it is something to look out for.

Along with their being more swearing in Reloaded, whether it be 'piss' or 'shit', there is also more sex. Zion has a big party, in which they are all dancing around in the mud barefooted, and most of the women have wet t-shirts revealing their breasts. Also mixed into this scene is Neo and Trinity sleeping together, and for all those who have seen the Matrix will know all the characters have holes on their bodies that transport them in and out of the Matrix, so seeing two people making love with these bullet hole-like things on their body isn't at all attractive. Neo and Trinity are in love though. This whole scene has won boob awards for just how pointless it is.

The scenes do get better though, and as Morpheus and the gang return to the Matrix, Neo reaquaints himself with the Oracle. After having a long chat about causes and points with the Councillor back in Zion, Neo now chats about purposes and choices with the Oracle. After the Oracle leaves Smith arrives on the scene, along with all the copies of himself. Chances are you will have either seen or heard something about these scene before, it could have even been a spoof you saw. Basically Neo has to fight all these Smiths, and it's quite entertaining if not a little long and with some pointless bowling noise added at the end. That could be a main critism about the Matrix trilogy really, things are drawn out quite a bit.

Fights have been well put together though, and pretty much everything does lead to a fight in Reloaded. With the feeling that Trinity is going to die, every negative thing Neo does towards Trinity makes you squirm and Neo is put in a hard position when he has to make out with a woman and make her believe she is Trinity in return for 'The Keymaker' you sort of get the feeling their relationship is getting put under major pressure. Reloaded is lucky it has such a good scene to contadict the sex scene earlier in the film, because the motorway scene is immense and unmissable in my mind.

Many new characters are introduced, and they're all pretty good, some reappearing in the final film in the trilogy Matrix Revolutions. Reloaded does end with a 'To Be Concluded' ending so you will probably want to have Revolutions on standby if you're going to watch Reloaded. The certificate is 15 and the film lasts 133mins, although I sat down with this film on Friday morning and it didn't feel that long. It's by no means great and the general opinion seems to be that the Matrix should have just been a standalone film, but it is good - and you'll probably love it if sci-fi and fantasy are your sort of thing. This film features the famous Achitect scene, where Neo meets the man behind who created the Matrix. Will Neo be able to save Trinity's life and end the war against the machines?  

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