Thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, even though it loses the original's sense of achievement. More of a refinement of what was laid down in the first one. Those looking for a great "human" story should steer clear. Those looking for a great action movie will love it.

First, if u liked Matrix 1, you'll like this one. Saying that, this one is NOT as good as the first one. People I talked to at the sneak-preview agreed with me that there was something missing.. or maybe too much of something. Anyways besides that it is a very entertaining movie and worthy of my $13.50. (and by the way, u ignorant people, please dont rock the vote by giving a 0 or a 10, it just messes up everybody)… Expand

The strength of "The Matrix" series is its ability to galvanize the imagination, even if the movies themselves are problematic: e.g., insufficient characterization, plot holes (yes, there are many), meandering or non-disciplined scripts, etc. Yet howsoever much these points distract from the quality of film as film per se, it is the concept that propels each movie, and, correspondingly, the series, forward. In that sense, "The Matrix Reloaded" serves as a worthy successor to the original, with all the same problems, yet still managing to carry the same propulsive conceptual energy forward. (As a sidebar, some of the conversations of certain scenes, which some may find distracting or tangential to the plot, truly serve as food for thought. One would be hard pressed to find any movie that 1) integrates such a diverse set of religious/philosophical ideas and 2) proceeds to wrap them in an entertaining and relatively easily digestible package.) … Expand

This movie is going to kick ass.

Please...make...Revolutions...better....

Dumb plot but has three great action scenes. the scene on the highway is a landmark CGI martial arts stunt spectacle. mayhem turns into frenzied hightech machine musical.

Awful. The Matrix was one of my favorite movies ever. This is ridiculous and lost the thread of the original completely. The party scene was insulting. The fight scenes pointless.

It's not as good as the first one, that's obvious. The movie is sometimes cracking under the weight of its own lack of humor, and the dialogues are often hilarious in their new-age chessiness. It's a waste of a great basic idea, and the Matrix legend would probably have been better preserved without the two following chapters.

Considering the fact that I didn't like the first one, this movie turned out pretty good. It is long winded but has more fun with its concept, which never added up anyway. It is still cold and devoid of compassion though.

I'm eager to see it!

This has to be one of the best movies ever made. Words cannot acuratly describe the immaculate bliss that is the Matrix: Reloaded. Once you see it you'll agree!

Fantastic movie.

Reloaded was a quality film filled with action, great visuals, and continuation of the trilogy. The lulls in the action put several in my theater off (especially the conversation with the Architect) - but I felt the concepts flowed well with the initial vision and drew me in further to the ongoing saga that is The Matrix. The one part I felt the damaged the flow of the movie (and could have been done shorter or completely without) was the love scene between Neo and Trinity. The CG work showed some deficiencies, but that always gets cleaned up before the DVD release. Reading the media reviews, I think a number of critics missed is that it was only a part of the story - this can put the casual movie-goer into a gray area of misunderstanding. That which we do not understand, we reject - it is human nature. Like all great stories, the beginning (Matrix) gets you to take interest in the main characters; it is where the monster that lays before the heroes is unveiled. The middle (Reloaded) is dark and places the characters against seemingly unwinnable odds. The closing closes the story with the final confrontation (Revolutions) between good and evil. The movie (and storyline) was not 'cookie-cutter' and complete entertainment. I would not take my parents to see it; unless you're a fan and follow the entire story I can definitely see the uninitiated being put off by it. If you are a fan of the original, it is a must see.… Expand

Awesome movie.

Not as good as the first one! but still really good. Yes the rave scene is bizarre and cheesy (would YOU throw the world's biggest rave if your society was facing imminent distruction? Are there not more important things to do?) and the sex scene was... eh. And yes unlike in the first movie, where the philosphical asides and exposition all completely and totally served the plot and the scene, in Reloaded there is more of philosphy and action for its own sake, and not necessarily to move forward the plot. That said, it's still a brainy action movie that looks amazing, for the most part flies along, has a bit of humour, and really works. And, you must remember, it's the middle part of a trilogy and I think they have laid out a lot of things here that will be tied up in the third. From what I see in Reloaded, I'd bet that Revolutions will be better than the first, even. And, I for one loved the scene with "God."… Expand

I've been waiting for this movie for quite a while as so many others have and I was hoping to have fun watching it. Guess what? I did!! Thank you Wachowski Brothers! Looking forward to the next one in November!!!

The first movie served as a springboard for this one and boy does it ever jump out and grab you! I will be corny, but what the hell, it is a masterpiece.

This movie rocks!!

Forget the story -- this is about the stunts, the chases, the action, and it ROCKS!

Pretentious, but worst of all boring. No story line, - could have been watching Total Recall for all the difference. Never once was the viewer left in suspense - you knew none of the heroes would die. Furthermore, the effect of one robot after another getting dealt to loses its effect after the 10,000 time.

The ideas explored by this movie were as explosive as the action. The filmmakers attempt to introduce deep philosophy wrapped up in incredible eye-candy is insidious. Days after seeing it, my ears are still ringing and my mind is reeling. I deducted 2 points off a perfect score for the "rave/orgy" and for the lifeless love scene. My recommendation is to hit the concession stand at this point in the movie.… Expand

I was very disappointed. This was mostly due to a plot that not only wandered in some very uninteresting directions, but that the new cast members they needed to tell it all appeared to have failed the auditions for the Star Trek series for being TOO hammy. The Matrix was a great film with or without great set pieces. The Matrix Reloaded was unfortunately only worth watching for its set pieces.

