Forums > Social Chat > OMG! Matrix Reloaded: review your viewing!

Posted: 15th May 2003
I must know, Is there a spoon???, tell me
TELLL ME.
SPOOOOOOn?

Posted: 15th May 2003
SPOOOOOOns - more useful than the MOOOOOOOn for eating SOOOOOOUUUUUp...


come on may21st!

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood

Posted: 15th May 2003
viking kittens with flying helicopter backpack

Posted: 15th May 2003
Ooooooooooh this movie rocked my world in so many ways.

Much more humanist than the first one, it really had me feeling sympathy with the characters.

Agent Smith is so pretty, so pretty. Anyone catch the tips of the hat to Dynasty Warriors and Stick-Fu in that fight scene?

********SPOILER**********
I was a little bit peeved in the monitor room when the Architect guy was showing clips of why humanity sucks and right next to the big Adolph Hitler was GWB... dunno if that was intentional or what but all the same one shouldn't pollute their movie with their own political agenda if that actually was the case.
******END SPOILER**********

I went out and bought the soundtrack the very next day it was so great... The song they play in the Zion Dance (Fluke - Zion) is the baddest ass spinning song I have ever heard. That scene would have been perfect if there was a guy with a beer sprayer up on the cliff next to DJ Morpheus, but alas it was not to be. Perhaps in the next movie?

Did anyone stay to watch the Matrix Revolutions preview after the credits were over? Bender I hope you did.

All in all I must say that the challenge was to raise the bar the way they did in the first movie, and this was no disappointment.

What hits the fan is not evenly distributed.

Posted: 16th May 2003
Must say I watched the Animatrix last week, Reloaded last night and bought the game (Enter The Matrix) and started playing this morning. For the first time feeling more like I'm handing over cash for a massive concept pulled off over multiple (artistic) platforms rather than fuelling some cheap cash in merch. The game fills in the gaps of what Niobe and Ghost are doing before and after we see them in the movie, characters from Animatrix episodes show up (or are mentioned) in the movie and the Wachowski bro's are keeping a nice control over what happens - no plastic Neo figurine to be found in a McHappy meal here folks! It all just fits together and comes off brilliantly.

A review of my viewing?

Felt real strange for the first hour because I didn't know how I should be feeling......kept being blown away by (popcorn) philosophy. One monologue in particular had me really straining to focus and take it all in due to the high language used and left me feeling instantly like rewinding and listening again (and I will tomorrow at a 15:00 o'clock session ). By the end I was nothing short of dazed and amazed.

I actually had someone I saw it with say that one of the fight scenes went for too long! I nearly sat on him (that's a pretty dangerous thing for any individual due to my 'festively plump' physique). Whether you want to dig for the philosophical/spiritual overtones or just watch some great action this movie is tops......

A word of advice - avoid spoilers like the plague until you see it, then take the red pill and say goodbye to Kansas Dorothy!

Posted: 17th May 2003
popcorn tastes funny.

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always

Posted: 17th May 2003
i haven't seen it yet though i know i'll go see it 8000 times so it's okay. but until then...

dang that kitten thing was funny! you people are weird

-Such a price the gods exact for song: to become what we sing
-Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
-When the center of the storm does not move, you are in its path.

Posted: 17th May 2003
nice visual fx but a little light on plot. addition of generic black funny man side kick a definate downfall.

Posted: 18th May 2003
Oh my GOD.

--Spoiler, somewhat.--
That movie is amazing. Simply, holy shit, amazing. The Twins special healing thing effects, very nicely done.

The freeway scene? I was on the edge of my seat the whole time with suspense running through my head. That didn't even happen to me on LoTR I or II.

The multiplying Agent Smiths? (scuz me...) ****ing awesome. Then the way the ground rippled when he jumped to fly away? I have never said anything aloud in a movie, but I just had to let out a normal volume: "Sweeeeet...."

---End Spoiler---

The movie was funny (Hmm... upgrades...).
The movie was pretty (Nice effects!)
The movie is evil at the end...

