Some Quick Thoughts On Reloaded

I think most of the dialogue between Neo and the A-man was just padding, tho. Particularly their egregious misuse of the word "apropos."

Interesting. Your use of the word "friends" in quotes is a bit off-putting, however. You too are guilty of pessimism/cynicism. It's our fundamental flaw, our systemic anomaly. :)

The scene with the Architect is pivotal, though, evan. That's the scene upon which the entire trilolgy hangs, because in that scene, Neo learns of the meaning of the One, yet still chooses to rescue his lover. I think, in the end, this is where the movie's version of the messiah is most poignant.

dear pot,

quit calling me black.

love,

kettle.

yes, the discussion with the architect is interesting and does hold key truths about the matrix films. (although, i think the discussion with the oracle was even more interesting.)

yes, the film was "an all-around good time" and definitely worth seeing in the theatres once, if not twice.

yes, i'm going to see revolutions, mostly for the same reasons, regardless of whether it redeems the second film. (but i do think it has the ability to.)

however, 'reloaded' certainly wasn't a "solid film" and not because it didn't give me the "high" of the first film. that's about all it did give me - the instant gratification high derived from a satisfying action scene.

okay, once again my comment is turning into a rant... the point is, 'reloaded' lacks the subtlety and intricate building process of the original matrix, both of which are things they could have done in the new film, but chose not to. instead, they decided to turn all the characters into superheros and give instant gratification from the first scene on.

Look, it's the burden of every sequal, particularly every sequel that comes after a first film/story that is much more of a "prologue" to actually move the story along.

The matrix isn't a movie about neo being freed from the matrix and suddenly realizing he might be "the one," it's about the war between the machines and humans and all that "think" philosophy stuff they've got woven throughout the whole thing. It's a much, much, bigger story than "just" Neo, although he does play a crucial role.

Alright, and don't tell Lang I made this reference, but I see some very very similar parallels between "The Hobbit" and the first book of The Lord of The Rings. The Hobbit was a tight, compact, and very punchy fantasy story. After reading that, and then picking up the first book of The Lord of the Rings, it feels like your just rambling, wandering through the woods running from some wierd unknown evil without any sense of what's going on. Then you hit Rivendell, and things start moving.

And Reloaded is telling a much bigger story than the first movie, there's just so so much more going on, and necessarily so. Further, Reloaded should really be seen as part 1 of the movie that also comprises Revolutions. I read in an interview they should be viewed in continuity, but nobody wants to sit down for a 5 hour film (well, except me maybe).

My favorite scenes in Reloaded, and what I think were the BEST scenes in Reloaded, weren't the action scenes. The stuff with the Marovignian, the Oracle, Morpheus back in Zion, all that stuff. That's what I liked, the expanding of the world just peaked in upon in the first movie.

At this point in the story, you can't just have a punch 1 1/2 hour action fest with some conspiracy/thriller stuff thrown in like in the first movie. You have to expand the universe, the character set, pretty much the entire story. And I think they did a damn fine job of it in Reloaded, AND threw in some great action sequences.

Now all the ducks are in a row. Now they can make a great, great punchy final film in Revolutions.

The scene with Neo and the A was just a cardboard rehearsing of the same old existential questions. nothing profound there. I was definitely ENTERTAINED by the Matrix Reloaded, but I certainly don't find the depth that some critics have attributed to it.

Jeanette Jeannette, you're so overeducated.

:)

Remember, not all of us grew up weined on Kierkegaard and Hume, and look, if I can borrow a page from Scheaffer(sp?), lofty philosophical ideas are SUPPOSED to trickle "down" into other art forms.

Personally, I like old "existential" questions regurgitated to me in new forms.

true. maybe that is why it was entertaining. Same old questions in new forms. Personally, I thought the French Enlightenment scene was absolutely hysterical! In my opinion, that was the best part of the entire movie. It was terrific!!! And did you see the white guys wiht the wigs? They were quintessential Louis XIV-ish French "at court" characters. Tres en forme!!