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Movie: Matrix Revolutions
Starring Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishburn, Carrie Ann Moss
Written and Directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski (Warner Brothers)
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes
Like the ever-more-ponderous Star Wars epics, as a movie fanatic it was a cultural imperative for me to see Matrix Revolution. I hate that feeling, so I didn't have very high hopes when I went to the theater. However, I did make sure that I went to see it on a big screen with a THX sound system that was all cranked up. I was looking forward to a thrill ride and I got that expectation fulfilled in a big way.
I admit I am impressed with the Matrix phenomenon The Wachowski Brothers created; all three are visual delights and hugely entertaining at the roller coaster level. There are also a couple love stories built in, real heroism and sacrifice and there's even a few droplets of philosophy about love, free will and predestiny that are delivered in encounters with The Oracle and the multiple copies of Agent Smith. That's the good news. But as I've said before I am a story-first kind of guy. The bad news I have to give you is that Matrix Revolution violates a lot of the original's internal logic.
Here comes a spoiler paragraph for those of you who haven't seen the movie yet. Ready? I have a hard enough time accepting that Matrix programs can have children-programs or that Neo can affect things in the real world with his mind, but my biggest complaint about the story is even more obvious. It turns out that Agent Smith is the big threat and Neo helps the Architect defeat him! Moreover, when the smoke clears at the end, the Architect's Matrix is still intact. Umm, WHAT ABOUT ALL THE POOR BASTARDS STILL STUCK IN THEIR BATTERY PODS? The humans in Zion are now supposed to live at peace with The Matrix in spite of all the people it has enslaved!?
Ah well, comic books are not supposed to be great literature. I enjoyed Matrix Revolution while I watched it; I felt it was better than I expected even though the euphoria wore off quickly. The Matrix Revolution is still a big comic-book fantasy, and I must admit I have always liked comic books. Aw shucks, I wrote that same thing about Matrix Reloaded. At least it was far better than other action fare of the last couple months like Once Upon A Time In Mexico and Kill Bill Volume 1.
The Skinny:
Am I glad I saw the film? Yes, and especially on a big screen.
Would I go to see it again? As a big screen experience, it was good once. Maybe I'll watch it on DVD before the next one. (Even though Neo "died" you KNOW they are going to have free the pod people, right?)
© 2003 - Rusty Pipes