The Matrix Collection

Keanu Reeves

Laurence Fishburne

Carrie-Anne Moss

Hugo Weaving

Jada Pinkett Smith

Mary Alice

Harold Perrineau

Collin Chou

Harry Lennix

Ian Bliss

Lambert Wilson

Bruce Spence

Monica Bellucci

Nona Gaye

Anthony Zerbe

Tanveer K. Atwal

Helmut Bakaitis

Kate Beahan

Francine Bell

Rachel Blackman

Henry Blasingame

Matt Castelli

Essie Davis

David Bowers

Dion Horstmans

Lachy Hulme

Christopher Kirby

Peter Lamb

Nathaniel Lees

Robert Mammone

Joe Manning

Maurice Morgan

Tharini Mudaliar

Rene Naufahu

Robyn Nevin

Genevieve O'Reilly

Kittrick Redmond

Rupert Reid

Kevin Michael Richardson

David Roberts

Richard Sydenham

Che Timmins

Gina Torres

Clayton Watson

Cornel West

Bernard White

Anthony Brandon Wong

Roy Jones Jr.

Brian Dusting

Deb Asch

Kym Barrett

Richard Adrian

Ray Anthony

Charlie Revai

Glenn Boswell

Zach Staenberg

Mali Finn

Bill Pope

Jules Cook

Lana Wachowski

Catherine Mansill

Steve Courtley

Lilly Wachowski

Owen Paterson

Don Davis

Joel Silver

Shauna Wolifson

Yuen Woo-Ping

Nash Edgerton

Claire Richardson

Geofrey Darrow

Lou Horváth

Vicki Popplewell

Bruce Berman

Danielle Burgio

Grant Hill

Dane A. Davis

Bob Bowles

John Gaeta

Marky Lee Campbell

Raelene Chapman

Harry Dakanalis

Graham Jahne

Scott McLean

Yasca Sinigaglia

Darek Gogol

Godric Cole

Mark Watson

Julia Evershade

Andrew Lackey

John Roesch

Henrie Stride

Melanie Peyton-Smith

Victoria Sullivan

Ian Bird

Michael Vivian

Dan Bronson

Dan Glass

Jessica Alan

Stephanie Brown

Rick Canelli

Kimble Rendall

Toby Pease

Andrew Mason

James McTeigue

Steve Richards

Hugh Bateup

Simon Murton

Tina Gordon

Scott Morgan

Barbara Harris

Bernadette Van Gyen

Damien Drew

Peter Robb-King

Michael Edward Johnson

Paul Hackner

Nathan Whitehead

David E. Campbell

Armin Steiner

Ousaun Elam

Brit Sooby

Deborah Taylor

Christian Huband

Aron Walker

Terry Clotiaux

Danial Donai

Peter Jeremijenko

Alex Kuzelicki

Darrin Prescott

Warwick Sadler

Philip Keller

John Bowring

Martin Fargher

Judith A. Cory

Mark Larry

Alyson Dee Moore

Amanda Crittenden

Ross Emery

Keir Beck

Chris Mitchell

Eryne Prine

Joe E. Rand

Suzanne Celeste

Fiona Searson

Adventure

Action

Thriller

Science Fiction

The Matrix Revolutions

Village Roadshow Pictures

NPV Entertainment

Silver Pictures

United States of America

And so the much-hyped Year Of The Matrix comes to an end. Truthfully, though, the real Year Of The Matrix was 1999, when the groundbreaking original proved to be the right film in the right place at the right time. Tapping into the cultural zeitgeist and Y2K fears about the power of machines over mankind, The Matrix not only revitalized slo-mo action sequences with its 'bullet-time' style, it had a political relevance that already seems dated in a 21st century world dominated by a war against terror, not technology.


The Matrix Reloaded, for all its faults, did try to up the ante, both in its creation of a wider Matrix myth and its budget-heavy effects. Revolutions, however, is content to follow in its wake, the final couple of hours of a four-and-a-half hour slab to which the original movie, in the makers' minds, is but a pre-title sequence. Granted, there's less philosophical babble and more emphasis on action in Revolutions, but the Wachowskis, having backed themselves into pseud's corner, can only deliver with a formula where spectacle and pretentiousness follow on from each other in steady succession. Gut thrills and intellectual stimulation are never integrated as one.


Revolutions' sustained action set-piece - the Sentinels' attack on Zion - is undeniably exciting, but it sure doesn't feel like an episode from a close sequel to the original Matrix. For a start, Zion was off-screen for the entire first movie. Secondly - and dramatically more importantly - this centerpiece relegates the main characters to, at best, mere bystanders. Neo and Trinity are off on a mission of their own. Morpheus - now dressed in what looks like a burgundy Benetton jumper rather an outfit consistent with his standing as the coolest dude on (or under) the planet - takes a literal backseat to Niobe's driving. Instead, the key players are the Kid, whose backstory is apparent only to those dedicated enough to watch The Animatrix cartoons, and Mifune, whose on-screen impact is unfortunately as brief as it is memorable.


That such a primary scene is completely filled with secondary characters isn't just disappointing - it's damaging, because it draws attention away from the protagonists' climactic acts. Basically, this is the bit you remember, more than Neo's vital conversation with the Wizard Of Oz-like face of the machines or his up-in-the-air fisticuffs with Smith (a fight whose sfx impact has dwindled following Reloaded's Burly Brawl).


Some viewers will indeed be completely satisfied, their questions answered, as the final credits roll, but they're the ones who have done their homework. Without filling in plot gaps by watching The Animatrix or playing derided computer game Enter The Matrix, a sense of confusion reigns. And those who are confused can't emotionally engage with the characters, thus rendering any amount of sacrifices and love themes null and void. In the original film, the casual viewer could relate to a slave race of pod people and their need to be freed, but the Wachowskis seem to have moved the goalposts as the story has progressed, sidelining what began as a focal point of the plot.


In other words, few box-office-storming blockbusters have been aimed so consciously at such a narrow and precise cult audience. The Year Of The Matrix will be remembered as an indulgence for fans, while the original movie will be affectionately held as a separate entity by a bigger crowd.


Verdict - What once represented the future of science fiction cinema has become little more than a solid genre offering. But, hey, it wasn't supposed to be the Second Coming, was it? Oh, hang on...

3/5

- Empire Magazine

The Matrix I loved.

The Matrix Reloaded I liked AND used it to teach... seriously.

The Matrix Revolutions just stank.

Seriously, it was really bad.

Reloaded was kind of heavy handed on the philosophy... but it still had enough stylized action to compensate for characters who were so transparent representations of religious philosophies they were as vapid as steam.

Revolutions kind of abandons the conflict of philosophies, doubles down on one and then.... it commits the BIGGEST crime of all.

It switches gears into CGI battles and all but abandons the stylized Wire-Fu and gun violence that made the first two movies so much fun.

HELLO! We weren't watching them because of the plot, we were watching them because they were trippy cool kung-fu shoot em up sci-fi films... and you went and abandoned the action that we loved in place of CGI battles that are even boring almost 20 years later.

It basically left everything that made us go "WOW!" when we saw the first one behind and took a totally new form for the climax and... you lost me there.