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3 More MATRIX RELOADED Reviews Appear Online... One ain't so hot... The other is kinda! & one is a Rave!
Hey folks, Harry here... Well, lest I leave you this weekend with only the soiled panties of Neill Cumpston's crotchmuffin... I'd never do that to you. Instead I've got two new reviews of MATRIX RELOADED to fry that brain of yours. Now, while Neill was apparently made a 3 foot indentation in a brick wall with his skull while writing his review, both of these reviews are far more sober than his. In fact, both are a let-down a bit. The first is a link to Ronald Epstein and his HomeTheaterForum.com. Now you may recall that Ron ends up giving the near the first review of just about every Hollywood spectacle down the pike over the years. He seems really put off that the story seemed to take such a radical back door to action. For example:
"The story is no longer thought-provoking. You no longer care for its characters and the thus, the film no longer reaches out to your emotions. The film just seems to drag on for the entire first hour, looking more like a Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome entry than a sci-fi flick, with long stretches of dialogue that seem to go on forever."For the rest of his review, click on that link above, meanwhile our own pirate of the silver screen, Captain Morgan got in, and while his jaw was cracked on the ground, he said the experience of seeing this one was... well, just not up the the standard of that first MATRIX experience. The following is spoiler-free....
Hello,
I imagine that your site will be innundated with RELOADED reviews over the course of the next few weeks (exhibitor screenings are proliferating across the country). I figured I'd drop you a line before the overkill settles in. I will keep my views concerning this badass extravaganza relatively succinct (and spoiler-free) due to the fact that I have to meet some pals for an X2 matinee in a little bit.
In a nutshell, THE MATRIX RELOADED delivers on pretty much every level. Everything you could want in an ass-kicking summer juggernaut is on display. It is the proverbial exception to the rule that all Hollywood event movies that are released between May and August have to be safe, routine, formulaic, derivative, and bastardized. It really is a thing of beauty to witness the aesthetic evolution of the Wachowski brothers. With RELOADED, they've turned badass cinema into an art form.
That being said, I'd like to state for the record that as jaw-droppingly cool as the middle installment is, seeing the original MATRIX for the first time was a more memorable experience. We were all stoked to see the first one in 1999 after the succession of cool promotional materials came out, but I think I speak for the majority when I say that we were blindsided by how imaginatively kickass it was to experience the phenomenon for the first time. The thrill in discovering that filmwas something special indeed. It was inevitable that sequels would follow and that expectations would be astronomical. Even though RELOADED's visual effects and action sequences are light years ahead of what we saw in part one, the first one is adorned with a magic and an essence that is nearly impossible to duplicate. That's merely my personal opinion; I'm sure there will be an innumerable amount of people who feel that this is above and beyond what was introduced in the first installment.
RELOADED is an absolute blast from beginning to end, but there are two segments of it in particular that are the apotheosis of badass filmmaking: the burly brawl and the freeway chase. It boggles the mind to think about the amount of time, energy, and resources that were dedicated toward crafting these two scenes into the brilliant spectacles that they are. The glimpses of these two scenes in the trailers don't even scratch the surface of how mickey frickin' amazing they are to witness on the big screen. The visual ingenuity of these scenes are the stuff of badass legend.
Neo? Fucking untouchable. When the WB finally makes the new SUPERMAN, the creative team will find that they have a tough act to follow (re: flying). Keanu is the shit, no question about it. Morpheus? Stoic, insightful, idealistic...with a genuine pair of cojones; Fishburne is a god. Trinity? Arguably the best kick-ass female character since Sigourney Weaver's Ripley. The beautiful Moss also brings a lot of depth and emotion to the milieu. The supporting characters are all fine as well, with Jada being the standout. The action scenes are exhilirating and polished, but in the respites between the carnage a lot of philosophical and metaphysical topics are pondered.
A few reservations: a lot of stuff is left intentionally vague and/or convoluted, presumably because RELOADED and REVOLUTIONS are basically a continuum. Also, the cliffhanger ending was a little anticlimactic (it didn't induce goose bumps, a la Neo soaring into the sky after giving the Matrix the admonition). And, as much as I relished the evil coolness of the twins, their role in the grand scheme of the film is brief and maybe a little inconsequential. By the same token, as cool as it was to see Hugo Weaving back as Agent Smith, the character didn't have a whole lot to do other than initiate the burly brawl and set up some hinted-at developments in REVOLUTIONS. Minor gripes, mind you, that are predicated due to the astronomical expectations.
Like I said before, it delivers on pretty much every level and it does a great job of expanding the mythology that was introduced in the first one. Above everything else, RELOADED proves, beyond the slightest shadow of a doubt, that the Wachowskis are the real deal. As much as I can't wait to see REVOLUTIONS, I'm even more excited to see what they do post-MATRIX. We should all feel fortunate and appreciative that there are, in fact, some people in Hollywood who have the balls to make a cerebral, badass (ie R-rated) spectacle like this during the summer when the standard we've become accustomed to is lame, focus group-driven crap that opens huge and suffers 60% drops at the box office in each successive week before it vanishes. Thank you, Andy and Larry, and thank you Warner Bros.
Any doubt that you may have had about whether or not 2003 is the year of the Matrix should officially be jettisoned. After you see RELOADED, remind yourself that November is only six short months away.
-Captain Morgan \~/Hey folks, honk honk, harry here with Rufus T Firefly, aoooogah... and he's got a real juicy and mainly spoiler free, though he tells more than the above review! Here ya go...
