(no subject)

[cleolinda]

So... I finally saw Matrix Revolutions, and... GOD. That is a deeply unsatisfying movie. At least there are parts of Reloaded that I like. And now the trilogy taken as a whole is just--ugh. And I really like the first movie, which is impressive given that I’ve had to watch it about six or seven times now (I am seriously thinking that Independence Day will not hold up to that kind of scrutiny). And I couldn’t even tell you what it is that the Wachowskis do wrong--it’s beautifully filmed, reasonably well-acted, and... well, a lot of the fights go on for too long. I give you that. The logic is tortuous (torturous?) at best. And I spent most of the last movie shouting, “What? What are we doing? Why are we even here? Wasn’t there a guy named Neo in this movie at some point? I DON’T UNDERSTAND!”

I think it’s the story itself that’s so incredibly unsatisfying. And now that I’ve seen it, I understand why Trinity has to die--Neo needs to have nothing left to lose. But you know what? That SUCKS. These two people are far and away the best characters in the trilogy, in my opinion, and Trinity gets the fucking shaft in her death scene. I mean, Neo’s kneeling over her sobbing without any eyes and she’s all like, “I didn’t have time to tell you THE LAST TIME I DIED how much I love you, BUT THIS TIME I SURE AS HELL DO,” and Neo’s all like, “Triiiiiin, you can’t diiiiiie!,” and she’s all like, “TELL ME ABOUT IT, I’VE BEEN TRYING FOR HALF AN HOUR NOW.” And even though you know he’s the Techno Jesus and all it still really sucks that Neo has to die, and he fights Smith and you’re like, “What the hell just happened?,” and Smith’s like, “What THE HELL just HAPPENED?,” and there’s the déjà vu cat again and oh, look, LittleOrphanAnnie.exe made Neo a sunrise. WOOT.

I so wish I was doing this for the book. Hey, who knows--if the word count comes in low, I may shoehorn the sequels in.

Comments

[shoukinkasegi.livejournal.com]

The Wachowskis shouldn't have filmed 2 & 3. 1 was verrry cool. The rest was just money making machinery. Some great visuals, but then so's every other movie nowadays.

[word-herder.livejournal.com]

Agreed. 2 and 3 sucked.

[theantijoss.livejournal.com]

I think my actual response at the end was something along the lines of, "Whuh?"

[penmage.livejournal.com]

Totally my reaction. I loved the first movie - if it's own, it still grabs my attention and glues me to the TV. The second movie convinced me that they were either doing something really really cool, or really really pretentious and were going to fall flat on thier faces. The third movie confirmed my fears of Option B.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

both neo and trinity got drastically less interesting in the sequels. in the first movie, they taught neo everything he knew. in the sequels, all they do is stand around and look at him in awe. neo could say 'i have seen that i must...make a banana sandwich,' and morpheus would nod meaningfully.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

i meant 'both morpheus and trinity got less interesting.' *facepalm*

[zivia.livejournal.com]

Revolutions made me so mad when I saw it in the theatre that I was actually yelling by the end of it. Which I never do.

The ending was entirely illogical. Wasn't the whole point of this to set the human race free from their existence as batteries for evil computers? How does not doing that and then saying that no one could handle it anyway solve the problem? When did the whole thing become about Zion?

By the end of the trilogy I almost felt like the Wachowski brothers weren't sure if I was getting all the witty and cunning philosophical allusions and felt the need to beat me over the head with them.

I get angry just thinking about it.

*argh*

[pjammer.livejournal.com]

But Cleolinda ... there is no spoon (http://pjammer.livejournal.com/2001/07/09/).

(http://pjammer.livejournal.com/2001/07/09/)

[doghousereilly.livejournal.com]

What? You sound upset that the coolest female character to come along in years died because she was flying a ship that was, apparently, wallpapered with spikes.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I also love how she's leaving the navigation up to a blind guy who's like, "No, fly INTO the lightning." I mean, at least her fake death in the second movie was vaguely bad-ass.

[theonlykow.livejournal.com]

You, and much of the public, were blind to the meaning behind the ending:

Matrix: Online. It's an MMORPG loosely based on The Matrix. I don't know most of the details, but it's about the people in the Matrix trying to lead their lives or something. The Sims with good graphics or some such bullshittery.

The point is that they left it open ended so people could continue the story in their own way.

Which is a horrible way to end such a prolific series, especially when The Matrix had exploded from the geek world (relatively small fanbase) to a huge, multi-billion dollar object of destruction (huge fanbase). The hardcore nerds that knew about the game (read: me, sadly) were shocked that they ended it that way; they easily could have just said, "MATRIX: ONLINE COMING SOON TO A PC NEAR YOU" over the sunrise. The casual fans were confused to death.

Then again, Reloaded killed the franchise in my mind. I agree that there were parts to enjoy, but it wasn't the great piece of art Matrix was. It turned it into just another science fiction movie.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

The hardcore nerds that knew about the game (read: me, sadly) were shocked that they ended it that way; they easily could have just said, "MATRIX: ONLINE COMING SOON TO A PC NEAR YOU" over the sunrise. The casual fans were confused to death.

