Matrix Reloaded!

After two and a half hours of waiting in line, after four years of waiting, after all the discussions, predictions, novels, essays, stories, it has come down to this…there are more questions than answers. (more on this later in another post).

The movie was absolutely mesmerizing, thrilling - as I overheard one fan mention to her friends on her way out of the theatre “That was the greatest thrill ride ever…” and “that was ABSOLUTELY amazing…” - but above all, the movie, to me, was Desiderata (that which is missing but felt needed).

The movie stirred my emotions like a potion in the cauldron of reality. These emotions are beyond articulation, these emotions are above any feeling of egoism, drug, or revelation of a God in any known (to me) religion.

Although there are many lines that make the body tingle all over, one of my favorites was…“You do not truly know someone until you have fought them” (not verbatim).

This is Superman [watch superman movie], this is Superman on Drugs [watch Matrix Reloaded].

Neo’s new trenchcoat suits him well, the tighter fit is needed for much tighter fights.

This movie is funny…no hilarious at points, awe striking and sad at others, and thought provoking throughout.

The Computer Graphics was a little too much in the Burly Brawl (my opinion).

The energy in the theatre probably resembles the energy that would be felt if all the Matrix fans in the world were in one small room and all began to hum.

Did I mention that people were eating Krispy Kreme donuts? Capitalist buggers made their way into the theatre…I want guns, lots of guns…heh heh.

The Oracle is up to her old tricks again…

For all those with significant others, there isn’t anything like going to see the movie with the one you love.

Agent Smith? You can’t get enough of him in this movie…I’ve seen enough Smith to last me a life time.

I would write more, but I must wake for work in 4.5 hours…must sleep.

What’s your take?

Hey Magius, glad to hear I am not one dedicated to the Matrix!

I watched the movie before opening day (Sneak Peek), and I came two hours early to get the best seats (there was already a line, believe it or not!), since the movie started at 10:00, but not to mention, it was a school day, and I had a test, and a presentation due the next day.

But we have to set priorities, right?

Anyways, if you know me, you will know this type of behavior is not abnormal, because I am indeed a MaTriX FrEaK.

As soon as I came out of “The Matrix” - with my mouth hanging to the ground, drool dripping down my chin, and my mind, body, and soul in a stupified wonder - I have been waiting since that moment to see this movie.

Four long years…and finally, it has arrived.

I was met with much opposition, and discouragement, as I was told, “Don’t get your hopes up. You will be dissapointed”, or “Sequels are never good”, and so on.

But I kept hope, and I still believed

Friends I tell you, I was not dissapointed. In fact my expectations, as impossible to reach as they were, were MET! (But not exceded, I admit)

I won’t give details just yet for those who haven’t seen the movie, but I will point out a few things.

The action in this movie is THE MOST INTENSE and INNOVATIVE I have ever since in movie history, no doubt. However, the plot really suffers in this movie, because it is acts somewhat as a bridge between the Matrix 1 and the Matrix 3, raising more questions, than answers. (This could be a reason why many critics are giving this movie bad press, but please don’t listen to them, see for yourself)

A few things however that bothered me, and I have to get off my chest before I forget:

Few spoilersSkip ahead***

1. The orgy in the temple, cut-scened with Neo and Trinity making love? Is there any meaning in that scene? (I mean according to the Wachowski brother’s and not your opinion)

2. What was your favorite fight scene in the movie?

3. The ending: Is the real world, yet another Matrix? What caused his coma?

4. What was your favorite line?

5. How does the architect of the Matrix have control over whether Zion is saved or not? Isn’t the Matrix a seperate world from the machine world?
   Also, on that note, after Neo said to the architect that robots needed humans to survive, the architect responded, “There are levels of survival we are ready to accept”, that means the robots don’t really need humans, so why don’t they just kill them all?

