Movie Review: The Matrix Revolutions

The Matrix Revolutions

I personally consider the original film The Matrix to be one of the top ten movies of all time. It was creative, brilliantly executed, and absolutely riveting. Perhaps the fact it had so much to live up to made the second film in the Matrix trilogy - The Matrix Reloaded - so, well, adequate. With the highest of expectations, most theatre-goers felt let down by Part 2. Although I've been avoiding reading any reviews of the third and final installment of the series, it was difficult not to hear that the third film was also an apparent disappointment. A friend and I went anyway and we're agreed: those critics giving bad reviews are wrong.

The Matrix Revolutions picks up where The Matrix Reloaded left off. The machines are converging on the last human stronghold of Zion. Neo (Keanu Reeves), meanwhile, has been unplugged from the Matrix but remains unconscious. No one is sure why he and another man (Blane, played by Ian Bliss) aren't waking up. The only thing the doctor is sure of is that, theoretically at least, both men are fine and neither is in a classic coma. After consulting the Oracle and dodging Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), both men do eventually wake up. Blane can remember nothing of his experiences; Neo does, but he's not talking. Still, the battle is about to be engaged, and Commander Lock (Harry Lennix) is determined to do everything he can to protect Zion and humanity. He has no time or belief for Neo.

When Neo finally talks, it's only to say that he has to take a ship and go to the machine city rather than helping with the battle for Zion. Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) insists she'll go with Neo while Captain Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) take another ship back toward the fighting action. Several of the crew believe that Neo has lost his mind, but are unable to talk him into anything other than his planned course of action. Blane also has other ideas and, though he's suspected by a few of his shipmates, he's also determined and in possession of information no one else knows about. With scant minutes to go before Zion's walls are breached, those in Zion and aboard the ships alike prepare for a fight to the death, knowing that the deaths will almost certainly be theirs.

The storyline for The Matrix Revolutions really does provide answers to some long-ago questions, and it ties up some loose ends quite nicely. It also, however, leaves itself somewhat open to the interpretation of the viewer. The special effects are superlative. There are "armed personnel units" that make those from Aliens look like toys, and the machine city is a terrifying wonderland. The fights, as you might expect, are flawlessly choreographed, and if they occasionally take themselves too seriously (with slow motion and repeated actions from myriad camera angles), they're so well done that you're inclined to forgive the directors for the indulgence (an extensive fight scene that takes place in the rain reportedly took nine weeks to film and, after having seen it, I can understand how it might). And the penultimate battle for Zion is - there's really no other word to describe it - awesome.

The Matrix Revolutions doesn't quite measure up to The Matrix (I don't find many movies that do). But it does provide a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, and it's a wonderful movie-going experience to see. One caveat: You do need towatch The Matrix Reloaded in order to grasp all of the plot resolutions in The Matrix Revolutions, but the second movie really is pretty good when it's not directly compared to its stellar predecessor, so it should prove an enjoyable prelude for you.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: The Matrix Revolutions is rated R for science fiction violence and brief sexual content. It is violent, sometimes graphically so. It's also complex. I'd keep kids under 14 away from The Matrix Revolutions. But for older action and science fiction fans everywhere, buy your tickets now. It's a pretty terrific ride.