Drivel. I was so excited to see this movie, I stood in line with the other sci-fi geeks for over 1.5 hrs on opening night. The movie started and almost immediately I was turned off. The Trinity scene in the opener lacked any shred of excitement. In fact, that was true for the entire movie, it all felt completely artifical, sanitized, BORING. Who can care about any of these people if they cant express any emotions and are invincible? Why does Neo fight everyone when he can just warp reality, blow them away, and fly off? Plot holes so big you can drive a truck through. Then came the two scenes that almost made be spit up my popcorn in horror: the dance party in Zion (intercut with a gratuitous sex scene with super fake looking bioport appliques on Neo and Trinity), and the stupid, stupid STUPID orgasm scene in the Malinginian's restaurant. These two scenes were SO DUMB, so unnecessary, so ridiculous that I lost all interest in the film (although just about all of it sucked horribly). Heres hoping that Revolutions can recover... although i think i'll wait for the DVD.… Expand

This movie was the ultimate. so what if i had 2 c it 3 times to get it. this movie was kick, punch, BOOM!!! the special effects were awesome, the fighting rocked. and it had plot. this movie was better than the first, it was da bom.

Not the movie that we had expected! Good action sequences but the story goes nowhere..

A dismal failure on par with the last 2 Star Wars movies. The photography is ugly, the cast looks washed out and bored, the acting is atrocious (including Fishburne), the dialog ludicrous, and the science fiction sub-par. It's totally kitsch, but not campy enough to enjoy. Did the same filmmakers actualy make the first Matrix? It doesn't seem like it to me. The low point is the rave/sex scene--what the hell? This film tried to be sexy, but succeeded as much as Showgirls did on that level.… Expand

The slow, sloppy, incoherent, wooden, stupid first hour of the film is made up for by a rip roaring rollercoaster ride of a second hour. Well worth your time and kicks the crap out of other summer blockbuster sequals like X-Men 2. It's not perfect. Like I said, the first hour (or at least the first 45 minutes) sucks and contains no important plot developments apart from Agent Smith manages to quite literally possess someone outside the Matrix. However when the second half of the film is over, I can guarantee you will be willing to forgive and forget after some deep philosophy, eye popping fight sequences of the likes that have never been seen before, shocking new revelations about the Matrix and a 17 minute car chase scene that will leave you gobsmacked. Give it a go. It's well worth it.… Expand

It was okay... The first matrix film is best.

Very Disappointing - not near as good as the original.

Intellectually stimulating, great action definitely lived up to the original, although some scenes where unnecessary still was enthralling to watch throughout.

Reloaded is visually wonderful (though much of it is so horribly computerized), but it is so contrived and empty, I couldn't figure out why anything was happening in the movie. A complete dissapointment. It's a hollow middle to a fasinating beginning film and a surprisingly involving final film. As Peter Travers of Rolling Stone should have said, "In spite of understatement, RELOADED sucks."… Expand

Well there were a lot of mixed reviews for this(some gave it 10 others gave it 2). I give 3 at best, look sticking a whole bunch of effects doesn't make a movie good.. Let me start by saying the fight scenes were waaay too long, also the fighting was stiff, very bad choreographing, when i watch a Chan or Jet movie the fight scenes are fast and very interesting, not boring and repetitive with the same old punches and kicks... Neo barely talks, infact the whole TRUE cast doesn't say much(and i don't really wanna know about jada or anyother supporting actors) STORY KILL...I found myself looking at everyone else i forgot that neo had some sort of depth like in the first movie.. At one point i was actually waiting for some fight scenes of finish(when neo fought the chinese guy) (or fighting the stupid french guys)...There wasn't any gunplay either, the first scene with trinity was boring, the whole film came off as THEY HAD TOO MUCH MONEY AND EFFECTS AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT...Don't get me started on the moshPIT(freaky CAVE SCENE). No wonder the machines should win and kill the rest of the humans, they're partying in a CAVE...Ok so prob the only part i did enjoy was the CAR CHASE scene...But that's it, i would have settled for a good story(yes i know what the matrix is), and for more indepth characters, The First Movie Set The Standards, this movie just Lowered the Bar..… Expand

Come on people, the futuristic feel, action and Monica Belluci make this a great movie. Dont take it seriously, just enjoy it.

