No more Matrix … this is war!
The one thing The Matrix revolutions does really well is to focus on the human world of Zion instead on the fake internet dreamworld we’ve seen so much about in the two previous movies.
Since it’s virtually (get it, virtually?) impossible to show anything more spectacular in the Matrix than a flying Neo or Trinity racing on the freeway in opposite direction … the filmmakers cleverly decided to stay out of the Matrix as much as possible.
What this means is that we get a real close-up into the world of Zion, the last human city still standing. This gives The Matrix revolutions a far more ‘human’ look and feel than the two previous movies combined. Don’t get your hopes up though … the weakest entry of the trilogy is the last movie.
The Matrix revolutions has the near-impossible task of making the action even bigger than before. Near-impossible is a correct way to say it, because the entire attack on the human city with thousands and thousands of flying monsters is pretty cool to look at … but ultimately too wild and chaotic to really enjoy it!
This is a problem that also occurs in the Matrix-scenes. The final act between Neo and Mr. Smith is so abundantly pompous and exaggerated that the whole thing becomes a joke.
The fighting choreography takes place in mid-air and not longer on the ground. Plus, there are scenes filmed in super-slow-motion where you can see every drop of rain during the fight … if you ask me – making a scene go slower does not automatically make it any better.
Of course, The Matrix revolutions is still a Matrix-movie and that means: entertainment all the way!
New characters like the Trainman and the Indian father who loves his wife and daughter bring a new freshness into the movie.
There’s a creepy guy named Bane who secretly climbs on board of a ship, hoping to assassinate both Neo and Trinity. This pack of scenes are easily the very best of the movie, and they provide a sense of thrill and excitement, something we haven’t had for quite some time!
And there is a beautiful whisper of a romantic scene between Neo and Trinity which, coincidentally, is also their last scene together. Furthermore, the moment where Morpheus says goodbye to Neo will surely touch your heart … unless you’re made of stone, that is.
The Matrix revolutions keeps things fresh by exploiting the adventures in the human world. That’s a good call by the filmmakers. But the action between the robots and the humans never gets close to the awesome martial-arts battles inside the Matrix-world, of which we saw so many in the first two movies.
Perhaps – considering every new movie is a drop in quality – it was better to quit after the first movie, no?
Did you know?
Ian Bliss was cast as Bane in part because of his dead-on impression of Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith), and for his partial resemblance to Weaving.
Give it to me short:
The Matrix revolutions is the third and final act of the Matrix-trilogy. It’s a movie that has the difficult task of lifting the quality and greatness to an even higher level. Since it’s impossible to show anything more impressive inside the matrix-world than what the two previous movies did, the filmmakers decided to focus on the human world. By delving deeply into the last human city of Zion, we see a whole different world with entirely different rules.
The fight between the monstrous robots and the humans is beautifully filmed, but it’s often too chaotic and too big for its own good. The robots themselves don’t look all that interesting to begin with … and there’s not much more to see than big metal suits firing their guns all the time.
The scenes in the Matrix-world are neatly done, but they don’t really offer anything new. The final fight between Neo and Mr. Smith is so over-the-top that it completely fails to entertain.
The Matrix Revolutions has bits and pieces that are very cool to watch … but it’s clearly the weakest of the bunch and perhaps one movie too many.
THE 4TH WALL 