Everything that has a beginning has an end. Well, this ending was deeply disappointing.
I was prepared to see the best of the trilogy. What I saw was filler that didn’t answer my questions, didn’t tie up what I saw as loose ends, and didn’t serve the storyline of the main characters, which were the ones I had a vested interest in.
Minor spoilage ahead
Morpheus needn’t have bothered showing up for Revolutions. This character, this main character was about as useful to the story as the woman in the red dress from the first picture. He was there because he had to be. Because it wouldn’t have been the Matrix without Morpheus.
As for Neo and Trinity—I didn’t care for where their stories went either. To my mind it was an injustice to who these characters are, and the paths that brought them here. Actually, that goes for all the main characters. It was a travesty what Revolutions did with all the main characters. There was more screen-time and plot devoted to minor and newly-introduced characters than there was to the main four.
There’s even a scene in Revolutions that’s right out of The Perfect Storm. I was flabbergasted.
Unless you’re a die-hard, and really need to see this movie, expatriate yourself from the Matrix.
God, I’m so disappointed.
9 responses so far ↓
1 dan // Nov 6, 2003 at 1:24 am
big fat ditto
2 michael // Nov 6, 2003 at 1:35 pm
The BBC’s Darren Waters seems to feel exactly the same way as well. link
3 Matt // Nov 6, 2003 at 1:49 pm
Eh, I dug it.
4 michael // Nov 6, 2003 at 2:45 pm
Ok, I respect that. I even have a few co-workers that dug it. I guess people latched onto different aspects of the movies, and that’s what they’re into or why they were there. Personally, I get invested in story and characters, and loved the philosophical and religious underpinnings, so even though there was some nice CG in Revolutions, it was a let-down for me. I’m gonna start spoiling soon, ’cause there’s no good way to discuss this thing without pointing to the story.
What is it you dug?
5 dxgarten // Nov 10, 2003 at 8:43 pm
I hope you don’t mind that I post a reply on your blog. I read your comment at kottke.org about the movie.
spoiler starts
It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who thinks that the idea of ‘matrix within matrix’ is possible.
This comment is especially note-worthy:
Both he and the Oracle can only predict the equation as it relates to the Matrix
Exactly! I don’t see how they can predict what will happen in real life, esp in regards to the destruction of Zion and the exact number of people required to build Zion. Not to mention how Neo and Trinity will fall in love.
6 Amani // Nov 11, 2003 at 2:57 am
First let me say that I haven’t seen Revolutions.
I was planning on watching it (and I’m sure I will eventually) but it’s not a priority right now–considering all the negative reviews.
Like most people, I was an avid Matrix Fan–Until The second one came out. It was truly disappointing in many ways. Yet, I thought maybe they could redeem themselves with the third installation…Which apparently didn’t happen did it?
However, I recently watched a dvd that gave me a bit of hope. It is the "ANIMATRIX" series. The Wachowski brothers commissioned
7 renowned Anime artists (American, Korean and Japanese) to create 9 separate animated/cg mini-movies.
Needless to say, the animation is top-notch. Some of the story lines are not bad (some a bit too abstract for most people). They range from Final-Fantasy-esque realism in graphics, to Dick Tracy high contrast noir-style comic book style, to a hyper-surreal acid-trip type of storyline in the last one. Some of them are a bit confusing at first, but you might find that it helps clarify some issues(like why that kid keeps thanking Neo for saving his life in part 2).
This series is a must-see series for any Matrix fan.
Albeit, it doesn’t answer any "major questions", it does raise interesting new ones.
If you are as frustrated as I was about the Movie trilogy, you might find some temporary satisfaction in this animated alternative.
Hopefully there will be some good follow-ups.
7 Amani // Nov 11, 2003 at 3:33 am
AND ANOTHER THING:
If you haven’t done so already, I HIGHLY suggest you watch a movie called PI (Pi Symbol).
Pi is a small, low-budget film (shot in grainy black and white) that focuses on the troubled mind of a genius and the concept of mathematics and the reality of nature/mankind/God.
It was released in 1997/98 (before the Matrix).
I had seen Pi when it first came out and I loved it. Not only was it innovative, but thought-provoking as well. Pi delves into Philosophy, Mathematics, Mythology, Psychology, and Religion.
After watching it again recently, I realised that The Matrix rips off a lot of concepts from Pi. Some might call it a coincidence–But I don’t think that’s the case.
The story is nothing like the Matrix, but the themes, use of historical/mythical names, the computers/the bugs are somewhat similar.
Even the setup of computers in the guy’s apartment is similar to Neo’s (or rather, vice versa).
Also, the scene where Neo and Morpheus are standing and the background just instantly snaps to a blinding white is identical to a scene in Pi. (I’m referring to part one of the matrix–I think they called it the mainframe if I’m not mistaken, before he loaded the weapons simulation etc…)
Is it just me? Or has anyone else made this observation in the similarity between the two movies?
8 michael // Nov 11, 2003 at 11:05 am
Amani, haven’t seen the movie, but the idea of Pi is all over the Matrix. The whole bit in Reloaded where they have to open the door in 314 seconds is supposedly a reference to Pi. I’ll have t check out the movie Pi.
dxgarten, feel free to post here. As for the matrix within a matrix, or multiple matrices [matrixes?] connected together, yes, I still think it’s explainable in that light. There is too much control over events in the "real world" to leave out that explanation.
9 Morithil // Dec 10, 2003 at 4:14 pm
Sorry, but seeing as you’re discussing Revolutions I had to make a comment! Revolutions was a little of let down for me too; I didn’t mind the introduction of new characters, but it felt as if they didn’t have enough familiarity for me to be involved when they died/did something heroic.
minor spoilers-
…also, they turned Smith into a formulaic, comic book psychotic villain which I was NOT feeling. Plus the Architect (Col. Sanders lookalike of the year) randomly strolled in at the end as if to say "well, that was predictable". The CGI was good and there were a few nice set pieces like the Club Hell anti-gravity sequence, but Revolutions was ok as opposed to brilliant like the first movie….and to Amani; I salute you- Animatrix RULES.
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