[Hey, guys, if you use this call me Rufus T. Firefly]
I got a chance to catch a little indie flick this morning at the beautiful Angelika in Dallas, called "The Matrix:Reloaded". If you don't care about plot or any details just know this:
*This movie kicks ass
*It will probably confuse the hell out of a lot of people
I read Neill's review and he pretty much nailed how I felt when I walked out of this one. This movie is a monster. I love movies like this: as soon as you walk out of it, you end up discussing it with your friends for the next three hours.
The plot is simple: In the real world, sentinels are approaching Zion. A lot of sentinels, like 250,000, "one for every man, woman and child in Zion". There's this commander with a real stick up his ass who thinks that every ship should be pulled back to defend this city. Morpheus, of course, thinks that this is not necessary, because Neo is the one who can save them all. There's this old council dude (oh yeah, apparently the city is governed by a council of elders) who allows Morpheus to take his ship to broadcast depth, because Neo has finally been contacted once again by the oracle. Morpheus believes that she will tell Neo how to end the war.
Of course, that would be waaaaay too easy. Once Neo meets with the oracle, he encounters Agent Smith, who has "been set free". In other words, he no longer is bound to follow any orders from the Matrix mainframe, or whatever. Apparently, when an agent fucks up or dies like Smith did in the first movie, he is supposed to be deleted. Instead of allowing this to happen, Smith "disobeyed orders" and ran off. Smith can also copy himself by sticking his hands into someone else, and out pops another Smith. His whole purpose now is to kill Neo, purely for revenge.
So, after Neo fights 100 agent Smiths and kicks their asses, he does what the oracle tells him: He must find the Key Maker, another former program of the Matrix who is being held by yet ANOTHER former program of the Matrix. It seems that there are a lot of programs that should have been deleted, but they managed to evade destruction by the agents.
Morpheus, Trinity, and Neo go to find this rogue program (I forgot his name, but he's the french dude) and suprise suprise, he doesn't want to give up the Key Maker. (By the way, what this guy can do with a slice of pie I can only dream of! You'll see.) So, this is where the big car chase ensues, with lots of bullets and swords and exploding 18 wheelers, as the three heroes try to get the Key Maker out of harm's way.
Then it gets complicated.
I don't want to spoil any suprises, but there is a point in the third act where Neo learns the answer to everything, and this is where I said FUUUUUUCK. This is a pretty shocking twist, but it will probably end up confusing people. Then there is yet another kick ass action sequence, and then the movie brings you to a jarring halt with "TO BE CONCLUDED".
The action scenes are better than anything you can imagine. I was a little sad to see the twins have so little screen time, but it's a minor gripe. They spend a lot of time setting up Zion, which was cool, because it really helps to expand the whole "Matrix" universe. Just when it seems there is too much exposition going on, we get jolted to another awesome fighting scene.
My only other gripe is that I sat through 5 minutes of closing credits to see 2 minutes of footage from Revolutions, but I still can't wait for November...
Rufus T. Firefly
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Wow, a real review!
Much better than the cumdumpsters review...
can't wait for this movie -
supdawg
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Hello,
Can't wait, then don't go into banks. Hee hee. Matrix will screen at the Chabou Science Center here in Oakland this weekend. Five bucks.
I look forward to seeing the visual volume, ratcheted up and set to fifteen.
Happy Birthday, Bill Blackbeard, comic strip preservationist.
See you at the (Grand Lake) Theatre. -
Please check www.chabotspace.org
for more information.
The Grand Lake Theatre is found at www.rrfilms.com -
Here is what he said in his review of Ron Howard's The Grinch:
There aren't many films that I would call BRILLIANT, however, I find absolutely no
flaws with THE GRINCH. It is absolutely the Wizard of Oz of our generation,
as it will ultimately become a classic that will be remembered for generations ahead of us.
It is fantasy perfection that you so seldom see refined like this.
Wizard of Oz indeed.
I could see the other review being accurate and is line with my expectation. Reloaded/Revolutions will be one of the greatest action films of all time, but will lack the magic of The Matrix. -
Now this is better. Better than Neil Cumstain. I can read this without disdain at the attempt at lame humor. This is a better attempt at what a review should be. Hope this movie delivers, looks like it does. Seein' X2 tonight so fuck all.
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I've been waiting on the edge of my seat to see what Johnny Mnemonic is going to do next! But why is Elrond in it and dressed as one of the Blues Brothers? Perhaps he'll be fighting Illinois Nazis with his Elven magic? Or perhaps preaching about Scientology? (It is Elrond *Hubbard*, right?) Matrix Reloaded = Johnny Mnemonic + Lord of the Rings + Blues Brothers + Battlefield Earth -- a winning combination for sure!
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a pre-screener.. so how do i? is there a way... or do i need to be special?
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I thought May would never get here... after RELOADED I'm sure it will seem like a looong wait for November.
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May 02, 2003 7:42:45 PM CDT
This is the movie that will make X2...look like the fucking Cabb
by kaws
You know this to be so.
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I knew the number one thing people would say about the new Matrix is that "it was too talky" and it "dragged for the first hour." How did I predict this like Nostra-fucking-Damus? Because the first Matrix was very talky and the first hour was all setup. AND I KNEW PEOPLE WOULD FORGET THIS AND JUST REMEMBER BULLET TIME MATRIX 1!! Of course the too talky dragging first hour of Matrix 1 is some of the most literate sci-fi I've ever seen. I mean literate + entrtaining, they usually don't go together this well. I love this quote: "it looked more like a Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome entry than a sci-fi flick, with long stretches of dialogue that seem to go on forever." HAHAHAHA. Ummm, yeah Mad Max was a post-apocalyptic film annnnnd so was Mad Max, oh and Mad Max was sci-fi, so to say it looked more like a Mad Max flick than sci-fi makes you uhhh dumb. BUT everyone feels more special when they're the first NEGTIVE OPION on the movie everyone else is going to love. Not and educated opinion, but an attention-getting opinion. I can just imagine guys like this waking up early on the day of the screeing, getting all excited to NOT LIKE it. Then showing up and fulfilling their own expectations of themselves being correct from the first "dissapointing" moment to the last. I'm sure those that watched the Matrix sometime in the last month will fare better than those that remember the trailer moments from the first and base their opinion of this one in comparison to that. TALK AWAY WACHOWSKI'S TALK AWAY!
