When "The Matrix" was released, it was a phenomenon. The movie cost about $65 million to make, but it ended up raking in a little over $170 million. That's not including what it made outside of the U.S., and how much it made with video and DVD. It was a science-fiction film with lots of action, lots of special effects, and hints of religion and philosophy, all while being easily accessible to mainstream audiences. Everyone loved it, it made lotsa money, and the anticipation for the sequel was enormous. Then came "The Matrix Reloaded," and many were left disappointed. There was still sci-fi and action, and it was filled with special effects (though some said it was too much), but what seemed to bother people most was that the religion and philosophy was pushed to the foreground. Many found it pretentious and boring. Me personally, I liked it a lot, but I can't say that I totally got it, ya know? I appreciate the religion and philosophy in the film, but after watching it, I didn't have it all figured out. When the movie was over, though I really liked it, I was frustrated because I had so many questions, and not enough answers. Thankfully, "The Matrix Revolutions" would answer all of those questions... right?
Well, not really.
I'd be a liar if I said that I didn't feel a little let down by "The Matrix Revolutions." I really liked the movie, and I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end, but I was hoping that everything would come together, all questions would be answered, and every point would be addressed. To a certain extent, I wanted the Hollywood ending, where all would make sense, and everything would be tied up in a neat little bow. That's not what I got, though. I got more religion and philosophy, and although I DID get a better understanding of it all, I'm still kinda lost. However, now I'm even more curious about what it all means, and I'm fascinated by the various theories and interpretations I've been reading. The one that's most common (as well as most obvious, because even a lunk head like me was able to figure it out) is that one of the supporting characters in the film represents God while another represents the Devil. In "The Matrix Reloaded," it's pretty obvious who God is supposed to be, but not until "The Matrix Revolutions" is it clear who the Devil is (there are plenty of clues). Other than that, I don't really know. I'm still trying to understand it all. I have some ideas, some theories, but I can't say if any of it is even close to being accurate.
Needless to say, none of this really matters. Religion, philosophy, none of it means anything if the movie sucks. Plenty of people think that "The Matrix Reloaded" sucks. I disagree. Plenty of people think that "The Matrix Revolutions" sucks, and again, I disagree. Of course, a lot of what people dislike about the films is what I happen to like a lot. I can tell you that during "The Matrix Revolutions," I was never bored. Not for a single moment. Whether it's the nonstop action during the attack on Zion (an incredible scene), or the dialogue between "Neo" and the nice man at the train station, I loved the movie. It gets corny at times, and the ending is too vague to be truly satisfying, but it's a great movie that I really enjoyed. More importantly, it's filled with concepts and ideas that I'll be thinking about for years.
There are two guys responsible for this whole thing, and those guys are Andy and Larry Wachowski, the Wachowski Brothers. They wrote and directed all three films in the "Matrix" trilogy, but it doesn't stop there. They also wrote a few of the short films in "The Animatrix," including "Final Flight of the Osiris" (which is what happened between "The Matrix" and "The Matrix Reloaded"), "The Second Renaissance" (a 2-parter that serves as a prequel to "The Matrix"... at one point, there was talks about making an entire feature film out of it), and "Kid's Story" (which tells the story of how "The Kid" in the two sequels is contacted by "Neo" and eventually escapes the Matrix). They also wrote and directed the tie-in video game, "Enter the Matrix," which is in total continuity of the films (the game features the characters "Niobe" and "Ghost, and tells of what happened between "Final Flight of the Osiris" and "The Matrix Reloaded"... a separate level is the mission they go on while "Neo," "Morpheus," and "Trinity" did their thing towards the end of "The Matrix Reloaded"). The Wachowski Brothers put a lot of thought into the "Matrix" universe they created, and I haven't even included the online comics (which just recently became available in book form).
There seems to be some people out there who are under the illusion that the two sequels to "The Matrix" have no story. See, I have a serious problem with that. If you don't like the movies, that's one thing, but to say that they have no story is completely ignorant. The Wachowski Brothers put a lotta time and effort into their very complex universe, and saying that there's no story is ridiculous. These two sci-fi/comic book/anime/computer geeks have a story to tell, and it's vast. The story goes over the heads of most people (including my own), but believe me, there IS a story there. A person saying that the films have no story is a person in denial.
