‘Matrix: Reloaded’ Has Been Leaving

 Moviegoers Both Awed And Frustrated

Sequels very rarely live up to the standard set by their predecessors, though there are enough exceptions (The Godfather, Part II, The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek II and Toy Story 2, come to mind) to give us hope (false or otherwise) each time the latest blockbuster follow-up hits the multiplex. The Matrix: Reloaded, which debuted in mid-May with a bang and has since garnered over $230 million at the box office, is the latest celluloid hopeful to take on the formidable heavyweight opponent of its first film’s legacy. So, what’s the outcome?

Let’s just say it’s a draw... for now.

Anyone who has read any of my columns should know how much I loathe the idea of giving away key plot points or ruining the ending of a movie, but it’s difficult to tackle my ambivalence about Reloaded without mentioning that it ends on a cliffhanger. There, I’ve said it (it also helps that the film has been out a couple of weeks so I don’t feel quite so bad). The movie is left so wide open at its conclusion that it is difficult to fairly judge its success or failure as a worthy follow-up to The Matrix.

All that is immediately clear is many moviegoers’ frustration that they have to wait another film for the story “to be concluded,” even though said finale is but a scant few months away (the third installment, The Matrix: Revolutions, will be released this November). But the passionate response of the audience (whether joyously in favor of the deepening mythos of film or riotously upset with its truncated ending) is a testament to the assured storytelling approach of writer-director tandem Andy and Larry Wachowski.

Since The Wachowski Brothers first released The Matrix in 1999, when it wowed and surprised audiences with its challenging story (life is but a dream, posited by malevolent machines who are keeping humanity hostage as a docile energy source) and breathtaking visual effects (overshadowing George Lucas’ return to the scene with the Star Wars saga is no small feat), it has only enhanced its reputation as one of the best sci-fi flicks of all time and perhaps one of the most influential films of the last 25 years.

Now The Wachowski Brothers have returned to this world with Reloaded, which continues the tale of the chosen one, Neo (Keanu Reeves), who leads the human rebels in their fight against their machine oppressors. Also returning for this go-round is mentor Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), arch nemesis Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), who has developed some new, interesting abilities, and love interest Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss), who haunts Neo’s dreams as he foresees an ominous fate for his beloved.

As top-flight entertainment, it’s difficult to think of any other recent film that exhibits the type of glossy showmanship as Reloaded. There are several, set-piece action sequences that are designed to simply mesmerize the audience into a murmuring chorus of “Oh, wow!” and “No way!” and “You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me!” However, unlike the first film, which, even years later, boasts sequences that hold up to intense scrutiny and still maintain the sense of discovery and awe they initially held, there are a few moments within Reloaded in which the elaborate reach of the filmmakers actually draws us out of their meticulously created world.

Whenever they dip into their bag of CGI tricks and use virtual action doubles (which, to their credit, they use sparingly, but to my memory never used in the first film), it drew me right out of being immersed in that imaginary world being depicted on screen and instead drew my attention to “the man behind the curtain.” There’s no doubting the ambition of The Wachowski Brothers, who continue to push and expand the literary and religious references within their Matrix universe, but the final verdict on this film cannot be cast until the final installment arrives.

The Matrix: Reloaded is rated R for sci-fi violence, profanity, and some sexual situations.