AHH!! NUMBER THREE COME OUT!

Kinudin

Posted: 18th May 2003
Cheesy. Number one, and this is a carry over from my complaints about the last one, but Kiano Reeves is worst actor on earth, and was not the character to play this role. The action sequences were cool, but they looked like they were TOO computer animated, you know? Looked like something I'd see on my computer in a game, not lifelike enough. The first half was a letdown, and the entire movie was a series of "Neo does this, everyone goes 'wow howd he do that' and then everyone get's out ok".

The ending was predictable from about half-way through, the plot was questionable at the very least, and they basically gave away what the entire third movie is going to be with the final scene with the machines inside the real Matrix. They tried to pull off what they did in the last one, making him have an epifanny at the very end of the movie, but it just comes off stupid and "Oh give us more money and we'll tell you how the ending that you all already know is coming goes".

This movie was such a let down. It wasn't a sequel, it was a comercial. They had a chance to make a good movie and they ruined it with cheesy philosophy, terrible acting, and giving away the entire premise of the movie in an obvious play for your pocketbook. I don't think I'll even go see the third one, I'll just wait for the video.

And I just want to reitterate how BADLY Kiano did on this role... Trinity is about as bad... in fact about the only people who I liked in this movie were Morpheus and the snobby French program.

Posted: 19th May 2003
What about the Twins and their oblivious personality?

Posted: 19th May 2003
ohhh beefy are you matrix mad? Maybe trinity makes you tense? Or Keanu Kreeps you out? But do take a minute to appreaciate the messages behind the movie, such as the CHOICES we have and the effect they have on our path in life and the story about balance...
This movie blew my mind and I was left salavating for more!!! I love the way it makes me think on a higher level instead of just wallowing in the mundane...and the administrator the way that he speaks, about choice and possibilty!!! oh the joy.... I even went and got the matrix PS2 game i was that insanley addicted.... I just want more!!!
LLALALALA

TAJ "boat mummy." VALURA "yes sweetie you went on a boat, was daddy there with you?" TAJ "no, but monkey on boat" VALURA "well then sweetie, Daddy WAS there with you"

Posted: 19th May 2003
well ill be damned, one hell of a movie not only the first but also the 3rd and 4th times,

i will have to sa that people are right about the fight scenes that tend to go on for a while, i mean why did he have to fight the guy that took him to the oracil, and as for keano, he sould be shot on the spot for the worst actor of all time,

but i do recomend that if you get the chance and its gold cap season fly to the moon and watch the matrix on the way, best trip i have ever had,

and life was not the same scince, the hole choice thing and "cause and effect" really had me going for the rest of the nite and that was shcu a buzz when you go out clubing and spinning thinking "cause and effect"

but as for plot and acting 6-7 out of 10, pritty averge.

I cant explane myself, becouse i'm not me you see.

Posted: 19th May 2003
yeah beefy ya summed it up I would of said the same but I can't type so why bother. Lord of the rings was done better & cheaper Can't wait till X-mas who care's about november it's just a reminder 1 month till go!

Posted: 19th May 2003
Just saw the movie last night...it farkin' rocked.

I think my favorite scene was the cave/temple scene...now that's my kind of party. As Dio mentioned, it was such a gorgeous celebration of humanity. And since when has Fluke been making new stuff? I've been waiting for some since I got Risotto the day it was released...

I was a little cheesed with the digital doubled used in some sequences...they were a little too obvious. Never use CG as a focal point unless you absolutely have to, people. That said, they had the HANDS DOWN best background compositing I've ever seen in a movie. In the zion shipyard, ror the life of me I could not tell where live action became CG. It looked and felt so stunningly real. I've always been impressed by CG environments for a sheerly aesthetic point of view...but this was the first time I've even felt as though the environement actually existed. Take some notes, Mr. Lucas.

Speaking of the shipyard, did it remind anyone else of Migar from FF7?

**SPOILER**

I was disappointed we didn't see the anything of the destruction of Zion...not because we needed to see it in its entirety, but because it was so important that something simply had to be shown. Maybe just a dramatic shot of the sentinel breaking through the walls, and then leave the rest to our imagination...