6. Anyone else find that French evil-dude really, really, really annoying.

Spoilers done**

I will also admit I don’t think this movie was as good as the first one (due to the fact that the Matrix Reloaded is not entirely a new, and original work, since it is a continuation of 'The Matrix"), but still overall, it is a movie worthy of the highest praises and honor.

Finally, some notable lines from the movie:

“Everything starts from choice”

“Causality is the only constant in this world. Action…Reaction…Cause…and Effect…”

[size=200]SPOILER - BEWARE![/size]

I’M WARNING YOU!

In response to your first question, roygabv, the whole scene annoyed me but served the purpose of emphasising the fact that Neo is human, not just in the flesh and blood sense, but in that he is governed by his emotions. This is what comes out in the discussions with the Architect - love and feeling is the real problem which causes fissures in The One’s integrity and causes him to choose the right/wrong path. These scenes are just to … set the scene to allow that discussion to take place, and in that respect I found a lot of the first hour to be a little rushed and superficial. Maybe it’ll be OK when we conjoin it with Revolutions, but it’s almost as though they realised they hadn’t quite got enough of the emotional attachment in The Matrix (and IMHO, they were right to steer away from it then), but principally the purpose of this half of the film is to demonstrate how, as the Architect puts it, logic and reason are subservient to feeling, emotions, the id. And, it seems to me, that Trinity is the real problem, the real source of conflict (hence the name). If she didn’t exist, if there was nothing for Neo to aspire and integrate into (remember the dull-grey scenes of the beginning of the Matrix) then he would act logically and with virtue. Trinity is the third part, the third aspect of the good-evil / evil-good triangle (I phrase it like that because of the profound difficulty for any person in answering the final choice question of the film).

SPOILER OVER

Back to reality, I gave it a 7/10 for now, pending viewing of Revolutions. My review…

I enjoyed it more then the first one, and I loved the first!

I think the reason why some believe it dragged, is not because it’s slow, but because it’s philosophy and hard to grasp it right away.

[size=200]!!!Ultimate in SPOILERS read on if you want to know what the Matrix is!!![/size]

I enjoyed the new direction taken with the philosophy: How free are we? Like what the Oracle said to Neo, “You’ve already made the choice.” But Neo doesn’t understand. Again later on when the other AI, (the one with the French accent can’t remember his name), says, “Do you know Why? You don’t have power unless you know Why! But because you follow orders so well… ” do this. There were many examples of cause and effect leading people’s decisions. This was the point of the start of the movie, to make sure people got this point! ‘So you’ve already made your choice,’ to me means, when the plan was set in action, i.e. the first cause which it’s effect is all the other causes. It’s this first cause that dictates how all the other cause and effects will be determined. So the choice is made by the first cause, after that everything else is predetermined. Well at least that’s how they, the AI want the system to work… but this is not the case with humanity, which is the problem with the Matrix, as AI is predetermined but not human consciousness. So where is the balance which is needed to keep any system running?

The One is the first and the last! Hehe. Lets get biblical! Neo is going to be the next Primary Cause! Hence why he is the One! Because humanity doesn’t always follow cause and affect this spark is needed to keep the system running when the AI hits the wall and needs a new freshness.

The Architect told Neo that some people reject the Matrix, and need to be given the choice to accept or reject the Matrix, anybody remember something about Blue and Red pills? This is the choice to accept or reject. The Architect says it’s a subconscious choice so even when the computer simulation is guiding the body, the body still knows at some level that it’s just a simulation. The blue and red pill is a manifestation of this choice. Who knows how many people have taken the blue pill. It could be a choice almost everybody has to make, when it’s there time to make it.