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Okay, About That Matrix Reloaded Review;
First of all, I respect differences of opinions, that's the way life is.
You made some points that I would like to address
1. Hard To Figure Out What's Going On.
2. Not Very Many Caucasians
3. Reloaded Imitating Itself
First of all, this film is does not stand on its own, it cannot do so, it's the middle act of a trilogy of films. It's not going to tie up the loose ends for you. That's not how it works. You mentioned the first film being a neat little box, well, that was the first film. You gripe about the same old HOllywood Shtick and then you cite how this film is not as neatly packaged as the first one. Hollywood brings you neatly packaged movies, the Wachowskis do not. There is no box to put them in or label to give. And that endless dialogue is called exposition. You say you dislike action taking the place of story but when there is story/dialogue/exposition you gripe about that as well. What do you want?
Imitating itself? Now this is the most ridiculous point I have read yet. The Matrix invented bullet time, why should they "try something else" as you put it? Bullet time is apart of the matrix world, I would imagine it would be less Matrix without it. Why would they not continue to use their own invention? It's like Verizon dropping their cellular service because, well, "It's been don enough already". Ridiculous. Speaking of "trying something else" did you really watch "The Burly Brawl"? Do you know about how they did the highway chase scene? Well if that's not "trying something else" than I do not know what is. That statement is hollow and void of any merit.
Last but not least the caucasian comment. Who the hell cares how many [or not] caucasians are in the city of Zion? Why would it matter soo much to you that you would comment about it? That comment seemed so ignorant and juvenile I barely brought myself to address it with you here. Seems to me that you may have some issues with race.
I've been reviewing films for sometime and at this point have never read a review so amateur and self-centered. And by the way, the name is NEO, not NERO.
J.M. Prater -
Reviewer hated Matrix reloaded, but his opinion isn't valid cuz he liked [insert some bad movie here]. I trust Ron a hell of a lot more than Kneel CumDumpster. And how do we know Ron's review wasn't just satire?
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in theory anyway... that the film is DESIGNED to be one gigantic extended action sequence. It really is the middle part of one long movie.
The beginning is actually the post-epilogue of part one.
Then the action sequence.
Then part III continues said action sequence for the first third or so until the storyline arc to the conlcusion kicks in.
It is a bold conceptual move. -
People who think that the Matrix and the X series are not on the same level really need to get their head on straight. The Matrix isn't some non-commercial hi-art that is super inventive. These guys took ideas from DBZ, Jet-Li and every other thing that was cool, put it in another package and now you guppies are eating it up like it's Lord of the Rings or something classic. The Matrix is guilty on so many fronts for the same things all you stuck up bitches here complain about. Yet some derivative black leather movie starring Keanu of all people, sporting a soundtrack full of trendmaster rockers get sucked-off like a circus seal. You guys suck.
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Can anyone on this site spell properly? Does anyone understand the use of punctuation in the English language? Capt. Morgan got most of it right, but then Harry and everyone else just fucked it up. It's disheartening that most fans of this movie are below a middle school reading level.
Bring on Bad Actors and Derivative Plots! Huzzah! -
Mills, Madoo, Habib, Hugsy, FRND,
Highlander, DonJuan, SeanMoney, Smokedemon!!! The Matrix is all around us. We need not compare X2 and The Matrix. Please stop. -
Mr. Ron E.
I, like others, respect everyone's opinion about a film. However when it comes to yours i must say you're credibility has just dropped 30 points. First of all, Thomas Anderson's hacker name is "NEO" not "NERO". For someone who has such a strong opinion, its nice to know you pay such close attention to the movies. And of course the caucasion statement. To be honest with you, reading such ignorance makes me laugh. And i really shouldn't even waste my energy discussing it. But i would just like to simply state that before you bring up race in a critique, you really should take a good look at yourself first. Because all you're doing is revealing to the world how dumb you must be. Such as the situation here.
If you where watching the movie (which obviously you weren't), then you'd see the lead, our hero being...surprise white. The one who saves all of humanity and gets the top dollar is white. Trinity is white. The villians are also white. And you know what? It doesn't matter. Nor does it matter what color the people are in the city of Zion. So this whole "no caucasions in the future.." is crap and obsurd.
I find it funny how people such as yourself add little comments like this when it comes from your own narrow perspective, but never do i hear you say "where are the black people in Star Wars? or do hispanics not exist on Middle Earth of Lord of Rings?" I only hope that people like you don't ever gain actual power, for if it is so, everyone would be in a world of hurt. -
Some verifications on if these guys actually watched the movie. I mean, I've noticed that the negative reviews seem to be posted as a weird form of flame bait. I'll only believe reviews made after the official release, thank you. BTW, I still haven't been swayed away from seeing Matrix: Reloaded. If that was the mission, then Mission: Failed. Try and catch me, BIIAATTCCHH!
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May 02, 2003 11:29:13 PM CDT
More looking forward to 'The Second Renaissance Part Two'...
by workshed
Part One was terrific stuff. I would rather have seen a feature length version of this. TRULY STUNNING !!!