**END SPOILER**

All in all, a fantastic movie, so long as you're willing to let the complete and cohesive story of the first be reopened as something quite different. This movie really does make the series into something else...whether that's good or not depends on what you like in a film.

Posted: 19th May 2003
heheh wow what a varied response! keepem comin'!

*** it's spoiler time ***
heh heh i can't stop sniggering about the meachwarrior they had in the Zion Shipyards! man they better have heaps of them vs. squiddies in the final installment!
I really do think that they shoulda had more reggae in a city with so much dreadies and a name like 'Zion'!!
geeks appreciate the realistic haxoring by trin!
*** eeps! ***
hooray for more Sci-Fi!

**edit**
hey aren't you confoozed by the askterisk forest yet?

*** decoy spoiler ***
hey this isn't really anything at all!
*** no more decoy ***

but then again...

*** Spoiler alert! ***
but...THIS IS!
*** okay you can go now.. ***

[ 20. May 2003, 08:45: Message edited by: bender™ ]

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always

Posted: 19th May 2003
Bender, I had a serious flashback to Mechwarrior II as well at that scene.

--Spoiler?--
Also the Keymaker reminded me of Ghostbusters.
--I suppose this is the end...-

Posted: 19th May 2003
Liked:
*The effects (the two "ghosts" were amazing!)
*The weapons work (especially the staffwork with the signpost)
*The Zion Party (the music was awesome)
*Keanu's new coat (where can I get one?)
*The interface at Zion's Approach Control
*The freeway scene. (Nuff said)
*The "wiping your ass with silk" line. (It's so true!)

Didn't Like:
*The plot (Um...can anyone tell me what the HECK is going on?)
*The overuse of flashbacks (I'm easily confuzzled)
*The fact that random characters popped up and I'd never heard of them (who was the annoying pipsqueak who greets Neo when he first returns to Zion?)
*The overly dark cinematography (Dark is good. So dark that I can't see what's happening is bad)
*The fact that Morpheus got even MORE pompus than in the original.

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella



A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura

Posted: 19th May 2003
Morpheus seems pretty fit throughout the movie but yeah in the scene where he's in his little robe/toga thing (showing off his plugs) you only get a couple seconds of side-view where he's got quite the Buddha physique going on. Maybe that's why he didn't have beer on hand to spray all over the cute semi-naked dancers....

What hits the fan is not evenly distributed.

Posted: 20th May 2003

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lightning+++:
*The fact that random characters popped up and I'd never heard of them (who was the annoying pipsqueak who greets Neo when he first returns to Zion?)

---

***possible spoiler***
unfortunately, some subplots are only available if you spend more $$$ on the other material, like ghost and niobe's work is only explained (and acted out) in the game, and the annoying pipsqueek gets his own explanatory episode in the animatirx (thus taking down the otherwise sweet overall quality of the animatrix)
***eep!***

hope this helps!

[ 21. May 2003, 04:36: Message edited by: bender™ ]

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always

Posted: 20th May 2003
*****SPOILERS ENTIRE POST*****

A moment to ponder a new perspective on the Zion sex/dancing scene people get so worked up over... It dawned on me that the scene wasn't about sex. Sure it showed a bunch of nekkid people grinding like highschoolers and a couple pale computer geeks boinking like they just recently had to figure out the process, but as I watched the movie I had something of an epiphane and realized the scene was something incredible. Allow me to elaborate:

First off we have the people of Zion. They're reveling in their humanity, their ability to share love and to make love, their sexuality and zeal for living free from slavery. This scene was as organic as can be. The men were with their women in a moment of blissful solitude in a moment of denial to the ruined, machine-ruled world above them. Yeah, this meaning was rather overt and wasn't too hidden in the film. Remember: Organic.