But like it was said in the first movie, most people rejected the original Matrix, so another was created. Now on to the sixth generation, which has improved so something like a 99.9% are willing to stay in the Matrix, but not all, this 0.1% is the predicted unpredictable problem. How did the AI get to this level? It was the Oracle she was created so to speak to learn and understand how people would act and react to stimuli. She’s the program that can see the future because she is the program that most understands what “free” minded people will choose. This is almost becoming Paradoxical, it’s because freewill is based so heavily off reason the AI is able to predict what will happen nearly all the time. She also only knows what will happen up to the time Neo walks through the door, it’s then up to him how the future will progress! The Oracle can no longer predict the future as it’s now in the One’s, the First’s, i.e. the Primary Causes hands. But that being said the Architect still wants control, so the mind games with Neo to make him choose the path the Architect wants, but Neo is free to reject it if he wishes.

So back to the questions: Why! What is the Why of the Matrix? This is the question Neo is going to have to figure out? This is very important.

Like the way the Oracle is AI, I’m about 65% sure Morpheus is also. The reason or job of Morpheus is to find the One. I think this was hinted at when he found it so hard to accept that the war wasn’t over, as this is want was meant to happen when Neo when through the Door to create the next generation of Matrix. Morpheus’s role was only to make sure Neo would go through the door, after that his program becomes redundant. It was foreshowed in the first move when Morpheus brings Neo to meet the Oracle, “I can only lead to the door, you must walk through it.”

Like Agent Smith being in the ‘real world’ and Neo’s new powers, what agent smith found out and so has Neo, is they are still in the Matrix! There is no way out of the Matrix, if you leave, you will die; and this is true for both Man and Machine. I don’t know how many of you sat till the very end of the movie and wait till all the credits where finished and they showed a trailer for the next one. Well, you here in one part the Oracle saying, “If you can’t stop him, it will be finished.” She wasn’t talking to Neo! But to Agent Smith!

Okay here’s the Why and What is the Matrix!

The War is over! OVER!!! It ended in a stalemate; humanity could no longer live because of what war did to the earth, likewise the Machines also where unable to operate. They where forced to face a choice, either unite to save each other or continue to fight leading to both races dieing. This is the reason why the other ‘Ones’ always chose to recreate the Matrix, this is the Why to all their actions, or should I say reason. The world humanity lives in no longer exists, and can never again exist in the real world, food is almost gone and there’s no hope in trying to recreate an old paradise on the earth as the earth is mortally wounded. The Machine’s no longer has any viable source of power except humans. Here is the Balance sorely missing from all the philosophy. Remember in Zion when they where in the Machine room when Neo and the Counsellor were talking, “Neo said that they don’t need Machines.” Then the Counsellor said in reply, “Look at the water re-processor, I don’t know how it works, but it does and it gives us life. If there where no Machines then there would be no light or heat.” It’s about balance, the war is not coming it’s over and it ended along time ago. Now humanity and machine need each other to live, humanity gives the machines power to operate, the machines give the humans a world to live in! it’s a symbiotic relationship. Here is the balance, and that is what and why the Matrix was created! It did enslave them and like Agent Smith said in the first movie: he also is trapped. It was either become each others slaves or die! That is the choice Neo will have to make.

whoa, i never really thought of that, but it fits in nicely…

just saw the movie today, loved every bit of it, and i agree, people who complain about the “plot” just cant grasp the matrix…

Roygabv stated:

Most of the complaints I heard about were the following:

1. Too much CG (Computer Graphics)
2. Reloaded doesn’t have the same feel as the first
3. Neo is TOO powerful
4. Too much of a good thing, they tried to AWE the audience too much
5. Martial arts was nothing new
6. What the hell is up with the dance scene?

My answers to these complaints:

1. Generally speaking I don’t think there was too much CG. But I do agree that during the Burly Brawl the CG is too obvious and doesn’t sit well with me. As well as, the flight scene for Neo when he flies out of the room with the Architect. Lastly, the scene when Neo picks up the Keymaker and Morpheus from the exploding trucks. These three scenes were not well done, the CG is not convincing.

