To be avoided! - The Matrix Reloaded Reviews

Reloaded must be the disappointment of the decade as far as anticipated sequels are concerned. The gap in quality between it and its predecessor is so huge that whether the same people were ACTUALLY involved in both must be seriously doubted. To contrast the two: Matrix: impressive in effects, but still economical ? the effects serve the plot, they do not dominate. / Reloaded: impressive, but achieves exactly the opposite! The whole film feels like it was created as an excuse to show new developments in effects technology. Matrix: dialogues were smart, with an underlying sense of humour that made you smile (?you?re empty?, ?so are you?) / Reloaded: dialogues no longer smart, but ludicrously smart-arsey! They stink of pretentious seriousness and alleged ?knowledge from within?. All they achieve is to collapse under their own pomposity. Matrix: Aesthetically balanced, a modern cyber film-noir (eg. The scene under the bridge where Neo gets in the car). Reloaded: God, where can I start? Zion, a terribly-looking place, that horrible dance/orgy/party or whatever, that was as annoying as was unnecessary, the restaurant orgasm scene. Really, it is pointless to isolate examples: almost everything in it oozed ugliness?. Matrix: Suspense! When Neo died you wondered: can it be? / Reloaded: Boredom? we know he cannot be killed, and then he flies after pointlessly fighting for 10-15 minutes?. Why didn?t he from the start? Matrix: Excellent music / Reloaded: run of the mill techno anyone? Matrix: Dialogues assist the plot they don?t reveal it. We EXPERIENCE what the Matrix is, and thankfully Morpheus? explanation doesn?t last for too long (and thank God, it is aided by visuals) / Reloaded: ENDLESS, BORING, FAST monologues that allegedly explain the film?s essence, whereas in reality all they achieve is split the film in two: visuals on one side, lecture on the other ? no blending of the two?. [contrast the fighting scene between Neo and Morpheus in the Matrix: ?do you think that?s air you?re breathing?? There is no lecture on it, you are left wondering. In Reloaded, everything is explained by some annoying character who babbles for hours! And then people go back for a second viewing to understand what?s going on. And for this reason they claim the film was fantastic?..] Matrix: plot is full of twists and surprises / Reloaded: essentially there is no plot; it feels like watching a video game. ?You get a task set (defend Zion), find the clues (from various characters in the story), then use them to open the door to the big secret (the architect and all he ?reveals? in yet another endless monologue) ? how imaginative, yawn?.. Matrix: Bright, fresh and elegant / Reloaded: Dark, stale, and bloated with self-importance. I could go on for ages; but three words sum my point up: TO BE AVOIDED!!