The scene with Neo and Trinity was absolutely beautiful, but the beauty lies beyond the sexual act. Watch the movie again, and you'll see periodic views of the mechanical implants on their bodies as they desperately try to retain their humanity in each other's arms. As the scene becomes more intense, the views of the mechanical components on their bodies become more frequent, graphic, and specific, with more focus on the implants themselves. This echoes in time with Neo's visions, which become more traumatic and eventually too strong for him to push out of his mind. Keyword: Mechanical.

The scene builds, both within the dance mob and between Neo and Trinity, over the course of several minutes and eventually the dancers reach their maximum intensity while Neo, on the other hand, loses his focus and the thought of Trinity's death overtakes him. The dancers retreat back to their homes, glistening with sweat from their celebration and intoxicated by the organic splendor of humanity and love and life, while simultaneously Neo and Trinity drop into an exhausted, bitter and unfulfilled embrace in a scene which at last shows the entirety of their bodies, with a clear focus on the array of mechanical implants going down Neo's spine, in what I felt was a moment of artistic genius to rival any monstrosity created in the mind of H.R. Giger.

It was absolutely beautiful, the way they contrasted the positive - the organic - with the antagonist of the story - mechanical enslavement of the human body. The story of the Matrix, the quest of human civilization to retake its freedom, dignity and very life force from the evil, invasive, and oppressive machines that overwhelm them, was portrayed absolutely perfectly in that scene.

Still lacked a beer sprayer though Hmm... organic vs mechanical, good vs evil... does this mean I should find a drum circle instead of performing to Techno music?

What hits the fan is not evenly distributed.

Posted: 20th May 2003
:: Adds name to Dio's post::

Word. Very, very well said my friend.

I'm a huge fan of the alien series..all I could think of was Ripley's loader when I saw that mech...

The pipsqueak is Mouse, right? I'm almost certain, but then if Neo "saved" him, he could have saved Apock (sp?) and Switch too. I haven't seen that Animatrix yet so someone let me know if I am wrong...

***SPOILER?***

As for the movie consisting of Neo simply kicking ass over and over, I think that's GOOD. The first movie ended by saying, in no uncertain terms, that Neo was omnipotent with regard to the matrix. I was terrified that they would somehow really cheesily reverse that. (i.e. "Hold on, it turns out there's this new baddie that CAN kill Neo after all.") I'm glad they found a way to create a story around that idea, and not by tearing it down.

Posted: 20th May 2003
I like Dio's interpretation of the sex scene a lot. Wow. Very well written.

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella



A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura

Posted: 20th May 2003
Dio, amazing. Before I read the review I thought the sex scene was just an exscuse for Neo and Trinity to get nekked on the screen.

But now I realize that it really is a good way to portray the struggle between the machines and humans.

Props
Kinudin

Posted: 21st May 2003

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kinudin (Soul Fyre):
Dio, amazing. Before I read the review I thought the sex scene was just an exscuse for Neo and Trinity to get nekked on the screen.

---

Well, a naked Keanu Reeves is always a nice added touch...

(oops, did I just type that out loud?)

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella



A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura

Posted: 21st May 2003

quote:

---

Originally posted by Paddy:
The pipsqueak is Mouse, right? I'm almost certain, but then if Neo "saved" him, he could have saved Apock (sp?) and Switch too. I haven't seen that Animatrix yet so someone let me know if I am wrong...

---

No, he's a new "side kick" that Neo met in the 6 months between Movie 1 and Movie 2.

And I agree that it's cool that Neo can still win at fights. It would've ruined it if he now sucked. I didn't like that they had him fly so much. I realize he probably does it a lot, but 3 times in one movie is a bit much. I'd like to see him do some things that are more fantastical. Like stopping the two trucks from colliding or something.

I think the "ghosts" are viruses. I heard it mentioned somewhere.

I really liked that they treated it more like an actual computer. There are multiple programs, "backdoors", etc. I found that to be really cool.

FYI: I am not Pele. If you wish to reply to me and use a short version of my name, use: PWB.