2. I agree that Reloaded doesn’t have the same feel as the first movie. But this is to be expected. The Wacho. Bros. have much to introduce to the audience, much that wasn’t in the first movie. Zion for one. They need to show how people live, the culture, the politics (hierarchy), how people talk, what they wear, jobs, defence of the city, some sort of a main headquarters central. They also need to show that Neo and Trinity are in love and how they act around each other.

3. Some people complained to me that Neo was too powerful, he was like a God. Why didn’t he save the keymaker, they say? He kept flying around saving everyone, they say.

These people obviously didn’t understand how and why Neo had the powers that he did and the limits to those. I proposed to one person, “Well in the first movie he flew, what was he suppose to do in the second movie in order to get from one place to another, run?” To which they said, “Yeah but he only flew at the end of the movie” to which I said “Yes, because he didn’t realize he could fly until the end of the movie”. Just as Neo didn’t realize he could bring people back from the dead until his loved one died. It wasn’t as though Trinity was dead for days and he brought her back, he simply massaged her heart into pumping again - similar to chest compressions for CPR. This is along the lines of what Neo did in the first movie when he jumped into Agent Smith. In the same way he was able to put his hand inside of Trinity’ chest and massage her heart. He was flying around saving Morpheus, Keymaker, Trinity, and escaping the agents because it called for it. It is something a logical person would do in the situation. It also shows that there are limits to Neo’s powers and that he isn’t God.

4. I agree that there was too much of a good thing in reference to the CG. I’m not even sure why they had to do it, a person flying in the sky through clouds using different means (one of which is CG) has been perfected by many other movies. Heck, even the Superman movies did a better job of it than they did in Reloaded. But in reference to everything else, I think it was pretty well proportioned. For some reason, I don’t know how to explain it, but the first scene with Trinity fighting the cops just doesn’t sit well with me. I think it may be a case of too much of a good thing. I think they tried to meet and beat the scene in the first movie with Trinity fighting the cops, I think they failed on both counts. The fight didn’t meet or beat the awe experienced from watching Trinity fight the cops in the first movie.

5. This perplexes me and agitates me. There isn’t anything worse then someone trying to talk about something they know nothing about. The martial arts was very well done, especially on Neo’ part. Though the moves present in the movie may be from ancient martial arts school and hence unoriginal, the combos they are presented in and the way they are shown (angles, etc) makes them very unique. I’ve watched many Japanese, Chinese, American, Buddhist, Indian, and Slovak martial arts movies - none of them have present martial arts in the way that Matrix 1 or 2 does.

6. The dance scene, although I cannot speak for the Wacho. Bros. didn’t sit well with me either on first viewing. But as I watched it more times I realized that there was much more to the dance then meets the eye. I believe the dance scene was implemented into the movie to portray Zionists (no play on words intended) as shedding their fear, as Morpheus instructed. I think it was sexual because they wanted to show that the bond (teamwork) between Zion citizens was strong, and that they would fight together. It could also be taken to mean that they are going to continue to procreate. Another way of taking could be that they were not afraid to be themselves and stand of for what they believed, since there is a certain insecurity people feel with having others see them naked. Then again, it could just simply be taken to mean that they are in the center of earth where it is warm, hence all the light clothing, and when you dance you sweat and the light clothing becomes see through. I leave you to decide. Lastly, on another message board I read an interesting post about a dance ritual that the Wacho. Bros. might have been tryingn to portray…I won’t go into it myself but I will provide the link to the message board at the end of this post.

As roygabv has already elucidated, I too believe that many people found the plot lacking because they didn’t understand two factors a) This isn’t Matrix 1, and b) Reloaded acts as a sequel broken in two. Furthermore, I think MANY people just had no clue what the heck was going on and why.

Roygabv asked:

Hmmm…interesting question. I have always had a close kinship with martial arts throughout my life and I would have to say that the fights between Neo and Seraph sticks in my mind the most. Possibly also because I have played and finished the game Enter the Matrix (PC version) using Niobe in which I pulled some really nice and memorable moves fighting Seraph. Actually, about half way through the fight I pinned Seraph in a corner and pummeled him senseless until he stopped and told me he had to be sure…I have yet to pass it using Ghost. One other fight scene that really impressed me, though was later ruined by CG, was the fight between Neo and the Smiths. Before Neo pulls the poll out of the ground I was very impressed by the fight.