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Am I alone thinking that Matrix was ordinary? No new ideas, they were all borrowed from 15 year old SF novels, Keanu said "whoa" a lot, the action was good, but so was the action in a lot of movies. The bullet thing was okay. But I really didn't give a shit if Keanu was the one or not. I mean, if he wasn't, then why are we watching a movie about Keanu and not the one, and if he was, then why was the one such a dipshit? And what on Earth made Fishburn think Keanu was the one in the first place? Sure I'll go and see the sequels. I went and saw End of Days at the cinema for god's sake, and at least after the Matrix 2 qnd 3 I probably won't feel like I was a victim of thievery. So that's the best thing I can say about the Matrix - I didn't feel like I was ripped off! And how many movies can you say that about these days?! Hmmm? Yeeees.
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Actually, here's where you can find a coherent thought about the Reloaded from a professional who respects the review embargo. Spoiler free: http://www.thehotbutton.com/today/hot.button/index.html
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Everybody knows it. Reloaded is all effects and no life.
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May 03, 2003 2:24:08 AM CDT
The only way this could touch X2 is if Rob Schneider had replace
by jules windex
You can go to David Poland's site for a highly positive Reloaded review. Me? I smell a superficially cool, yet soulless "epic" on the horizon. But at least it'll be better than The Hulk or T3.
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May 03, 2003 2:33:40 AM CDT
WHY THE WACHOWSKI BROTHERS SHOULD BE SCARED TO DEATH BECAUSE QUI
by t-mack 1.01
Look, the Wachowski's, Joel Silver, and the fucks at Warner Brothers have royaly fucked us over. And by the way, after four years of anticipation, I am pissed that this upcoming Matrix film will suck, because 2003 is the year of the Mutants. First, if the story is not as complicated, philosophical, and mind-bending as the first, most people will not even bother to go back for repeat viewings. Also, we have to wait another GRUELING SIX months to watch these Revolutios because the bastards at the WB don't want to capatalize on the summer Box Office. Just imagine the money they'd rake in after people see Revolutions and then want to go back for seconds with Reloaded. Finally, Joel Silver is an asshole, and will neer work again. His gay ass 'Halloween' fils willdie, and Village Roadshow will go down with it. He's been saying, "We're going to change the world with these movies." "The bar has been raised so high, blah, blah, blah." God damnit , these are all lies. These reviews point to DISAPPOINTMENT all across the board. Sorry, I was looking forward to Relaoded too, but the facts present themselves. The Wachowski's have pulled a George Lucas.
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...if the review is positive, it's good, but if it's negative, the reviewer essentially doesn't know what he's talking about?
Um, people, we haven't even seen the film yet. Many people here are calling Ron E. an idiot just because he didn't get all glowy over the film.
If it sucks, it sucks. No injustice to humanity. -
I have to say that I am not really a fan of Ron Epstein. I don't agree with him most of the time and i think he didn't even wanted to review Fight Club because it was so bad....hm
on Minority Report:
"One of the biggest problems with this film is the fact that Spielberg attempted to give it a
very soft-focused look that is intertwined with scenes that are colorless and highly over-contrast.
This look quickly becomes very tiresome to the eyes. What's worse, is the abundant amount of film
grain that is evident from film start to finish. I have never seen a film look this grainy. Why
Spielberg wanted this film to look this way is beyond me."
okay.... maybe Ron isn't the perfect review, but you have to say that his points are valid... infact he adressed things that i feared Matrix:Reloaded would suffer from.
So give Mr. Epstein a pause...you just have to be nice to the guy who runs www.hometheaterfroum.com .
Naturally I hope Epstein is wrong...wrong...wrong about Matrix:Reloaded -
Yep you read it here first, I like boys. Oh and the martix sucked too, I would much rather have watched All That Jazz.
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Fuck you if you say it isn't so. The Matrix fuckin'ruled bitches and Reloaded wil rule even hardr.X-men 2 Was also fuckin' great,, so was LOTR, so was Spider-man, so were the Blade movies, and so will Hulk be, and T3 of course. Stop bitchin'!!
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its official now: matrix < x-men!
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May 03, 2003 8:24:30 AM CDT
Oh how I love watching the dipshits scramble for excuses when so
by atticus finch
Face it, The Shitrix:Retarded is going to suck. Save yourself the heartache and just go see X2 again.
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I've been a member over at the Home Theater Forum for a while, and although I give Ron props for managing such a cool board, his reviews have almost always been dead wrong. You see, the guy is not much of a film lover. He's more interested in the technology than the actual films. Also, well, he just doesn't have very good taste. I'm not worried. The problem with most Geeks is that they build up films with a level of anticipation that can never be matched by the final product. Just go to the fuckin' movie and enjoy it for what it is, a kick-ass stylish action film. Just be glad we have cool films like this in the age of THE REAL CANCUN and LESBO MCGUIRE MOVIE.
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Now I haven
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Reviews aren't "wrong", they're just opinions. I've been a member over at HTF for quite a while myself, and Ron (who has ALWAYS taken pains to point out he's not a professional reviewer, just a regular guy who's getting the chance to see some films early) is no more "right" or "wrong" than any other reviewer on the planet. He's not the AntiGeek (he raved over FotR, TTT, & Spidey, 3 films much-admired in these parts), this one just didn't work for him so much. So we've now got 4 reviews with different levels of enthusiasm. Sounds like every other film ever released. So to all you whiners out there - stop bashing a review (and reviewer) of a film you haven't even seen yet. Wait two weeks, and make up your own damn minds. BTW, I had the opportunity to meet Ron a couple of years ago. He's a cool guy and doesn't deserve the shit being flung at him by the cretins here. But then, almost no one (including Harry) does. I guess that's what you get when you give a nation of Comic Book Guys the opportunity to post anonymously on the Internet. And with that, puny humans, I'm off to the 31st Century to deliver the news!
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and will make a shitload of money.