Andy and Larry Wachowski have come a long way since "Bound" (their directorial debut, an excellent film), and an even longer way since their "EctoKid" comics (Larry Wachowski was the only writer credited, but they supposedly wrote it together). They've been living and breathing "The Matrix" for the last five years, so it should be interesting to see what they decide to do next. There's a big "Matrix" DVD box set in the works (I'd hold off on buying any "Matrix" DVDs for now, because the DVD box set is a sure thing, and it will include lotsa stuff not available in the current DVDs), and they're probably working on that right now, but what happens after that? I'd like to see them do a comic book movie. In my review of the first film, I said that I wanted them to direct "Spider-Man." That obviously didn't happen. Now I think they should go after the Man of Steel. That's right, they should do the "Superman" movie that Warner Bros. is trying to get off the ground. Supposedly, the guy slated to direct "Superman" is McG, the guy who directed "Charlie's Angels." I'd much rather see the Wachowski Brothers do it.
I keep going off on these little tangents. Okay, I really like "The Matrix Revolutions." A lot. That much I've made clear, right? And the Wachowski Brothers kick ass, they're cooler than cool (especially since they're really just a couple of introverted geeks, much like yours truly). As for the cast, just about everyone is back from the last film, all except for the great Gloria Foster. She played "The Oracle" in the first two films, but sadly, she died while filming the sequels. Mary Alice (who's had a lotta small roles in movies and TV shows, though I remember her best as the dorm mother in "A Different World") takes her place, and though she does an admirable job, I think that Gloria Foster was irreplaceable. Still, Mary Alice is very good, and she keeps the character dignified, sweet, and very clever. Also, the Wachowski Brothers do a great job of explaining the "new shell."
Some have complained that in the third film, the main characters ("Neo," "Trinity," and "Morpheus") have become supporting characters in their own film. I can see why some would say that, but it wasn't a problem for me. There was a lotta story to tell, and the only way to do it was by adding more characters to fill the scenes. Also, time had to be spent on the characters to ensure that the audience would actually care about them. "Neo" and "Trinity" are still the heart of the films, and both Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are absolutely perfect in their respective roles. I've been critical of Keanu Reeves' acting before, but he really is the perfect guy to play "Neo." As for Carrie-Anne Moss, she's no less perfect, and like I said in my review of "The Matrix Reloaded," she's playing a character who is probably one of my favorite movie characters of all-time, and that's largely due to her. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss have strong, believable chemistry, and even though they're not in the film for as long as you might think (or hope), their scenes together are excellent. Laurence Fishburne ("Morpheus") is in the film even less, but his scenes are still great. Also, It's really cool to see how his character has changed from the beginning of the first film through the end of the third.
As for the rest of the cast, Hugo Weaving is better than ever as "Agent Smith." Some might say that he chews his scenes, and he's way over the top, but I think he's great (he also has a role in another famous trilogy, an even bigger one... see if you can guess which one it is). Jada Pinkett Smith ("Niobe") is really cool in the movie, and her character, along with "Trinity," proves that strong badass women are really, really sexy (if you need more proof, check out the TV show "Alias"). Lambert Wilson, who was so good as "Merovingian" in "The Matrix Reloaded," is back, but in one scene only. It's a shame, because his character is so intriguing, and he does an awesome job playing him. And yes, Monica Bellucci is back as his wife, "Persephone," and she wears an outfit that... wow. Let's just say that you probably won't be looking at her face a whole lot (though Monica Bellucci certainly has a gorgeous face).
Now that I've seen the final film in the "Matrix" Trilogy, I can say that it's been an amazing ride. In my review of "The Matrix Reloaded," I said that I preferred that one to the original, but in hindsight, I'd have to say that I spoke to soon. The first one is probably the best of the three. It was uncharted territory. I just keep thinking about the opening scene, when "Trinity" is being chased by the agents, and it's a quick reminder that when that first film came out, it was something unique, and something brilliant. The sequels simply continued the story. The first one is the best, but the two sequels (which I like equally) aren't far behind. In fact, all three films each got the same rating in my scale of 1-10, and I stand by that, even though I like the first one a little more (it would be a 10, if it wasn't for a couple of corny moments).
Although this final film in the trilogy didn't answer all my questions, I'm curious enough to keep looking up theories from others. Hopefully, the Wachowski Brothers will eventually explain everything, but even if they decide not to, that would be okay. I'd continue to read up on it. If the movies sucked, I wouldn't care enough to do that, right?
With the "Matrix" trilogy, the Wachowski Brothers put forth some really complex ideas, and whether you liked the films or not, they need to be commended for what they've done. The big question now is, what's next?
Scale of 1-10: 9