Royabv asked:

I had the same thought. I really can’t answer it for sure, but I hope it isn’t just another form of control or some other entity of the Matrix. I truly hope that it is the real world and that Neo has learned to affect the true reality as well as the Matrix. My money is on the latter idea only because I can see how he would need those powers to destroy the AI. I don’t think it would ever be enough to beat or shut down the AI from within the Matrix. Ofcourse, I could be wrong and this is only my opinion. In answering what caused his coma, I think it is the same reason why he went unconscious in the first movie, the mind has trouble adjusting. He just realized he has powers in the real world and it was hard for the brain to let go of all the things he believed he could and couldn’t do in reality.

Roygabv asked:

A) “Affinity for disobedience”
B) “Not everyone believes what you believe” Morpheus: “My beliefs do not require them to.”
C) “There is so much in this world I do not understand, we may not understand how a thing works but we may understand why it works or what its purpose is.”
D) “You do not truly know someone until you fight them”
E) “You already made the choice, your here to figure out why you made it.”
F) “You are beginning to have the sight, you are looking at the world without time.”

I don’t know how the Architect has power over what happens.

Roygabv asked:

??? I don’t know how or where you see that connection. Because the architect says that there are levels of survival they are ready to accept does not mean that they don’t need humans. Just the opposite. Remember, whether Neo chooses to save Trinity and Zion gets destroyed, or he goes to save Zion and Trinity dies, doesn’t matter. Both include humans surviving on some level. On the one hand we have Zion being destroyed but the people in the pods survive. On the other hand we have Neo shutting down the Matrix, which the Architect leads us to believe that it would mean the destruction of all those still hooked to the matrix, but those in Zion will survive.

Roygabv stated:

YEAH! EXTREMELY, I felt like jumping up from my seat and leaping into the screen so I could split that lip. Figuratively speaking ofcourse.

Oops, I forgot the link. Here it is:
http://www.matrixcommunity.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi

What’s your take?

Already been answered by similar beliefs. Mostly I think it represents freedom. That if they are going to die they won’t die under the control (fear) of the robots.

Although I think the CG were too obvious the part where neo fights the smiths with the pole. I can never get enough of those type of weapons whether it be spears or something similar. I love the way they move.

I don’t think so. Too predictable. If so the ending of it I will have to delve deeper into questioning to bring out a new twist on it. It’s just too easy to go that way when it comes to writting.

I don’t remember the exact wording but something along the lines of “the only power you have is why”. By the french guy.

I kind of figured it was more a question of losing a lot compared to losing a few. The robots need the humans so if neo destroyed the matrix they would lose their crop but still have the ability to use zion. Far less amount of people but still probably enough to harvest for power. Which would bring up the question of how much power do the machines really hold over the humans if they can trust in their ability to overpower zion. They said they did it already. But neo feeling confident in his decision probably already predicted that the machines would judge his path. I love mind games. It’s all a big chess game.

I liked him. I liked how they used a french person to portray the stance he took. Not that im prejudice against french but they play off of the stereotypes

I think only because the way they presented it. The scene where neo is released from the matrix is just awesome. You can’t present the points needed in the second one the same way it would get redundant. The first one had to be big it had to be flashy. It shook the very base of peoples thoughts. The second one is more subtle. I liked it for that. It gives people something to discover. It’s got a different feel but not any worse.

I actually agree with that when it comes to the fighting sequences. I think they could’ve shortened them. I liked them long but had it gone longer i probably would’ve got bored of them.

Another thing that I hear people complaining about is the ending. They said it’s too abrupt. I argued that it was to be conlcuded. They argued that the first 20 minutes is going to be what the last 20 minutes of the other movie should’ve been. I argued that the rest of the movie is going to be what the rest of the movie should’ve been.