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Good action, but some of the plot twists are whack. Yes, there is a scene where most all of the questions are answered and the magic number of "6" is revealed. Oh, also, Trinity uses "ssh" (secure telnet) in the power plant scene to do something all hackers dream of. Anything else I can say? Its worth seeing it but this movie lost the forumla of the original. I honestly thought Morpheous was a huge leader of resistance but we learn that he is nothing more another ship captain.
Want the entire synopsis? There is one here (but I warn you that it gives everything away--its not my writting though). http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=62964&cid=5868862 -
R-O-G-U-E. rouge (pronounced ROOJ) is the French word for blush, a reddish powder or cream that women and drag queens put on their cheeks. Got it?
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May 03, 2003 1:17:15 PM CDT
Wouldn't Agent Smith be HAPPY and THANKFUL that Neo "set him fre
by uncle sam
I mean, what's with this revenge bullshit? Agent Smith no longer has to follow orders given by the Matrix a.i., so shouldn't he be glad that he doesn't have to hunt down humans anymore? Anyway, at least they brought him back for the sequel... - I WANT YOU, but not in that way.
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That first reviewer is an idiot, has he seen the first film. What a fool. How can the fact that there are few caucasians be worth mentioning for any other reason than a positive. What a prick. Zion is meant to be 200 years ahead of now, what a fool. The way the world is, we will all be non-white. It's called breading, What a prick. I did start to read with an open mind but when such stoopid racism rears it's ugly head i just look away.
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...in which Anna Paquin reprises her role from The Piano alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi in an all-singing, all-dancing sci-fi adventure detailing the oubursts of one rogue program in the matrix, locked in a deperate bid to get a foothold in the world of Hollywood. Onanism at its most extreme, this is one for the narcissists.------------------------------------------------------ Since discovering this site a year ago I have given up all hope of ever being even pleasantly surprised by any movie. I wish I could stop myself logging in every day...
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Does this mean eating fried food with breadcrumb coating will change my skin color? Weird.
Ohhhhhh . . Breeding. I see. Sorry. -
Trinity is revealed to be an agent.
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God damn its annoying to hear this guy boast about the Matrix sequels. Have you heard this moron??? I can understand he's a producer, but come on...dont go over the top bullshitting. He says no one will ever equal the effects in Matrix or some crap like that. Dumb ass moron thinks no one can top the Matrx??? What a stupid statment...thats like if in the late 70's the CEO of Atari had said that no one would ever surpass the Atari 2600...doesnt this idiot realize techology will progress and advance further???? He talks about the effects being sooo advanced yet half the shots I've seen look fake...especially the scene with the agent jumping on cars on the freeway.
I'll wait till this filth come out on DVD -
Again, I think people are being too fanatical about this. The "Matrix is the best movie ever!!!" comments are bound to disappoint the poster.
I thought Matrix was a fun little action flick, but it wasn't my favorite sci-fi movie of all time - it wasn't even my favorite of 1999.
That said, I'll be there to see Reloaded on Wednesday, May 14, because I'm curious to see what they'll do with it.
But with the hype it has, and the expectations, I won't be surprised if people label it a "TPM-sized disappointment." After all, much of Matrix 1's appeal came from the fact that people were disappointed with Episode I. -
Look... the reason why Agent Smith is on a revenge path is because somehow Neo has become part of this code. Agent Smith is no longer needed by the Matrix so as a program he has two choices: it can face destruction or it can hide. Agent Smith is doing the latter but causing massive amount of havoc in the process. Similarly, the french imformation pedler, the Oracle, and the keymaker are also all exiled programs just doing what their "purpose" is. Yes, purpose is a big part of the movie. Any more questions? I'll answer them as best as I understood the movie.
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well, i have been reading all the hype, and bull shit other people have been saying to pass the time while i wait for the matrix reloaded to come out, and i gotta say all those people who say its gonna suck go out hire a crew of talented actors (well, keauna but give him the credit) and an excellent crew of producers and stunt peolpe and ect. ect. and spend 300 million dollars and make two kick ass sequals, or if you don't go choke on your moms godamm dick. like fuck! you people have nothing better to do but say "oh, its gonna suck, x-men two is way better" well, i'll be fucked! i saw x-men two last night, lets say what a lame ass ending, sure wolverine kicked ass and blah blah, and ice-dude wanted to stuff rouges power draining pussy, but hell! how many godamn movies ripped the first godamn matrix off with bulle time? or slow mo? the cameras all the way around the acotr move? no doubt the matrix opened up a whole new godamn window for all those cheesie-jack- off- to- friday- night- gay-porn producers who just want to make a good movie by ripping off the wachowski brothers. so, one more thing THE HULK IS GAY. so gay, unbelievly gay. and yeah charlie angels would only be a good movie if the angels were naked all the time. so, all the people who don't belive the movie will be good, shut the hell up and just don't watch the movie, oh, and choke on a dick! ok farewell.
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May 03, 2003 7:42:55 PM CDT
if it called "breading" then why is the Pillsbury dough boy all
by silent_light
...it's a conspiracy....
