The Matrix (1999) rocked audiences with ground-breaking effects and a completely original, outrageous, yet strangely believable story. A huge movie like this will inevitably have a sequel. Well, guess what, Matrix: Reloaded IS that sequel. Now, it is extremely hard to live up to such a great movie. So, did Reloaded live up to the original? Well, yes and no, let me explain below:
It is impossible to hit us with the surprise factor of Matrix (’99), so, right there is a point against Reloaded. This is motivation for further movies to keep it fresh. The story is decent though. Neo has to save Zion (the homeland) from destruction through his actions in and out of the matrix. The one thing that bogs down the story is the love between Trinity and Neo. It is a little un-needed (like seeing Keanu’s arse after a love-making scene), but it does explain a few of his decisions.
On the visual side, this beats ALL others. The effects are absolutely amazing. The explosions jump off the screen, and the slow-mo stuff is the coolest seen since the original. Some of the effects are a little unreal, though, but what do you expect from a movie like this? It only adds to the experience and shows how powerful Neo really is.
Don’t have a home surround sound system? Well, don’t worry because you’ll be seeing this in the theater. And, as you know, theater surround makes any movie sound great. Though, this is true, this movie stands out far from any other action title out there. The kings of sound are war movies, but that is because they have so much going on. In this, everything sounds as it should, but Keanu’s voice gets annoying. I’m sure everyone was waiting, just like me, for him to say, “Whoa.”
Everyone enjoys action in the movies. Well, maybe not EVERYone, but if you are one of the people who enjoys it, you will LOVE this movie. This is the movie you want to see this summer! If you don’t enjoy anything about it, you will enjoy the action. The fighting scenes were well thought out and look amazingly cool. I was disappointed that there weren’t as many gun fighting scenes as the first, but I guess you can have a little less of one thing and beef up another and still get the attention of any action fan.
If you want to see a great action movie this summer, Reloaded is where it’s at. This movie should definitely be your first choice. If you do not want to have anything in common with your friends, then sit at home, watching re-runs of Happy Days on TV Land.