Matrix Reloaded? Isn't that some minor independent film that's supposed to be a bit good? Well, no, stop being so bloody arch. Pat C. makes a good point. There's a lot of stuff going on, what in the Big Lebowski was called "a lot of threads in ol' Duder's head". And an awful lot of talking. Very. Portentous. And meaningful. Talking. Your enjoyment of the film pretty much hinges on your threshold for this sort of thing. Oh, and a complete lack of snobbery - because this isn't brain food. It just dresses the same way. Mind you, those with a predeliction toward nose-turning will have done so for the original and therefore wouldn't have come back, so we're safe. Jim A. basically hit the nail when he said that this is a movie for sitting there and watching rather than thinking about - and sometimes, I think, it demonstrates that it knows it. There are a fair few post-modern elements [*sound of readers screaming and scrolling away*] in the movie, such as Persephone talking about her husband and echoing the thoughts of everyone who's just sat through that first scene with him. Or the opening, one of the most post-modern [*more screams, faint sound of horses whinnying*] openings to a major movie in a while - because it's essentially the same as the first one...that is, until spoiler deleted. But never mind about post-modernism [*screams, whinnying*], the real reason anyone'll see this film is the Heart-Stopping, Head-Pounding Action Sequences!?. And by golly with a side order of gosh, but they're great. Too many of them too close to each other, for my money, but great nonetheless. The acting? It's good. Yes, even Keanu Reeves. He can do miserable and intense. Carrie-Ann Moss still doesn't do enough, but what she does she does well. Laurence Fishburne pulls off the neat trick of not making Morpheus seem like the biggest wanker that ever walked the Earth, Weaving Hugo (who, presumably because of LOTR, isn't in it as much) is still gold - that voice is just genius. Be advised: that's it as far as returning characters are concerned. Even those few who didn't die in the first film are nowhere to be seen here. Still, that's a blessing because the cast is huge enough as it is - and still, they're all good. Jada Pinkett Fresh Prince flits between charismatic and enigmatic without batting an eyelid, Harold Perrineau does his customary "worried yet pretending to be in control" job admirably, and Monica Belucci, well, she's wearing an interesting outfit there. Oh, and she gives a nicely seductive-yet-faintly-untrustworthy performance too. Oh, and good performances from the Rayment twins as well (except when they talk). I point it out because I still can't believe they went from being handymen on a British daytime DIY makeover show alongside Carol Vorderman, to the Matrix sequels. No kidding, that's where the brothers found them. Carol Vorderman to the Wachowski brothers. Incredible. Just occured to me, the Americans don't even know who Carol Vorderman is. So I've just wasted my time and yours. Sorry. Anyway, the film. There are problems, else I'd have given it 10: it's all a little...I don't know, bloated at times. So much stuff happens in the first twenty minutes I actually started to panic. Too much, too quickly. And it also suffers from Middle Child syndrome, just like The Two Towers, or Critters 3: it doesn't tell its own story so much as set up stuff for Revolutions, and so it sometimes feels vaguely unsatisfactory. Something of a cop-out toward the end as well. But then the real ending happens, and stuff is sort-of revealed that will set your head a-spinning. Then "To Be Concluded" and aw, nuts. Roll on Revolutions. Seriously. Recommended, with some caveats: 1) see the first film first, and 2) don't watch it if you think these kind of films are stupidbrainlesssick and wrongfor kids. They're not, but there'll be no telling you that.… Expand

I'm sorry. A movie should never raise philosophical questions it can't offer an answer for. The first movie didn't go beyond its own insights, so in a mind-bending way it made sense. "Reloaded" is a mind breaker, and confusion is not usually regarded as an entertaining quality.

I'm eager to see it!

It really is the real deal. Yet if you see it more than once, you really grasp what the filmmakers were trying to accomplish, and it pushes your mind far and beyond what the first (excellent) film did.

Within the first 3 minutes of the movie there is everything that made M1 a MUST SEE. And after that you will wake up (like Neo) and enjoy the rest! I like the architect scene and some races and fights are still unbelieveable. I am EAGER to see M3!!!

How can people give this movie 10/10 when they haven't even seen it? IDIOTS! Anyway, it was good... but something was missing. Not sure what, but it just didn't "feel" dark enough...

I can say that this film is better than Citizen Kane in every way. It is surely the greatest film ever made on this planet. A bible story of the new millenium!

Good flick. Fun to watch.

Awesome effects.

Wow. What a cataclysmic disaster. Some parts were laugably bad (the entire Zion sequence), and others were beyond boring. And what exactly was the plot? Walking out of the theater, I couldn't tell you. Poorly driected. Overwritten and badly acted by everyone invloved. I thought the first film was a revolution in action cinema -- the action movie with a brain, a heart and balls -- but this was a true mess. I didn't care about anyone, even characters I loved from the first film and the world of the Matrix no longer has any rules -- so anything is possible. Just because you can do a thing, doesn't mean you should.… Expand

The movie wasn't even near as good as "The Matrix". It was a huge dissappointment for me. I'll give it a five for good effects and "cool" action. There was nothing more to see in it, though.

At first I thought I was missing something ... I thought some critical plot point occurred while I reached for my soda. It's understandable, seeing how for every 15-minute fight there's five minutes of psycho-babble and ten seconds of actual plot. But no ... I did not miss anything. There's nothing to miss. The film drives really fast but goes nowhere. It's really THAT stupid! Nice eye candy, but there's nothing else to see here.… Expand

The only problem I had with this movie was that there were too many things going on to really just sit back and enjoy it. The first movie, although dense, was not opaque. If they had dropped a few extra characters and some sub-plots, the movie would have been able to let us absorb everything. That was the best part about the first movie, it had a fantastic story and style to spare and it let viewers sit back and enjoy these things. The second movie moves too quickly from point to point for it's own good. That being said, it was an incredible movie and I will be seeing it several times in the theater. The more I think about it, the more I think this movie was designed to be so dense, so that people like me would feel compelled to see it over and over again.… Expand

Loud and pointless movie. Dumb action and loaded with annoying philosophy.

The first 1/4 of this movie was absolutely horrible. too many useless moments that meant nothing to the story. the "rave" scene in zion was absolutely rediculous along with the neo/trinity love scene (a 10 minute long shoulder up shot of them laying close to each other is supposed to do what?). There was no reason for anything before the Oracle scene with the exception of the dream sequence. After we see the Oracle the movie makes a turn for the better and brings us almost to where the first Matrix left us!… Expand

It is very easy to miss much of the story. If you gave it a bad score because of the story, it's quite possible you just didn't understand it. Amazing movie.

This movie was a severe disappointment. It feels like the Wachowski brothers are trying to make two films out of enough ideas for one. Once you get past the special effects scenes there is about 20-30 minutes of "stuff" in this movie surrounded by about 2 hours of filler. And as for the two big special effects sequences, the brawl scene was horrible. It didn't even look real. I suppose if they were trying to convince us that the Matrix is a big video game, they got the look down. The chase scene was nice, but by that point it was too little too late. But the worst of all was the rave/orgy scene in Zion. If that is what humanity does with its freedom, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe they should have been left in the Matrix. By the way, what happened to Neo's super powers? At the end of the first movie he was rewriting the Matrix, now all he can do is fly and stop bullets? It wasn't all bad, however. The scene with the Architect was great, but it was the only part of the movie that really moved the story along. The rest was mostly just violence and sex. … Expand

A kick-ass summer popcorn flick. Don't miss it.

