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Matrix 2 reviews starting to roll in (probable spoilers)
- Thread starter EricNoah
- Start date
BadMojo
First Post
EricNoah said:
I believe it's up to 73% fresh now, with two of the 4 "rotten" reviews from different writers at "Slant Magazine". Not sure what that is.
Another "rotten" is from the New Yorker, which doesn't surprise me. I saw "fresh" reviews from Variety and Newsweek, but didn't really recognize any of the other sources.
LoneWolf23
First Post
I lost some my respect for Scott Kurtz after his scathing comments on the furry fandom (which I am a part of), but now I've lost the rest of it.
To be honest, I didn't really notice the acting of the Protagonists, because I kept thinking of it along the lines of a videogame RPG: The Hero, or Player Character, almost never says anything, allowing the other characters to do the exposition regarding the plotline.
I also didn't find the CGI distracting, because they mostly used it for scenes that, let's face it, are impossible to film any other way. But then, isn't that the idea behind CGI effects to begin with?
Also, I wasn't bothered by the philosophical concepts in the movie either. It's essentially a blend of the Socratic "Myth of the Cavern" with some Buddhism and Gnosticism, explained through the metaphor of a computerized Virtual Reality. The Message: The Real World is a prison of Limits: reject the limits and achieve your full potential.
I don't see what's so complicated about it.
Finally, regarding the "Humans as Batteries being Unrealistic", I have three comments concerning that:
#1, The Matrix is supposed to represent our world and our perception of it. A False one, as it turns out. It may be that Real World Physics (or at least that Real World) does allow for a sufficient number of Humans to generate enough energy for a planet-wide Machine Race.
#2, Maybe the Zion Humans misinterpreted exactly how the Matrix work, and it actually works by extracting Mental Energy from it's captives: Which is why they rely on Humans and not Animals. Only Humans have the higher reasonning capacity required to produce sufficient Mental Energy to Fuel them.
...Which also goes a long way towards explaining Neo's abilities: He's somehow evolved, gaining the ability to manipulate the Matrix, in and out of it...
And #3: Who Cares? It's all a Metaphor anyway.
To be honest, I didn't really notice the acting of the Protagonists, because I kept thinking of it along the lines of a videogame RPG: The Hero, or Player Character, almost never says anything, allowing the other characters to do the exposition regarding the plotline.
I also didn't find the CGI distracting, because they mostly used it for scenes that, let's face it, are impossible to film any other way. But then, isn't that the idea behind CGI effects to begin with?
Also, I wasn't bothered by the philosophical concepts in the movie either. It's essentially a blend of the Socratic "Myth of the Cavern" with some Buddhism and Gnosticism, explained through the metaphor of a computerized Virtual Reality. The Message: The Real World is a prison of Limits: reject the limits and achieve your full potential.
I don't see what's so complicated about it.
Finally, regarding the "Humans as Batteries being Unrealistic", I have three comments concerning that:
#1, The Matrix is supposed to represent our world and our perception of it. A False one, as it turns out. It may be that Real World Physics (or at least that Real World) does allow for a sufficient number of Humans to generate enough energy for a planet-wide Machine Race.
#2, Maybe the Zion Humans misinterpreted exactly how the Matrix work, and it actually works by extracting Mental Energy from it's captives: Which is why they rely on Humans and not Animals. Only Humans have the higher reasonning capacity required to produce sufficient Mental Energy to Fuel them.
...Which also goes a long way towards explaining Neo's abilities: He's somehow evolved, gaining the ability to manipulate the Matrix, in and out of it...
And #3: Who Cares? It's all a Metaphor anyway.
Sorry, guys, but I agree with some of the negative issues brought up in the reviews of "Matrix Reloaded", available through Rotten Tomatoes.
As I said in another post, "Matrix Reloaded" simply lacks the heart and soul of the original movie.
Most of the dialog/acting in the second movie is wooden, forced, or superfluous, and the story is not nearly as intriguing and engaging. And this is NOT because the secret of the Matrix is already known to us. Myself, I was watching the DVD of the original movie for about the 4th or 5th time, and I was surprised by how intriguing and engaging the dialog and story still were.
Furthermore, in "Matrix Reloaded", I felt the characters have gotten too cool for their shades, too sexy for their black leather. (Yes, I know the "coolness" factor is an integral part of the Matrix series. But, still... ) And that dance-party scene in Zion: it was like something out of a hip hop video on MTV, and it took up way too much movie time. (The love scene between Neo and Trinity was okay; bittersweet and touching, even; but the scenes from the dance-party that interspaced their lovemaking gave it an underscore that seemed silly and even slightly embarrassing.)
Still, "Matrix Reloaded" was a fun and exciting movie to watch. (Trinity on that motorcycle, racing along the freeway against traffic, really got my heart to thumping. And Morpheus with that katana - or was it a ninjato? - was awesome.)
But if ever I get the "Matrix Reloaded" DVD, I doubt it will be one that I watch again and again. It certainly will not become a classic, like the original movie has become.
BTW: Here is one of the more negative reviews of "Matrix Reloaded", available through Rotten Tomatoes, that I found especially insightful on why this second movie is somewhat flawed and disappointing...
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/click...tic=columns&sortby=default&page=1&rid=1138176
As I said in another post, "Matrix Reloaded" simply lacks the heart and soul of the original movie.
Most of the dialog/acting in the second movie is wooden, forced, or superfluous, and the story is not nearly as intriguing and engaging. And this is NOT because the secret of the Matrix is already known to us. Myself, I was watching the DVD of the original movie for about the 4th or 5th time, and I was surprised by how intriguing and engaging the dialog and story still were.
Furthermore, in "Matrix Reloaded", I felt the characters have gotten too cool for their shades, too sexy for their black leather. (Yes, I know the "coolness" factor is an integral part of the Matrix series. But, still... ) And that dance-party scene in Zion: it was like something out of a hip hop video on MTV, and it took up way too much movie time. (The love scene between Neo and Trinity was okay; bittersweet and touching, even; but the scenes from the dance-party that interspaced their lovemaking gave it an underscore that seemed silly and even slightly embarrassing.)
Still, "Matrix Reloaded" was a fun and exciting movie to watch. (Trinity on that motorcycle, racing along the freeway against traffic, really got my heart to thumping. And Morpheus with that katana - or was it a ninjato? - was awesome.)
But if ever I get the "Matrix Reloaded" DVD, I doubt it will be one that I watch again and again. It certainly will not become a classic, like the original movie has become.
BTW: Here is one of the more negative reviews of "Matrix Reloaded", available through Rotten Tomatoes, that I found especially insightful on why this second movie is somewhat flawed and disappointing...
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/click...tic=columns&sortby=default&page=1&rid=1138176
Last edited:
CrazyMage
4th Level Lawful Good Cleric
Just to be clear, I'm not claiming that this is a perfect movie. But neither was it a steaming pile of you know what.
I wasn't real keen on the big dance scene either, except that it was humans expressing their humanity in contrast to the machines trying to destroy them. This was one of those spots that they could've shortened up a bit.
I wasn't real keen on the big dance scene either, except that it was humans expressing their humanity in contrast to the machines trying to destroy them. This was one of those spots that they could've shortened up a bit.
Krug said:
It seems glaringly illogical in the movie, but I think the simple answer is, Neo hung around because was curious about the recreation and multiple copies of Agent Smith, and because Neo wanted to show off his fighting prowess. Once Neo realized he was getting in over his head (or, at least, that he was in a fight he'd be fighting indefinitely), he flew out of there.
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