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I liked the first Matrix movie and can
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While it's true that Neill Cumpston's review could've been lifted by reading the back cover of a DVD, all of the things he says are true, at least sequentially. I got to see Reloaded as part of a taping for the MTV show "Movie House". They made us wait for about 4 hours in the Warner Brothers Parking garage, out in the rain and inside a huge soundstage. We had to go through no less than TWO sets of metal detectors. No backpacks or electronic equipment were alowed inside. And we got some neat "Matrix code outlining the shape of a key" tee shirts. So finally, after a bunch of warm-up bullshit, the movie begins. No trailers, just that green WB logo on the black storm clouds. Matrix code streams down. (stop reading now cause I'm gonna ruin THE WHOLE DAMN MOVIE FOR YOU) From the opening logo on out, the most unoriginal, uninspired sequel that has ever shot down my expectations played out. Yes, everything Neill said happened, in the order he said. But before I go into any depth on this movie, I want to make it clear that I was pretty biased coming into Reloaded. So, I'd like to take a moment to poll everyone and let me know what they think about the following... At the end of the first Matrix, Neo could stop bullets by putting his hand up! He could dive into Agents and make them explode! He could fly! He could come back from the dead, even! Now then... In Reloaded, we are treated to Neo FIGHTING 100 AGENT SMITHS WITH A POLE (as you all know from the trailers). Umm...maybe it's just me, but if he can put his hand up and stop 100 bullets in the lobby where he fights the Merovingian's henchman (the people with the weapons on the staircase)...well why the hell can't he just put his hand up and stop 100 Agent Smiths as well??? Of course the fight with 100 Agent Smiths LOOKS COOL...but I'm sorry, I just don't view it as a worthy successor to the action of the first Matrix. If Reloaded was a stand-alone movie the Wachowskis had done, sure, I'd be slobbering too. It looks really great (except for a few really bad CGI Neo moments). The best parts of the fight, to me, were when Neo would slam the fuck out of a copied Agent Smith and the sucker would go flying up into a building 200 feet away and bounce off a window sill. LOL The 100 Agent Smiths scene, while looking really great and making me wonder how the hell they accomplished it, was just a bunch of chocolate candy with no real substance. I was realy bored most of this movie. What do you all think? Also...if Neo can get killed and come back to life, where is there any danger inherent in fighting ANYONE in the Matrix? Oh crap, I just got shot the fuck up! Ooop! Now I'm resurrected! When you end a movie like they ended the first one, the stakes have to be that much bigger in a sequel. Maybe spend some more time in the real world, fighting stuff you AREN'T prepared for. How about a raid on the humans-in-pods battery plant? Neo has to destroy the Matrix, free everyone and then they have to actually get those millions of people to Zion somehow...while something that makes Sentinels look like Gameboys enters the melee??? The car chase scene is neat-o in most parts, but whenever Morpheus and Agent Johnson are on top of the semi duking it out, the backgrounds look so horribly Playstation 2. Am I crazy or could they have green screen projected some actual highway footage for this??? Trinity heading into oncoming traffic on the motorcycle was badass. Morpheus with a sword and an uzi reminded me of Snake-eyes from G.I. Joe. I suppose I should talk about the characters now... Neo. Keanu hasn't so much learned to act, as the Wachowskis keep him quiet and pensive. Harry Knowles was right in his review of the original Matrix way back when. The sunglasses help hide bad facial expressions. Eyes are the windows of the soul, and nobody would be convinced if they saw Keanu's blank stare while delivering the Wachowskis' dialogue. But of course, a LOT of the dialogue is weak (especially this time around). The actors do their best, but shit Brothers Wachowski...you got enough money...pull in somebody to help out with something that, to me, is more important that Neo hitting a bunch of CGI with a pole! Anyway, they up Neo's powers a bit, but they don't take it all the way. Maybe they're saving up for the third one, but fuck that. A sequel, a the very least, should be twice as good as its predecessor. That would mean Revolutions should be off the chart compared to the first Matrix. Yeah, that may sound like a tall order, but shit man, look at the brilliance of the first film. The framing, the SFX, the concepts (although lifted from many sources such as religion, anime, kung-fu films, etc.) Trinity. She gets to kick ass of course, but I was really bored by her hitting cops with her helmet and fighting the Agent in the hallway (they even reused her infamous freezing in the air crane-style kung-fu kick). She was relegated to heroine in distress, and that's bullshit for someone such as herself. They tried to have a neat little moment where he brought her back from the dead the same way she brought him in the first one. The idea of pulling a bullet out of her chest like plucking ice from a cup of water was great. Him jump-starting her heart by squeezing it was great also. But I just wasn't compelled. Of COURSE she ain't gonna die! Fuck man, don't expect me to be on the edge of my seat when I know that Carrie-Anne Moss' name is in the credits of Revolutions!!! Morpheus. He gets to have a Sparticus speech to the gathered masses of Zion (looking hella buff in the real world...he must do isometrics while piloting the Neb). It was slightly rousing, but shit how I wanted him to say something about humans touching and warmth and feeling and emotion and closeness being the opposite of being a machine. That would've been a better transition into the Neo/Trinity sex scene (which really conveyed a sense of hunger on both of their behalfs). They really play up Morpheus possibly being crazy and the prophesy being a buncha bullshit (as expressed by Captain Lock, who Niobe left Morpheus for). One thing I gotta note about the Wachowskis is how they take classically shat-upon groups like lesbians and blacks and give them strong, empowering roles. The lesbians in "Bound" don't apologize for what they are and what they do. And the black people in the Matrix are often smart and hard-working and WELL-SPOKEN. Tank, Dozer, Morpheus, Lock, Link, Niobe, Zee...they're all just regular people who happen to have black skin. Morpheus is, to me, one of the single-greatest black role models in the history of cinema. Intelligent, suave, not a womanizer, doesn't swill 40 ounces or talk in slang. I had never really thought about the symbolism inherent in Morpheus breaking the chains in the first