Sigh.

Reminds me of two things: before the third movie came out, I had this theory that they might try to end it with Neo waking up, and Trinity being, like, the girl who worked at the cubicle next to him and Smith being his evil boss or something. And then that might or might not have been another layer of the matrix to escape from. But like you, yeah, I was totally expecting two or three more layers of mind-fuck. Like, Zion doesn't even really exist, and that's just another simulation.

Second thing: the real problem with the series is that the first one has an absolutely perfect ending. I mean, people at the time said it left you hanging, etc., but now that we've got two crap sequels, it's easier to appreciate what we had. Which was that we got to keep the illusion that we could actually be living in the matrix. Once they introduced the whole actual Zion/actual winning of war, the fantasy is totally destroyed. Seriously, I am going to go pretend I didn't even see the other two movies. What movies? I don't even know what you're talking about.

[vodou-chile.livejournal.com]

They really blew a prime opportunity to lay in an awesome recursive mind fuck (a la "Waking Life").
The conversation between Neo and the Architect in Reloaded was a great set up for a matrix within a matrix scenario, but they went all predictable Hollywood in Revolutions instead.
I dunno. Maybe test audiences (or joel Silver) couldn't wrap their heads around it.
i suspect that whatever the original story was, it was prolly dumbed down for the final draft.
Maybe I'm giving the Wachowskis too much credit, but I think, if left to their own devices, both of the sequels would have been much better.
As for the way-too-long action, I definitely blame that on Joel Silver.
His M.O. has always been "Since one of X got a great response in a film, let's put 10,000 of X in the next one!"
(i.e. People liked the few short fighting sequences in the first Matrix film, so I'll put a whole bunch of long fighting sequences in the sequels. Hell I'll put 'em in every movie I produce from now on, even if they totally don't fit the story! Yeah, that's it!)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

See, I've watched the whole Matrix Revisited extra disc/documentary and then the Reloaded extras disc, and--from what I can tell, the Ws were given carte blanche for the sequels, after the first movie became such a cult hit. In fact, I suspect that's why the sequels turned out so badly--not because they had limitations, but because they didn't have enough. No one was breathing down their necks insisting that things, y'know, make sense or not drag on too long, etc., etc. That's my theory, anyway.

[maverickgirl.livejournal.com]

Here's my problem with the third Matrix:

I loved the first. The second one blew my mind, because I realized the potential they had with the final movie. It challenged me, made me think, and I almost felt like it was the Warchowski (sp?) bros thumbing their noses at the audience, going "We're so much smarter than you, and our movie leaves you confused! Haaa!"

But then... the third one came out. And it was Action! Action! Action! Plot points resolved! But... that was all they did. They resolved plot points and killed Neo and Trinity. The intelligence and potential that made the second Matrix a successful sequel? Gone. The plot intricacies that people wondered about until the final movie? The ones we were certain would leave us as blown away as the first two? So insultingly simple that we were left dissatisfied, because no one really thought it would be that easy.

But that's just my opinion... I could be wrong.

[clovecigarettes.livejournal.com]

Everyone I know told me the same thing: if you liked the first Matrix, don't go see the others... I still haven't. But I have read/heard several reviews that crack me up (and make me think I made the right choice).

[seablues.livejournal.com]

See, that's exactly how I felt about Trinity's death, and about most of the movie in general, especially the last half.

[syrenssong.livejournal.com]

I went to see the last one in the theatre with a friend of mine. We were laughing our ASSES off at the end, talking about the fact that Neo is the Nu!Jesus and the fact that that'll make near death experiences slightly different: "I saw a man in black, with sunglasses on, and he beckoned me forward!"

[http://users.livejournal.com/lorien__/]

the fact that that'll make near death experiences slightly different: "I saw a man in black, with sunglasses on, and he beckoned me forward!"

ROFLMFAO *ribs hurt, ribs hurt, dies*

[wolfka.livejournal.com]

i saw matrix revolutions on an IMAX screen. i was expecting it to be better than the crap i got. I spent the first 5 minutes of the film guessing how it was going to end (and got it mostly right) and then spent the rest of the film comparing it to hentai - a la tentacle porn.

i had most of the audience agreeing with me and laughing their asses off. Yes, i am one those bitches that gets vocal in the theatre... especially if i think the movie SUCKS.

Revolutions by far has been the suckiest movie i have ever seen. However, it shoudl be noted i don't go to the movies very often.

~megan

[briteskies.livejournal.com]

"I spent the first 5 minutes of the film guessing how it was going to end (and got it mostly right) and then spent the rest of the film comparing it to hentai - a la tentacle porn. "


HAHAH!!!!!!Oh man....

*dies of giggles*

[telcontar.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, Revolutions was the let down of the year for me. I spent ALL YEAR waiting for November, and then they deliver... that. Thank goodness Return of the King was there to save the world.

I was incredibly sceptical when I heard they were making sequels to The Matrix. I thought it ended perfectly, it didn't need anything else. However, I thought Reloaded was kick-ass in it's own way. The highway chase sequence is one of my favourite scenes in any movie.