Not as good as the first, but it was still very well done and it advanced the Matrix chronicles very well. The special effects were absolutely amazing and made up for the way the movie had a little too much Hollywood compared to the last.

Bloated, pretensous, repetetive--what happened?? Other than a couple of cool scenes (that go on too long), a huge letdown and waste of time.

Too much directionless talk. Frigteningly old looking female stars, no sex appeal. Uninspired.

....Ahhh....where do I even BEGIN with this one.... I looked forward to this movie (as did most Matrix fans) for sooo long, only to be soooooo disappointed. I was such a HUGE fan of the FIRST Matrix that I bought the DVD and probably watched it a dozen times. I read some reviews in the papers of Reloaded, and all of them seemed to give it high marks, so lets just say I was very excited to go see it Friday night. What a catastrophic let down. This movie should have been re-EDITTED, and re-WRITTEN before it hit the streets. HOW on EARTH could they have released it in its current form ?!!! This movie was long....waaayyyyy too long. Many scenes could have been trimmed or better yet, removed. The movie's beginning third was so long and boring that my friend and I kept looking at each other in amazement that the movie had been on for so long and STILL seemed to not have even started yet ! The dance/orgy scene and the quasi-sex scene was just plain out of place. It reminded me of those old 10 Commandments "style" movies where they tried to depict the sodom and gommorah sinners ....ahh.....who cares, you get it (I hope). I mean come on...Zion looked like crap...who would even WANT to live if they had to live there ?!!! That whole thing should have been just removed. At some point in the film you start to think that the movie is just one long fight scene, in a perpetual loop that you cannot escape from. All the fighting is redundant and brings life to the "been there, done that" statement. Don't get me wrong, the special effects and fighting were pretty cool, but don't keep repeating the same stuff all the way throughout the movie !!! Also, as one reviewer here has pointed out, at the end of the FIRST film, Neo was actually RE-WRITING the matrix. Now, to ME that means he can do whatever he wants, re-write the code for EVERYTHING and be basically invinceable, RIGHT ??!!! Nope, not according to this crappy sequel. If you were so powerful now, and could do anything at all, why would you even waste time "punching and kicking" computer enemies when you could just kill them in an instant ?!!! What was even more funny was when Neo was fighting all of that french guy's henchmen on the staircase....he gets cut by a weapon ! Now, how is it that Neo can defeat an AGENT, but has trouble with the "normal-guy" matrix bad guys ?!! Ohhhhh, man I am on a rant here, but its just sooo stupid. How anyone can give this movie a high score is beyond me. Maybe the simple minded among us are easily amused I guess. Well, its much too late to stop Reloaded now that it has entered the theatres...its out there, sucking badly, and will no doubt still make money from those who are just curious about the hype, or true fans of the first film who have to see it just because they are a fan....horrible sequel or not. My opinion upon leaving the theatre was that they could have (probably) done a LOT of editting to shorten this film, and then ADDED the 3rd part to it, to make ONE half-decent sequel. Unfortunately we will have to wait until the 3rd installment to see if number 3 can make up for the failings of (approppriately numbered) "number TWO". And, as I mentioned earlier...I OWN the DVD of the first Matrix, but I can guarantee you that I will NOT waste my money on the second. The creators of Reloaded should be ashamed of themselves. Period.… Expand

Finally another movie that combines sci-fi, action and intelligence. So many Sci-fi movies lack depth that is it so nice to see one that has so many degrees of intellectual depth in the story.

I don't know what the bad reviews are about, but if you enjoyed the first Matrix, you will totally enjoy Matrix Reloaded. I saw it last night and I liked it even better than the first!

Disappointment of the year (or maybe more than one, considering how much and how long I was looking forward to it). No heart, no soul, no intelligence...just special effects, idiotic and endless fight scenes, a sex/love angle that'll make you cringe, and tons of useless filler. The original was amazing...this is a piece of crap. Pretty crap, but still crap. Pre-teen males with the attention span of gerbils will (and apparently do) swoon over the pretty colors and nifty fighting, but everyone else will likely just be disgusted with the emptiness and stupidity. … Expand

Matrix Reloaded is both good and original. Sadly, the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good.

Wow, so many low scores...i can hardly believe it. the world is a mixture of minds, that's for sure. i am sorry, strangers, that so few of you enjoyed the movie...i absolutely love it, myself. i find it a beautiful story. i was amazed. so, everyone's different, and no one is right.

This movie kicked ass. It's the second in a trilogy, not a sequel, and the characters are being developed further, realizing their roles as warriors instead of geeks, philosophers instead of conspiracy theoristrs. The effects were ridiculous, don't say they were bad just because you don't like the genre. It is supposed to be like a comic book come to life, which is what it delivers; a little depth and artistry on top of a solid action movie. If that's what you expect, then that's what you'll get.… Expand

What a clunker of a movie. The first hour put me to sleep and the second is so relentlessly stupid I almost walked out of the theater. And by the time you get to the ending, which isn't, I could not care less what the third film has to add. Studpid, boring, and horribly acted. And the special effects ain't all that, either.

(**1/2-out of 4) 1stly I'm not a fan of sci-fi, but this sequel has some of the most astonishinglly done visuals to date! Especially on freeway scene. Hard to fathom this is same guy> Reeves, from "Bill & Ted," days? In my book quite stronger than 1st. OSCAR race for Visuals this yr. will have some comp. "T3"/"The Hulk" & "LOR-ROTK," of course! But which "Matrix," will they pick?