Matrix when the Agents are trying to hack into his mind in the government building. Now, after that black-empowerment speech of mine, I do have to say that both Niobe and Link were mis-/underused. Now, they're still fleshed out and not racial stereotypes. They're just movie convention stereotypes (ex-girlfriend with an attitude who comes back around and disbelieving comic sidekick). As for Niobe, maybe she'll show back up in Revolutions. Guess we'll just have to play the video game to find out more on her. Harold Perrineau, Jr. as Link just didn't sell the part for me. I didn't buy any of it, he had no emotion. Whenever he gave a little cheer after something dope happened in the world of the Matrix, it just felt SOOO hella third unit. But I gotta say, worst of all, he was there to replace Tank (Marcus Chong had payday conflicts and got his ass booted). What chaps my ass the most is that Zee (Link's girlfriend and sister to the dearly-departed Dozer) says she lost BOTH her brothers to that ship (the Neb) and doesn't want to lose Link. Ummm...time out, Green Bay! Tank was hurt, but alive at the end of the first Matrix! If he died on a mission that happens between it and Reloaded, I'd like to know about it. Has anyone heard if there's going to be an Animatrix that deals with this? The Kid...annoying as shit, useless to the movie, and I suppose it will make more sense once we see the Kid's Animatrix episode. Boy, that's a really stupid name, too. Spoonboy was cool, but "the Kid"??? How generic is that??? And no, people, the Kid does NOT fight Neo. He doesn't even plug into the Matrix. He just stumbles around, acting badly, and irritating the shit out of me. Agent Smith. Now, I talked about the fight, but not about his character. He's been freed. Somehow, during getting blown up, a bit of Neo got imprinted on him. Something copied or rewritten. But he is no longer an Agent. He's a free agent, pun intended. So, he's got his own agenda. I don't even remember why he wanted to kill Neo still, I was so bored. It just felt like...hell, people loved Smith...gotta put him back in! People loved Agent Smith and he was badass. Sooo...let's put in ONE HUNDRED AGENT SMITHS! And he'll be ONE HUNDRED TIMES as badass!!! It all just felt so forced and contrived and like a buncha popcorn eater bullshit! Don't get me wrong...I love Agent Smith as much as you guys do. If Hugo Weaving had've made it into the X-Men trilogy as well as the Matrix and Lord of the Rings series, I wouldn't hesitate to call him the most brilliant actor (from a business standpoint) in the entire universe. But enough is enough. Also, I just thought about this. It's a problem that's bothered me with Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man (a character in X-Men who spent most of his time on the team X-Factor)... What happened to the other 99 Agent Smiths? At the end of the fight, they all walk away. But where do they go? Some, but not all, of them show up in a hallway sequence near the end of the film. But what I'm really wondering is...are they exact copies that have their own motivations? Cause then they wouldn't want to die either. It was shown that they all have that infection/replication ability, cause three of them start to infect Morpheus in the hallway. So imagine a perfect copy of Doctor Doom. Wouldn't it try to destroy/betray itself??? Moving on to...the new Agents (Johnson and Tompson). They don't have 1/100th the stage persona that Agents Jones and Brown had in the first film. Which, by the way, where did they go? They ran away after Neo blew up Smith in the first Matrix...did they get deleted? These new Agents are more like low-level body builders. I mean, it makes sense they'd up their power and speed, but you don't have to make someone bulky to do that. To paraphrase Morpheus, do you think size would matter in a world such as the Matrix? The Sentinels now spin around and throw bombs at the hovercrafts of the resistance. Yay. How fucking boring. Replace the Sentinels with something that eats them for breakfast, please. The Oracle. The revelation that the Oracle is not human, but a sentient program as well was a neat twist. Too bad Gloria Foster passed away, I'd be really curious to see what else they would've done with her. Turns out that she's the mother of the Matrix, or something. I'll have to watch a key scene again to figure out what's what. Seraph. The Oracle's bodyguard, of sorts. If you can get past him, you MUST be the One. Um, sorry. The fight wasn't that great and Neo could've just jumped into your ass and blew you up. Boring. Move along. The Merovingian. A French bad guy who talks a bunch of nonsense. Basically, he has the Keymaker and isn't letting him go. Also a sentient program from an earlier version of the Matrix. Blah blah blah. He runs away, might be back for the sequel, although I doubt it. Persephone. The Merovingian's wife who betrays him because he cheats on her. This is a good idea gone bad. Programs that become sentient and become more and more human as they become more and more complex. I just didn't care about any of them, though. And then they go and waste a ton of $$$ on CGI of the Matrix code showing a woman's bladder popping, making her have to go pee or something. Either that or the Merovingian gave her an aphrodisiac and she ran off to the bathroom. Now that I think about it, that may have been it. Cause he does retreat away to the bathroom himself or some shit. Bah, move on to his bodyguards, the Twins. The Twins look cool, but all their dialogue is pretty worthless (sadly, there are NO really great quotable lines in this movie, except MAYBE Morpheus' speech about "isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for"). About the Twins...that part where the giant explosion happens on the overpass during the car chase is what's supposed to kill them, but it's unclear whether or not that's what happened. They get blown up into the sky and turn into ghosts. Couldn't really tell if they disapated or not. But even still, damnit! They can turn into GHOSTS! They were shot through, sliced through and punched through by "ghosting out" just before the impact came...so why the hell didn't they just do that when their SUV started flipping over??? And they never explain how the Twins can ghost out. Just that they are from previous versions of the Matrix. The Keymaker. Has found backdoor entries to get to certain locations in the Matrix (as well as bubbles where you can't be detected). He has the key that can get you to the Matrix mainframe, where the idea is that in Revolutions, Neo will fight his biggets challenge and free all human minds from bondage. The Architect. The guy who created the Matrix, now turned into a sentient computer program model of himself that guards the mainframe. I wish they'd explain WHY it was made in the first place, by a human at that! Was it for military training? Erotic fantasies? Anyway, his