By the way… hi again

Re: Is the Zion reality another Matrix

It has to be:

Think of it like this, it has to be an AR they’re in when they are in “Zion reality” because Trinity was made to come into the Matrix to shut down the power (and thus got shot as per the dreams and also as said by the architect) because of a chance occurance in the “real” world.

The occurance I’m talking about is when the sentinels attacked the ship of the guys who were taking out the backup powerplant system. Pilot spots the sentinels, runs to tell their ship’s operator, gangway breaks as he runs and stabs operator in back and kills him in the fall. They’d almost done the task of taking out the back up systems inside the Matrix, then wham, they all die cause the sentinels get them because they don’t get a chance to start running away in the “real” world, which should have bought them enough time to finish the job. Now no matter how good the AI Oracle or the Architect are at predicting what will happen inside the Matrix, they surely must have no ability to predict much outside of it. But nevertheless they presented Trinity being in that particular place to have that happen to her from the beginning, before the gangway collapsed on the hovercraft killing the random characters so they couldn’t finish their task in shutting off the power.

Hence if they want to keep the movie consistent then zion reality has to be an artificial reality simulation, otherwise that’s a pretty big continuity screw up on the writer’s part. I hope it’s not as I’ll always know that from now on. Anyway, add that to Neo’s stunt in the “real” world with the sentinels and I think it’s a done deal. Or they’ve just not thought it through properly when they put the scene of the collapsing gangway in (the writers could have done many other things to ensure trin would be forced in that didn’t rely on chance). One or the other.

Am I the only one that thought that it was a poor film? The philosophy in ‘Reloaded’ just seemed like a bunch of nonsense and the computer animation reminded me of video game quality. Unless the third film answers some serious questions, I am going to be severely disappointed.

Did anyone see the spoof on the MTV Movie awards. It was actually really funny!

Check out the theanimatrix.com if you haven’t already. It is an animated series that details the matrix from different perspectives. I actually enjoyed it more than Reloaded.

The series of animatrix films are very intriguing and mind/eye openers. Although I do not share Skeptics view of them being better than the film, I do believe we each have our own tastes. I have seen all the animatrix movies, my significant other owns the DVD. I have also, just recently, finished the Enter the Matrix PC game using both Niobe and Ghost, a must for all Matrix fans. It helps bring together many ideas that weren’t elucidated upon in the film. Skeptic, playing the game may help you spawn some more positive feelings and a better understanding of the film.

TO ALL: What was your favorite animatrix series?

My favorite songs from the soundtrack:

1. Session: Linkin Park
2. Furious Angels: Rob Dougan
3. Dread Rock: Oakenfold
4. Zion: Fluke
5. Main Title: Don Davis
6. Chateau: Rob Dougan
7. Mona Lisa Overdrive: Don Davis/Juno Reactor
8. Burly Brawl: Don Davis vs. Juno Reactor

What’s your take?

Re:Zion reality another Matrix

My thoughts:
Zion will prove to be another matrix. Neo proved that when he shut the sentinels down and went coma.

As to the ending
Machines created humans.

I thought Reloaded was TERRIFIC!..
Two questions though (for now)
spoilers

-Remember when two captains, left behind to receive a message from the Oracle, which was to be delivered to Neo, where trying to exit the matrix? As they were exiting, one of them put the enveloped message in his jacket pocket, picked up the phone and was gone.
My question is how could he bring that massage physically into ‘the real world’. So what?.. he got unplugged and magically found a message in his hand?

The only thing I could think of to explain this is; the act of placing the message in his pocket allowed the operator to upload it from the matrix as the captain was exiting.
Then that info was downloaded onto a physical thing which was to be given to Neo later on in the movie… anyone have another opinion?