The Matrix:Reloaded is the first movie ever wherein I literally fell asleep in the theater. What I hated about it was the lack of soul amongst the characters. Morpheus, despite his preaching about "believing", "fate", "destiny", "prophecy", and the "war that will soon end", failed to make us viewers feel like Zion is really approaching its end. Juxtaposing scenes of the whole population of Zion gyrating sensually to the latest techno beat with Neo and Trinity stealing a steamy sexual encounter hardly counts as people whose planet is about to be obliterated. The script is full of one-liners, oxymorons, witty tang-tangs that is just the icing to the cake of a so-called postmodernist movie. I do mean so-called postmodernist since this is the type of so-called postmodernist bullshit state of mind permeating a lot of the Western works of art these days. The key is to be as confusing as possible so that the viewers will think, "Hey, its confusing, I don't understand it, so it has to be cool." Very boring movie, devoid of soul, spirit, life. Deserving of a 1 rating.… Expand

I guess this just goes to show that there?s no accounting for taste. Granted, Reloaded may not go down in history as a cinematic masterpiece, but I can?t fathom how somebody could give this movie a score of less than five unless they don?t like either don?t action/martial arts films period or have some underlying desire to rant against all things popular for the satisfaction of going against the crowd. In my opinion, the acting wasn?t necessarily fantastic, but it wasn?t nearly bad enough as to hamper my enjoyment of the movie. Even though Neo, Trinity and Niobe might have felt a little flat, that was more than made up for by the outstanding performances by the actors playing the Oracle, Persephone, and the Architect. Furthermore, not only did I like the scenes in Zion, but I thought that they were some of the best of the film. Morpheus? speech still sends chills down my spine after seeing the movie three times, and the love/rave scene felt more raw, authentic and passionate than anything I?ve seen in theatres recently. For the life of me, I can?t understand those people who are complaining about the special effects, especially those of the Neo/Smiths courtyard fight. With very few exceptions, the computer generated Agent Smiths were indistinguishable from the real Hugo Weaving. The only other movie whose effects begin to compare to those of Reloaded is last year?s LOTR: Two Towers (although I?d like to see if Peter Jackson produce 50 onscreen Gollums simultaneously). The twin fight/highway sequence alone is worth the price of admission, and again, I am at a loss to think of any other cinematic car chases that match the intensity and excitement of this scene. My biggest complaint is that some of the philosophical discussions (the scenes with the Councilman and the Merovingian in particular), although fascinating enough, felt a little awkward. In the first film, the philosophical aspects/messages seemed to subtly flow throughout the entire film. Here, they seem to come in bursts, and are a little too obvious. But on the whole, The Matrix Reloaded was an excellent film that I hope to see again when it is released on Imax in June.… Expand

Great Movie. I love people bitching how it didn't explain enough, too many empty turns and not enough revealed for them to understand it. Maybe, that's the point of the middle movie in a trilogy jackasses? I see real movie reviewers complaining about the same things a 12 year old would. Wise up knuckleheads and watch the movie for what it is, the "middle" movie.

Above and beyond the really cool chase scene, the insane CGI and what ever other new technology that they innovated, you cant help but to feel like they put less energy into the plot depth than the first Matrix. There is little emotion, no real sense of danger, Agent Smith is more like a swarm of flies with black shades then the arch villain he was and you constantly get bombarded with the same shticks that they used in the first movie. It?s almost as if they tried to use the same ingredients from the first movie only it came off like someone telling the same joke twice. First time was funny, second time is lame. Three words come to mind in describing most of the characters in the movie; Pompous, pretentious and self-righteous. The dialog was empty and sad. For example agent smith says ?I see your surprised to see me Mr Anderson?, cut back to Neo?s expressionless face? not 50 minutes later Agent Smith Says ?I see that your surprised to see me again Mr Anderson? cut back again to Neo?s expressionless face. And the characters take on a two dimensional profile where what they do defines who they are. There was one scene where they break in to rescue this elderly asian man who says ?I am the KeyMaker?. I half expected Neo to say ?I am the Gate Keeper.. ZOOOOOLLLLL!? This film could have been great had they made the main characters more vulnerable and emotional and less like stylish kung-foo wooden boards. … Expand

Personally, I thought this was the best movie(aside from The Matrix) I've ever seen! The story, though somewhat confusing dialogue, go me really thinking about things I haven't really thought about before, or that I've never even known. The Matrix Reloaded offers a plot that aims at all genre-freaks. It's intellect, for the wiser of the bunch, all-out action for all those adrenilene junkies, and the blooming romance between Neo and Trinity, for those hopeless romantics (namely me!) Fantastic film, people! Go out and see for yourself!… Expand

Quite enjoyable. A few scenes lasted too long for my taste (party in Zion, fight against agent SmithX100...) but it's a great story in addition to the action. Has to be seen in a theater, not on TV.

The Matrix Reloaded was not as good as its predecessor. Sure, the visuals were more technologically and visually stunning, but I figure that with the first Matrix less is more. Especially considering that Neo looks like a doll. Of course, if you're an avid fan you don't care about the simple flaws that the movie shows and just get obsorbed in the psycho-babble plot. I did.

Cant believe i parted with my money to see this rubbish when my instincts were telling me it was going to be rubbish.

