The Matrix Revolutions [M]

As the Machines get closer and closer to Zion the war becomes inevitable and Neo, Zion’s One hope to bring peace, is trapped between two worlds. His powers grow stronger as does the love between him and Trinity, enabling his escape from Limbo and his realisation and acceptance of what he must now do. Neo must travel to the Machine world and negotiate peace, for the free peoples of Zion and the Machines share a common adversary: ex-Agent Smith now peopling the Matrix with copies of himself, growing in strength and power as Neo is, and threatening the destruction of everything and everyone. 

It’s the climactic final instalment of the trilogy, long awaited back when these films were at the height of popularity. I remember everyone going nuts when it was released in the cinema. It’s the universal truth that, in a trilogy, one movie just isn’t going to be as good as the others and oftentimes it tends to be the second I think: the bridge between the beginning and the end. For me though, The Matrix Revolutions stands inferior to its predecessors. Sadly much of the grace and beauty is deleted or replaced with something less romanticising and emotive performances are lost aside from those in battle in which case the only emotion flying around is testosterone and brutal, lumbering, anger and determination. Of course this is all not to say that this movie is bad. It’s still pretty freaking awesome and still holds the ability to blow the minds of its audiences, I’m just saying that it’s not my favourite of the three. 

As the Machines get closer and closer to Zion the war becomes inevitable and Neo, Zion’s One hope to bring peace, is trapped between two worlds. His powers grow stronger as does the love between him and Trinity, enabling his escape from Limbo and his realisation and acceptance of what he must now do. Neo must travel to the Machine world and negotiate peace, for the free peoples of Zion and the Machines share a common adversary: ex-Agent Smith now peopling the Matrix with copies of himself, growing in strength and power as Neo is, and threatening the destruction of everything and everyone. 

It was Darth Vader who famously said, “don’t be so proud of this technological terror you’ve constructed” and when considering this movie, a lot more lies within that quote than it does in context. The Machines and technology takes the driver’s seat in this movie. There can be no doubt about that. As with many movies that focus a lot on technology and special effects regarding machines and a war effort, it’s so easy to overdo and of course once you’ve got mechanic friends or foes running rampant all over the screen something just gets lost. The clanking and the “fires of industry” (famously said by Saruman in Lord of the Rings) become so much and so in their faces that the audience doesn’t have anything to do. What I mean, if I can simplify that a bit further, is this: half the fun of watching a movie is the looking aspect whether we be looking at the arse of some hot actor or looking for meaning. When films, even when it’s accepted that they have to, overload the audience with special effects and action that is so in-your-face, the audience is left with nothing to look for or at for that matter. The special effects, although bloody mind-blowing in this movie are so right up in the audiences’ face that they’re blinded to anything and everything else. Overuse of technology and special effects regarding machines and science fiction really tends to irritate me because they seem to have a habit of restricting the audiences’ freedom to look. And looking is why people come to the movies. 

Having said all this though, there is an epic battle: the final climactic one between Smith and Neo, that injects that graceful and beautiful brand of fighting and special effects that captivated audiences right from the start. I was beginning to give up before that confrontation gave me hope. 

The ending is a little cheesy, but of course all trilogy endings are in one way or another so I can’t really complain. 

Starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Ann Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mary Alice, Tanveer K. Atwal, Helmut Bakaitis, Ian Bliss, Collin Chou, Essie Davis, Nona Gaye, Harry Lennix, Harold Perrineau, David Roberts, Bruce Spence, and Hugo Weaving, The Matrix Revolutions is a brilliant way to end the series, but I still stand of the opinion that it’s the least impressive of the three. Filled with action, epic battles, amazing special effects, incredible machines, drama, love, and death, it’s still very impressive, very impressive. I just think it got a little bit overloaded that’s all. I still bloody love it of course.