Also,

-Remember when an agent Smith killed one of the captains who was trying to exit ‘the matrix’ and picked up the phone instead?
That agent then entered Zion and tried to stab Neo as he was departing… but before that he cut his hand (and started bleeding).
Why did he do that, why did he cut his hand?

About Neo’s coma …
I remember when I saw that, the first thing I thought was “OMG he woke up yet again… HOLY CRAP…”
I interpreted his coma as him waking up to another level of consciousness, brought on by the sudden shock of discovering the truth about ‘the real world’ first hand ( get it … cause he used his hand… ) and his ability to bend the rules there as well.

To those who think it is just another Matrix, prima facie I too thought it was going to be another Matrix, but within seconds I realized that it is exactly what they want us to think. Too many movie have played on that angle, a world within a world within a world, a reality within a reality etc. I think the Wacho. Bros. were betting on getting the message across to the audience that magical things can happen in real life if only we believe bad enough. I think they will keep to reality and show that Neo IS really the one because he can not only change the matrix as he sees fit, but he can also change reality. To the ONE, there should be no borders.

Silver stated:

Hmmm…good question. I’m not sure what to tell you, but I know playing Enter the Matrix would help you get some insight (won’t spoil it for ya). Much of the plot in the movie that never gets portrayed, is portrayed in the game. One of which is the disk scene.
Furthermore, one idea could be that they weren’t brought back to the real world, but instead they were put into a safe computer construct in which they deciphered the disk. Similar to the computer construct (exterior to the matrix) that we see when the gates of zion open and there are people in a white room pressing transparent screens.

Silver stated:

In my opinion he was revelling in the emotion of pain, especially because of his line in the first movie about our existance being experienced through pain and misery, which is why the first Matrix failed and they lacked the programming language to create the perfect world. I also thought that maybe he was doing it because he knew Neo was coming, but his new body was making his feel anxiety, fear, and nervousness at doing such an unspeakable thing as trying to kill the one. Having these feelings he may not know any other way of getting rid of them but to harm himself enough for the pain to take over and the fear to subside so he could make his attack. I know one other person who believes that he was harming himself because he hated this reality more than the Matrix. He didn’t have respect from his comrades as was illustrated during the council meeting. His life and purpose in the situation would make no sense, since they were all their to defeat the AI, which is the last thing Smith would want to do. So he was angry and wanted to get out of this body and got pleasure by mutilating it.

Silver stated:

I couldn’t agree more sista.

What’s your take?

I think you guys might find this article interesting; not to mention disturbing.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030611/en_afp/egypt_us_cinema_matrix_030611170319

No Skeptic, you’re not the only one who thought it was a poor film. Perhaps as a stand-alone movie it would have met my standards, but it definatly does not live up to the legend of the original Matrix. I’m sorry to say I was more then a little disappointed with it.

I thought the entire cloning of Agent Smith bit was rather useless, and the silly one-liners he kept saying to his newly-cloned ‘other’ selfs only made it worse. In the original Matrix Agent Smith was one of -if not THE- coolest ‘bad guy’ I’ve ever seen, nearly as cool as Neo himself. After Reloaded, however, he just seems foolish. They took away all of his mystery, darkness, and general Smithness that made him so unique in the first film so that now he reminds me of a villain out of a comic book or some such. That’s not even to mention the ridiculous fight seen w/Neo and like a billion Smiths.

Speaking of fight scenes, I was again disappointed. The first Matrix set the standard of fight scenes upon it’s release. As a sequel, it is Reloaded’s job to not meet, but surpass the standard and it failed to do so. Sure they were alright I guess, but who cares about alright? We want to be awed, we expect to be awed. I’ve seen fights as good in Bulletproof Monk, and twice as good in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

As for Neo’s power, I found it inconsistant. How fast must he be able to move if he can travel from one side of the world to another in 10 minutes? Obviously very very very fast. He can stop bullets, and bring people back to life with a kiss. And yet, when faced with opposition, he still resorts to karate chops and drop kicks. Am I the only one who thinks that a little ilogical? Obviously, as an action film, it is expected to have action, but for the sake of the story line I think they should have saved the pesky fighting scenes for Trinity and Morpheous. Or if they absolutly needed to make Neo fight, it should have been something completely different then the traditional martial arts we’ve become accoustumed to seeing in… well like every movie following the original matrix. Too powerful? No I don’t think they made him powerful enough.