One thing that I think really ruined the sequels for me was the actual appearance of Zion. Sounds weird, but I liked it better when it was just mentioned in The Matrix and never seen. It really sounded wonderful of them to speak about, and then you see it in Reloaded and it's like, "Oh... Zion is... a huge cavern of metal and wires. GOODY." And I much preferred the lone-vigilante gang feel of The Matrix, again, compared to Zion and it's oodles of people and ships and ohmygodjustgetbacktoNeoalreadyIdon'tcareaboutthatguy.

Agent Smith, however, will always be cool.

[stavia.livejournal.com]

I just feel like bitching that I saw Reloaded in London, and my movie ticket cost ELEVEN POUNDS. That's more than $20, and there was a half an hour of COMMERCIALS before the movie. I was offended by such a thing. Plus it was such a waste of my last day in London, because every scene in that movie was too long by about a factor of three.

I haven't seen Revolutions and I don't plan to, and I wish I'd never seen Reloaded. The first Matrix stands so well on its own that it could have stayed good had the sequels never come out. I still think it was a movie for the pantheon, a modern-day classic in many ways, almost like Jaws or Close Encounters or Beauty and the Beast or Field of Dreams or GoodFellas, a movie important in its own time for telling us a story about an old subject in a new way.

[minathepunk.livejournal.com]

lmao I know exactly what you mean, the last movie did not do the first one justice. I do hope that "dying" scene you just described will ultimately be in the m15mins

[vivian-shaw.livejournal.com]

I was perfectly satisfied with reading evadne_noel's Breadbox Editions of the Matrices, and didn't feel the need to go see them in person. Your review has made me very, very glad I didn't.

[snowking.livejournal.com]

Yeah but you totally have to give props to Commander Shouty and his use of bellowing as a battlefield tactic.

[cellardoor28.livejournal.com]

makes you wonder why they didnt just cast brian blessed.

[http://users.livejournal.com/lorien__/]

“I didn’t have time to tell you THE LAST TIME I DIED how much I love you, BUT THIS TIME I SURE AS HELL DO,” and Neo’s all like, “Triiiiiin, you can’t diiiiiie!,” and she’s all like, “TELL ME ABOUT IT, I’VE BEEN TRYING FOR HALF AN HOUR NOW.”

looool that's what i meant when i said, in the second one the sex-scene was just 'ugh'
and in the third one i had a feeling of 'good god, just die already will ya?'

oh well that show ya that some movies are better left ALONE *glares at the W-Brothers (no not Warner)*

i LOVE agent smith but even HE was getting on my bloody nerves, i mean come on the idea was cooooool, a whole world of smiths but the CGI was just too 'badly' done. kinda like harry potter on the mountain troll or legolas on said troll's brother.

the fight scenes were too damn long and that 'high speed -oh let's jump on some cars to show how cool we are- chase was giving me such an urge to run away screaming.

okay so NEO died, i was like 'WTF?, okay this is a dream right?' but after leaving the theatre i was like 'YEY HE DIED NO MORE SEQUELS.'

anyway if this doesn't make any sense don't blame me i just woke up.

Lorien__
nutcase

*points avatar at W-Brothers*

[http://users.livejournal.com/lorien__/]

oh well see i just thought of something, that chase thing with the cars was in the second one wasn't it? (goes to show you how i'm trying to block those memories)

*oh well back to bed*

[fba.livejournal.com]

Know know what the best bit about Matrix Regurgitations was? Monica Belucci's breasts!

I think the mistake they made with Revolutions was that they took all the stuff out of it that made The Matrix cool - i.e. all the reality-defying tricks that the characters can do whilst in The Matrix itself. I can cope with all the semi-messianic crap when there are lots of cool fight scenes.......

[snowking.livejournal.com]

Know know what the best bit about Matrix Regurgitations was? Monica Belucci's breasts!

And dude, you're gay!

[aigooism.livejournal.com]

I think I'm in the minority of the ones that didn't like the Matrix trilogy period.

First off the first one just CONFUSED the hell out of me, and left me wanting to strangle the movie. Then I saw the next two, and I still wasn't very impressed. The idea and the concept of the plot is good, but the movie didn't represent it well for me.

[cantinera.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed the first one and could watch it over and over, not getting sick of it. Then Reloaded came out and was so crap, I didn't even want to see the third one. My father rented it, and it was as crap as I thought it would end. I wasn't highly disappointed with the film, but just the series as a whole. I cannot watch the first Matrix the same way anymore.

[dewyeyed.livejournal.com]

hahahahaha... techno jesus! *laughs and falls off chair*

[pumpsnail.livejournal.com]

I was close to leaving the theater by the time Blind!Neo started "walking on water." At least Smith made the final few minutes worthwhile.

But yeah, I think my comments during the last few minutes were pretty much along the lines of "WE'VE KNOWN THAT HE'S JESUS SINCE THE FIRST MOVIE--DON'T SHOVE IT DOWN OUR THROATS."

Sigh, the W brothers siblings have fallen so far.