English? Who needs that? I'm never going to England. - Homer Jay Simpson

Posted: 21st May 2003
omg i went to go see this last night.... it was an awsome movie unfortunatly i had worked an 8 hour day yesterday and i went to the late showing at 10pm so the movie didnt get out till 1230...
i was dozing off some parts of the movie,
but then right before the freeway scene i regained consiousness for the rest of the movie. i was lost pretty much 3/4 of the whole thing.
I liked the zion dance i liked the sex scene (could have been more T&A)
i liked the graphics.... the fight scenes were a little drawn out. OK can we say TITANIC... when trinity said to neo"you see this? Ill never let go" omg and was it just me or did this movie turn into a superman movie? Neo flying? ehhh neos cape should have been red and blue.
there were alot of new charicters that i was wondering about and like what happened to the characters from before like the guy that was in the ship watching the screens for the matrix.and those twins...and the little boy that greated neo when he got back to zion i almost cried when (she) almost died... and when the other (guy) dies...(tring not to give it away) hmmm i guess i should have watched the first one before i went to refresh myself.... but omg a third one?

Non-Https Image Link


[ 23. May 2003, 02:28: Message edited by: MiSsFrOg19 ]

Its not easy being green....

Posted: 21st May 2003

quote:

---

I think the "ghosts" are viruses. I heard it mentioned somewhere.

---

???

I could SWEAR they were explained as obsolete Agent program versions... Could explain why they didn't get as much attention as I wanted them to

What hits the fan is not evenly distributed.

Posted: 21st May 2003
****This whole post is full of spoilers and bitter ranting*****

Ok there is nothing mind blowing about this film. Sorry but "cause and effect" "Destiny or choice" "Beauty of humanity" and all the other basic ideas you guys keep bringing up aren't mind blowing. The entire plot of this movie blatantly burrows from various other movies and novels. There is nothing original (Read:this isn't always a bad thing but it is when you get a bunch of fools raving about how original and "mind blowing" it is)

The plot is contrived and stupid. If you haven't contemplated ALL the points that are so clumsily made in the movie then I just don't know what to say. Have you never watched any movies before or read any books? Or do you only watch wrestling and the mortal kombat series of movies and read the sun tabloid? Otherwise I don't see how any of the "philosphy" in this movie could be foreign to you. None of it was ever very ground breaking in the first place. It's mostly common sense really. If it blows your mind maybe you should stop saturating it with drugs.

I do agree the action and visuals in general were increadible and truely one of the best things I have ever seen. Especially the highway scene. I almost died when morpheus dodged that car and slashed it's gas tank because it was the coolest thing I have ever seen in a movie. But the rest of the movie is donkey shit. In their attempt to make Agent Smith appear more human they also took away everything that made him a cool character. The only other character that was interesting died in the first movie.

Also Dio why can't they make political statements??? It's a damn movie. You know the collective product of several artisans known as directors, writers, producers, actors etc...
They can make any political statement they want. If they want to declare hitler as the greatest guy in the world I say fine. Because it's art.

This was a flame towards you but Ill just leave a quote of what you said

quote:

---

********SPOILER**********
I was a little bit peeved in the monitor room when the Architect guy was showing clips of why humanity sucks and right next to the big Adolph Hitler was GWB... dunno if that was intentional or what but all the same one shouldn't pollute their movie with their own political agenda if that actually was the case.
******END SPOILER**********

---

Which speaks for it's self.

Posted: 21st May 2003

quote:

---

Originally posted by Astar:
But the rest of the movie is donkey shit.

---

I'm glad I'm not the only one.

There were a few pretty damn cool bits like the backdoors and parts of the car chase, but cool bits don't make a film.

Overall, I was bored. After watching people slide into slow motion and back while kicking someone for the Nth time I realised that there's nothing new - I may as well have watched the fight scenes from the first film a few more times.

While it's true that Neo should be able to kick arse, he shouldn't have to take so long about it - it seemed like it was all just filler.
Plus, Neo seems to have forgotten most of his skills anyway - he was nowhere near as good as he was in the end of the first film when he took out agent smith with one hand. He must have just forgotten how to when he was learning to fly

But there's no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.