But that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Oh and the skit on the MTV awards were hilarious. Will Farrel always cracks me up.

Matthew, thanx for the link. I thought the article was interesting. Personally, I’d love to have a look at the movies that didn’t get banned in Egypt this year and compare. I was also wondering, if maybe you had access to info about the strict criteria movies go through to get into Egypt, if so please let me know.

What’s your take?

I did a google search and found this article. It gives a rather thorough account of what is permissable and what’s not. Here’s the link:

http://www.metimes.com/cens/censored.htm

It’s interesting to know that Spanish-Inquisition type behavior is still practiced in what I had always believed to be a free country. I think these people need to read Milton’s Areopagitica.

I saw the movie last night. One of the advantages of seeing a movie later is that you hear the bad reviews and reduce your expectations, “Gee, it wasn’t that bad.”

I haven’t read the articles presented yet, and I’ve only perused Pax Vitae’s telling comment, but I think he’s on the right track. What I think they’re doing is Helgelian Pragmatism (the cameo by Cornell West is telling here).

What you have is a series of oppositions:

Neo/Smith

–Yes, the religious aspect is there. Smith give a whole new meaning to the phase, “I am Legion”

Matrix/Zion

–The world of the mind v. the world of physicality. The dance scene is an attempt to show the physical nature of human life.

Architect/Oracle

–Actor v. Observer. I loved this addition as I never like the Oracle in the first place. Are they working together or in contention. Hard to say, but I suspect that they are indeed setting something or at least the stage for something like Milton’s “On Christian Doctrine” rather than “Paradise Lost”.

Morpheus/ex-girlfriend

–Faith v. Logic. I laughed out loud when she said the name of her ship was “The Logos.” I suspect she’ll become more pivotal in the third movie.

Where I disagree with PV (unless I’ve misread him) is in the belief that the war is over. I think the goal, the unstated goal, is the synthesis of man and machine (not there mere dependence) and I think that synthesis will occur between Smith and Neo thereby breaking the chain (of six one’s no less). The key factor in this synthesis will be trinity as, no doubt, her name indicates, it is the third factor that allows us to break from the antimonies presented above. The difference is that PV sees the synthesis as already happened and I see it as yet to come.

As far as the real/matix dichotomy, I would like them to just slam it in everybody’s face, “That it doesn’t matter!” but that ain’t gonna satisfy most people (an no doubt my bias is present in that that is what I’ve been arguing since the movie came out). So, I suspect they’ll pull a Phil Dick on us (or if you want a Luis Borges), have the new man/machine discover the real world but leaving the question of the reality/matrix undetermined.

Another possibility is to do something like what Gene Wolfe did in his “Book of the New Sun” and show that all of this is a continual process, to take the Neitzchean idea of ‘eternal recurrence’ seriously. But that would be a dramatic letdown from my view of things.

And of course I could be completely wrong, I’ve only seen the second one once.

On a further note, it seems clear that the distinction between reality and the matrix is not as distinct as many have stated it. Trinity kisses Neo (Real/Matrix), Neo fixes her heart (Matrix/Real) so the realms influence and affect each other regardless of what you want to call them. I’m not as comfortable as Magius is about the Matrix giving someone the ability to cirumvent physical laws (so far, no one has died in the read world and then been resuscitated), but it is a possibility. What would happen to humans in the real world if we were somehow permanently plugged in with the ability to freely traverse one world or the other?

Immortality?

It’s a question that hasn’t been answered yet, but it is a possibility.

I hope not though.