My god, have you people gone mad. Whats with all the stupid comments in reviews. I dont mean to be offensive, but.....agghhhh. Who cares if she gets friggin pregnet....(pregnant). Its a movie, people do the dirty in movies all the time and dont get pregnet(pregnant) its...just....a....movie. AND the two brothers which i did like better, Tank and dozer, well dozer died in the first and it says tank died in the span between, and who cares about link its not like one small character ruins one movie. So the actors got older and less pretty....so that makes them worse actors, they look and act the same to me, if you have complaints its probably the script. Well the non whites arent supposed to be pale but i see what you mean.......IT IS A FRICKING MOVIE WHAT DOES THERE SKIN COLOR HAVE TO DO WITH THE MOVIE BEING GOOD OR NOT. And as for mr. mistery...(mystery) Well i dont know i guess you can have your opinion but.....the action was very intense to me and all the people i know. As for some people who cant sit through like 30 minutes of talking.........well get more patience. Some people expect way to much of this movie ill admit its not without flaws, but people are blowing it out of proportion. im sorry if i offended someone's opinion, im just a tad confused about some things.… Expand

Are we allowed to vote for a movie having just seen and heard the trailer? I was a fan of the first one - dont know why? watching it now and I hate it. I will not be watching the last part either. Easily done when a movie is over hyped. the trailer for this starts with the quotes - This is a war and we are Soldiers. A Movie which served as a pro-war violent propaganda for the events of this year. Watch XMen 2 for a quieter and one with more reflection on needless Violence.… Expand

OK, I'm a female, and here's MY reason for absolutely DESPISING the sex scene: 1)it seemed so abrupt. Usually they never have this kind of junk until you REALLY know how much the two lovers love eachother, unless you're watching something like "American Pie". It didn't even seem like they were doing it as though they really loved eachother. It seemed more like Neo was acting as though Trinity were a prostitute. Only doing it for joy and money. 2)Pretty stupid. I mean, sex is usually put in movies so it can make more money because some perverts enjoy watching this. That usually happens with films they're afraid won't do well. Or because the story is about *cough* sex. Now, does the Matrix need it to make more money? Not really. Well, it's either they need it for money or to show how much Trinity and Neo love eachother. This isn't my idea of romance. Usually, you need to see how much they love eachother by seeing them hug, have sweet lil' conversations or have dinner, kiss, whatever. Now, Trinity and Neo obviously don't have any time at all to go on dates inside the Matrix. Do they have time to talk? Well, judging by the amount of times Trinty asked Neo if he wanted to talk with her about any problems with sleeping, then it seems like they do. Wait! This is the Matrix movies we're talking about! We can't have any sappy dialogue! Then why have stupid sex in it? (note:I am not a huge Keanu Reeves fan, and I find sex stupid, so I'm not "jealous" over the fact that Trinity and Neo were "making love" [if you could call it "love" together]. Also, I find it more agonizing to watch people have sex, than to see blood splattering everywhere if someone gets shot). Though the movie itself DID have its pros: an awesome car chase scene, great new villains (Persephone and the Twins), and a complex plot which stopped me from rating this movie a 0. But there are many cons: dreadful acting (well, except from Persephone, the Oracle, the Architect, and Agent Smith who were great), now-invincible characters (what I'm trying to say is, there's no point in caring about the heroes of the film as you know they'll make it out fine, which makes watching the movie less fun with them now only 1% vulnerable and 99% invincible, or maybe I'm just exaggerating), the awful dance scene (I KNOW the point of that scene, but really, it was extremely corny to watch, hey, it's just an opinion of mine), overly-long action sequences (I really lost my interest in the kung-fu after a while), a less enjoyable plot (it may be because now Neo is no longer a guy in-training and now knows what he's doing which makes him less fun to watch during the new plot), dull settings (I don't know about you, but I really hated the film's new settings, and I'm not just talking about Zion) and I could name a whole bunch more but I don't want to get any of "Reloaded"'s fans too upset. But let me make my point, I thought "Reloaded" was neither good nor bad, just adequate which is why I gave it a 6. By the way, this whole review was based on my personal opinion, so don't get mad at me because of that. And by the way, I never watch crappy movies like Adam Sandler films or American Pie, and I really like dark fictional films, so don't accuse me of being one of those crappy film-fans because I'm not. And C Money, Memento and Mullholland Drive are NOT under-rated films. Check them out here in Metacritic--they both got a universal acclaim! Peace.… Expand

Ever since the original Matrix hit the theatres I have been eagerly awaiting a sequel. I must say that I have never been more disappointed about a movie in my entire life. It seems that the Wachowski brothers thought that they could substitute pure eye candy for a greatly intriguing plot and great characters. If you are looking for an exciting movie with top notch special effects then by all means see MR. If you are looking for a movie that has interesting characters, a story line, and good acting, then don't waste your money on this flick. I sincerely hope that the third Matrix movie will live up to the first and not be a repeat of this crap. … Expand

It's a pretty good film fishburne is very overweight and very tonk.

A masterpiece!

Sorry if I let all of you down everyone, but I didn't like it like I liked the first one. I know this is the middle of the trilogy, and middles of trilogies tend to be a bit weak, but how is that supposed to make you like it? Yes, there was much meaningful philosophy, but it didn't seem to make me look at the world differently. The plot is well-written, but it seemed many of the situations abused it and made the film look weaker. The dead acting wasn't there for a reason. The all-powerful characters were cool, but not ones I cared about. Neo is basically like Superman; he can fly and do supernatural things, but also like Superman, there's really nothing that can kill him (unless in Revolutions if we find out there is one thing that CAN kill him, and I'd like to see that). But really, liking or hating Reloaded is really a matter of opinion. You can't force someone into liking or hating it, that's dumb and abusive. And I'm not one of those super-idiots who says "It's for geeks only", because that's not true, and I myself am a geek. But there were so many things I didn't like about Reloaded (the corny dance and sex scenes, the action scenes that had no purpose [I'm not talking about the car chase scene or the Neo vs. the 100 Smiths scene], dead acting from the heroes of the movie, too many cold settings, and other things) that no one here in Metacritic really had a good explanation for, that I just didn't enjoy it. OK, throw your insults at me. (Dan. B, if you respect opinions so much then leave the ones who didn't enjoy this movie alone! Most of the reasons were given out by opinion, which has nothing to do with how smart you are. For crying out loud, this isn't Lord of the Rings!)… Expand

