That's an anagram.
Of The Matrix Reloaded. This is my review. We saw it at the flicks on Saturday afternoon (and brilliantly escaped the rain). I loved the first film. I liked it at the cinema, but I've seen it on DVD a few times since and I think I like it even more now. It's so stylish and original, and Keanu Reeves does really well as a dazed and confused Neo.
So the first of the two sequels (next one out in November!) Was I excited? Probably not as much as I was with the second X Men film, since the first one was really good without blowing me away, and it was clear that the sequel could be just as good. There was nothing that original or different about X Men - it's just a retelling of an old comic book. With The Matirx I thought they'd have to go a long way to equal it, so I wasn't expecting miracles.
So I'd have to say that I wasn't that disappointed since I was expecting to be disappointed. If you follow me.
The film's exciting, and fun, and there are some great bits (the freeway chase, especially). However, there's very much a "seen it before" feeling. Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith seems to have been relegated to comic relief, since seeing so many clones of him is just amusing and you never really feel he's going to duff up Neo good and proper. Equally Neo doesn't seem as kick-ass as he was at the end of the last one. I suppose the fight scenes wouldn't have been as good if he just moved his arms around nonchalantly.
And as I was expecting, whilst Keanu Reeves was perfect for a Neo who didn't quite understand what was going on in the first film, he's less well cast as a saviour and superhero.
The effects are good, but watching CG people running around often feels like you're watching a cartoon. During Neo's fight with multiple Smiths I was in turns amazed and bored by the technology. The scenes of Neo flying were great, and made me wish they'd hurry up and get the new Superman movie into production. Alas it seems that's not going to happen for a while. (They should get Nicolas Cage back on board for that too.)
Back to TMR, there's too much rubbish philosophy in the film, especially in the first half hour. "But what is control? Do we control machines or do they control us? Ahhhhhhh - do you see? Ahhhh." There is some good stuff though, especially with a discussion of Neo's purpose as "The One" near the end, which changes your understanding of the films (I don't think I fully understood it, however).
So not a disaster, but not an equal to the first one. The original was a five star movie, but this one's just a three star one. That's probably a bit unfair on the film, since it's being judged in relation to it's predecessor, but I never claimed to be fair. Perhaps it will seem better once the trilogy's complete.