Sorry if I let all of you down everyone, but I didn't like it like I liked the first one. I know this is the middle of the trilogy, and middles of trilogies tend to be a bit weak, but how is that supposed to make you like it? Yes, there was much meaningful philosophy, but it didn't seem to make me look at the world differently. The plot is well-written, but it seemed many of the situations abused it and made the film look weaker. The dead acting wasn't there for a reason. The all-powerful characters were cool, but not ones I cared about. Neo is basically like Superman; he can fly and do supernatural things, but also like Superman, there's really nothing that can kill him (unless in Revolutions if we find out there is one thing that CAN kill him, and I'd like to see that). But really, liking or hating Reloaded is really a matter of opinion. You can't force someone into liking or hating it, that's dumb and abusive. And I'm not one of those super-idiots who says "It's for geeks only", because that's not true, and I myself am a geek. But there were so many things I didn't like about Reloaded (the corny dance and sex scenes, the action scenes that had no purpose [I'm not talking about the car chase scene or the Neo vs. the 100 Smiths scene], dead acting from the heroes of the movie, too many cold settings, and other things) that no one here in Metacritic really had a good explanation for, that I just didn't enjoy it. OK, throw your insults at me. (Dan. B, if you respect opinions so much then leave the ones who didn't enjoy this movie alone! Most of the reasons were given out by opinion, which has nothing to do with how smart you are. For crying out loud, this isn't Lord of the Rings!)… Expand

Perfect.

[**Spoilers**] Okay, here's what I think is going on in the movie. If this is correct, then it shows that everyone who rated it less than a ten should start thinking about movies a little more before writing about them, including the professional critics who panned it: Timeline: 1. War with Machines, humans lose. 2. First two versions of matrix fail, because the human minds (evidently needed to be well functioning in order to supply some form of essential energy for machines) reject it. 3. "Oracle" program figures out that matrix must be constructed so that human beings are given a choice to accept or reject it, at least at an unconscious level. Choice enters the equation. Nearly 99% of minds accept it, but the ones that reject it pose a danger to the system. 4. A second level matrix is created which is the "real" world, and a religious mythology is created through cobbling together elements from earth's religions. A program "the One" is created as the founder of the "city" Zion. The One begins "freeing" the inhabitants of the 1st matrix into the second one, thereby leading the anomalous minds into a zone of containment. The city and the project of removal becomes taken over by the humans and the One disappears from the scene. 5. As a part of their mythology, the people are brought to believe that "the One" will return and save them and destroy the Matrix. The search for "the One" drives their spiritual belief system. 6. Eventually, the One is made to reappear (as neO) (not conscious of its role in the system) and is lead to attempt the liberation of human beings and the destruction of the matrix. 7. The Oracle (as a mechanism of control) (along with the Keymaster) leads Neo to "the Source." At the Source, the One (who has now bound together the hope of all "freed" people into itself) is given a choice by the Architect. Either it can choose one door which leads it back to the Second Level Matrix directly, in effect "rebooting" the program, erasing the anomaly entirely, but then founding Zion again with 23 minds selected from the Matrix (so that the anomaly can be contained again when it increases to dangerous levels) or else the One can choose the other door which will lead it to save "Trinity" but thereby leads to the destruction of all human minds. As the focal point of the anomaly, neO must be given a choice, but he/it was constructed to be detached from human feeling. So Neo makes the rational choice and returns to the source, thereby erasing zion and all of its inhabitants and then immediately refounding it. 8. This happens for 6 times. 9. On the 7th, Neo develops stronger feelings for Trinity and so chooses the other door. Either A. He has reacted in a way which is unpredictable to the system and thereby has disrupted the loop or (more probably) B. he was led to this choice as well by the Architect (rebirth 6 times, Nirvana the 7th), and so this is also part of a predetermined course. 10. When neO resurfaces in the second level Matrix, he is now becoming aware that this is a program as well, and he uses his "powers" there to stop the Sentinels at the end. It's funny to think Morpheus, the pompous religious leader, was a fool, entirely playing out his part in an orchestrated system of control. So everyone who has read a religious message into the matrix now has to accept that this entire framework is a lie created to further enslave free minds. I'm not sure about the role of Smith: whether he is actually still operating as a part of the system or not. He thinks he's free, but that doesn't prove anything. I wonder if the Merovingion is actually supposed to be Jean Baudrilliard. Baudrilliard's book Simulacra and Simulation (which is shown as a simulacrum of a book where Neo hides his illegal programs at the beginning of the first movie) was a strong influence on the movies. Yet, Bausdrilliard claimed that the Wachowski's had "misunderstood" his ideas. So I wonder if they included him as this petty French ass (one of the "original" programs) who thinks he understands everything. Cornell West (Princeton University) is the most famous living American Pragmatist, and he appears in the movie on the council. He says "Cooperation does not require comprehension." I think that the Wachowskis will actually be claiming that it doesn't matter whether one finds the "real" world or not, since you could never be sure anyway. What matters is how we pragmatically negotiate our lives in the world we are given. By the way, we don't know if there actually was a war, whether there are any human bodies left, or how the matrix really began. And given the problem of infinite sets (or matrices), I don't see how we could. Given this spiderweb complexity woven into the structure of the film which ties everyone together, it is not surprising that it is hard to understand. But i've only seen it twice, so people should make more of an effort. In any case, I think the presence of such a sophisticated narrative underneath the wall to wall action of the film make it into one of the best sci-fi movies of all time.… Expand

Not anywhere near the original. Too long and bloated. Perhaps if they were to convert this and the following into one tightly edited sequel, they might have a winner on their hands. Mind though that I have no idea whatsoever that the next piece in the Matrix is worth spending any time watching. Oh Well... Cant have it all.... although the suggestion above to go watch the HULK is a pretty good one.… Expand

I couldn't wait to see Reloaded when I first saw the trailer. I really thought the acting was very bad and forced, as if the actors weren't believing what they were saying. I also found that Neo acted more like a robot, saying his lines in monotone, with no emotion. This movie really shoves a lot at you, which is unforunate, because a lot of people miss out on the plot because they are too busy watching the eye candy. This movie doesn't live up to the first one, because the first movie really left you with an alternative. It made you think, it used a brand new technology with the circling around the action. The second movie is more storyline than anything else. There's a lot to grasp in it, and I'm not sure I can really believe all of it. As for the sex scene, was it really necessary? This movie is more of a movie I'd expect to find in a video game, with bad supporting acting, and forced dialogue. However, it was not as bad as a digitized Yoda in Star Wars. I really wanted to give this movie a 10, it deserves it because its different, has lots of action and eye candy, and has a complex and solid storyline. But unfortunately, that seems to get lost, and needs a second, third, fourth, and possibly a fifth viewing in order to really get the true meaning of what the matrix is. Hopefully when Revolutions comes out and the two are watched in succession, it will all make sense, if you can ignore the bad acting. Of course, Keanu isn't the best actor out there for showing emotion (Bill and Ted's, Speed, Devil's Advocate, etc.) And I totally agree with hype, I wouldn't be surprised if half of the 10's were given out of loyalty or because it got good reviews.… Expand

Take away the sex and dance scenes and it would be one step behind the original, not one mile.

This is a great movie. I have seen alot of movies and this is on my top ten with the original characters from the first one and some new important characters that fall right into place. This movie is just as good as the first one and is a definite must see.

I'm sorry, I tried to enjoy this film, I really did, but I just couldn't. I couldn't help but keep thinking, "This is not 'The Matrix'...its something else..." It seriously didn't refresh me, entertain me, or make me think more about life like the first one did. Sure, I got the plot (my bro explained it to me), but the movie itself wasn't that great. The action sequences dragged (except for the car chase scene, which kept me from giving this movie a 0), the sex scene dragged (and was REALLY unnecessary), the dialogue the dragged (no emotion at all!), the acting dragged...EVERYTHING DRAGGED!… Expand

I like to rate movies for what they are and not make comparisons between other films. The problem I feel people have with the film is similar to the phantom menace were the expectation was so high it was never going to be successful unless the film was created by godl. I think the same thing as happened here which gives the film unfair position. If comparing it to other films this year I would have to say it has been the film of the year so far and lets not forget the middle of a trilogy doesn't usually reveal much in terms of plot. It merely thickens it take lord of the rings the two towers it did not have a definate beginning or end.… Expand

WOW. Some of you guys are telling me this movie is "pure beauty". Are you telling me that I need to think of Zion as "pure beauty"?! Give me the blue pill. NOW.

Pure Crapola.

I can't say that the story goes nowhere (you have to read a 5 page explanation on the movie to really understand where it's going) but WAY too many things were thrown in (exp: the sex/orgy/rave scene, some action scenes, the French guy) and you'd wonder if the Wachowski bros. just put those scenes in either to extend the movie and make it longer than the first, or because they were afraid it wouldn't do well in at the box office and they put in those scenes (like Hollywood would want them to). Now the Animatrix on the other hand...… Expand

No one reads these, why share your opinions, if someone does read it they won't listen to someones opinion they dont know. is it merely trying to show your hate for the movie or trying to get in the crowd......the world may never know.

Yo, Brian C., I understood the plot entirely (I read Darren H.'s review, good stuff) and I agree it was very complex and cool, but there were more things I was complaining about and it was NOT just the sex. If you want to see what I oh-so-hated about the film, read Derek W.'s review because I totally agreed with him.

1 for the highway chase scene. Awesome. The rest of the action scenes-no suspense at all! I mean, we knew Neo, Morpheous, and Trinity weren't going to die because they rarely get hurt! What the hell was up with that orgy scene?? TELL ME PLEASE! "Oh, the Zion people were just happy..." You know,if they were really happy, they wouldn't randomly become so sexual. Horrible movie. Skip this one and either rent/buy/watch the first one or go see a DECENT summer flick like T-3 or Nemo.… Expand

The Wachowski Brothers have put together one of the best movies ever (hopefully one of the best until November), and many people don't seem to realise the complexity and sheer imaginative brilliance of a film like this. On of the best films I have seen. I agree on many levels with Brian C. - a person who knows what they're on about.

Ok, first this movie was garbage. The acting was really bad. The plot was pretty much non-existent, and the action scenes(except the drawn-out highway scene) were pretty lame. I was never more bored at a movie ever. Revolutions better be a whole hell of a lot better otherwise this may be one of the worst trilogies ever. The first was good but not great.

Crap crap crap, they tried to hard, all it needed was controllers, just plain ol stupid!!!! but meh the first ones amazing so 3 outta 10.

Extremely disappointing sequel to a very good original. Another example of making money without putting much effort in. Avoid at all costs.

Very dissapointed, expected so much more, especially for the sequel. It had a lot to live up to, and it didnt even compare in the least. I would have given it a lower score but im gonna cut it some flack, if and only if its building up to a great third installment that and the highway scene. but all in all it really sucked.