monologue was really boring and really confusing, and those two go together like peanut butter and chocolate when it comes to making me tune out. But since I'm so big into the world of the Matrix, I'll go to another free screening (be DAMNED if I'll pay to see this) so I can try to make something of all his gobbledy goop. Then there's Zion. Pretty neat how they designed the place. I love the idea of a city deep in the ground where it's still warm, built in a huge cylindrical chamber that has hundreds of crosswalks connecting areas together. But really, the logistics of sewage removal boggled my mind. There's a great little exchange here between Neo and the head Chancellor-type guy about how machines and people are interdependent and how they don't always know how machines work, but there is a reason for them and it all works out in the end (a metaphor for Neo and faith and whatnot). Oh yeah...in Zion, they have these giant robot suits with guns for arms that watch the main gates when hovercraft dock. And oh, how clever...the operator of that robot suit spun his guns and dropped them to his side like a Wild West cowboy. Yee fucking ha. That is so goddamn inane. That in the "real world", having done that 20 million times in your life, you would spin your gun arms like that at that exact moment. Feh! Alright people, I realize that by now, I must sound like a total asshole. Don't get me wrong. You AIN'T gonna find a Matrix fan who knows more about backstory or has thought more about this concept than myself. But goddamnit, I guess that's just the curse of having an active imagination. And just so I'm not totally ragging on this movie, let it be known that I thought there were some BRILLIANT moments. Such as... Neo flying out of the building just as it explodes, pulling a wake of fire behind him. Neo flying into the sky, coming down through the clouds and pulling them after him as well. Generaly, the flying sequences were just plain DOPE! When Neo pulls the wake of cars behind him as he rockets at 2,000 mph through the concrete canyons of the city was phenomenal! When he swoops in to catch Morpheus and the Keymaker just as two semis crash into each other and explode in bullet time was pretty cool also, but hella fake compared to the wake of cars. Oh, and when Neo has to fly from the mountains back to the city...well hell, just how big is the world of the Matrix when you're inside of it? Is it a full world, like Earth? With continents and countries? Are there are stars and the moon in the sky? Cause, if he could, Neo could fly to the moon since "that's not air you're breathing" and rules like gravity don't apply. Why the fuck am I the only one who thinks about all these extrapolations? Shit, someone let ME write some comics, yo! Agent Smith answering the phone and coming out into the real world! This has the single best potential, IMHO...but they squandered it. No scene were Smith talks about what it's like to have human senses and weaknesses and have to breath and eat and whatnot. If he could escape from the Matrix that way, he would be free and have no reason to want to kill Neo. It would have been a great turn of events to have Smith need to join the resistance to stop the machines cause he was now mortal and could die. He'd have information on how to stop Sentinel attacks and take out key strategic points and whatnot. But NOOOO...buncha bullshit instead about Kain (the guy he infected) being taken over by Smith and sabotoging stuff. At the end, they reveal that Neo has powers in the real world as well. Neat twist, but dammit, I like the idea that the Architect proposed instead. The Architect says that even the prophecy of "the One" was made up by the Matrix as a system of control. I've always been keen on the idea that it was all one big lie, one big fantasy cranked out by the Matrix that spun out of control and led to the downfall of the machines. I just love the idea of perfect machines having to create an imperfect fantasy world because humans are imperfect and hence, imperfection leads to chaos and boom, the system fails. Hubris, baby! Alright, I'm basically done bad-mouthing this film except for one last note: how goddamn horrible the soundtrack and the score are. Don Davis' score of the first Matrix basically hasn't left my mp3 player for about four years now. The use of horns and synths just got to me. Horns ALWAYS make songs sound bigger, more epic. And they were just GONE in this score. Hell, even the soundtrack was lame. Yes, we get another Rage Against the Machine song. P.O.D. is on there. The hell? But worst of all, the movie ends with a goddamn DAVE MATTHEWS BAND song!!! Umm...now, I happen to like most of his early stuff (before it all sounded like the same song). But in no way, shape or form does a cyberpunk thriller need to have DAVE MATTHEWS BAND playing at any point! The beauty of the first soundtrack is not only are all the songs dope and make you wanna rock out...but the titles and the lyrics are relevant to the movie as well. "Mindfields" by Prodigy. "Wake Up" by Rage Against the Machine. Etc. Hell, the music (mainly remixes) that use for all the TRAILERS is better. "The Revolution Will be Televised" is a GREAT song. "Chonga Fury" by Juno Reactor in "Final Flight of the Osiris" was a great choice also. But fuck, man! :( To recap: All-in-all...this movie is NOT a worthy successor to the Matrix. I think it's pretty obvious that if you watch the first one, it's a stand-alone story that is just great ending where it does. Much like the first Star Wars. Unfortunately, Reloaded ain't no Empire Strikes Back. So yeah, of course everyone is gonna go see it. And yeah, everyone is gonna rationalize and say "yeah, but the fights were really cool" or "but the flying was dope" or whatever. But that does NOT a good movie make, IMHO. Disappointed and getting ready to "doge this!" from everyone's replies, Derek C. Wallace P.S. If you wait through the credits to see the trailer for Revolutions, be prepared to be disappointed. It's a random series of clips that doesn't really convey what's going to happen. Besides, if you've seen the 2 minute, 30 second trailer for both Reloaded and Revolutions, then you've seen most of the footage already.
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Great fucking review. Best I've read yet.----The movie will not touch the greatness of X2.
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...could you be any more stupid? I'm not kidding. People have their own opinions; you need to get over it.
Personally, I didn't think Matrix was nearly as good as most people did. Guess I'm dumb too, huh?
Oh well. At least I can type. -
"The Matrix" was unlike anything most American filmgoers had ever seen before. That was the crux of its impact. With "The Matrix Reloaded", we have, by definition, seen it before. Even if they come up with all-new effects tricks to match "bullet-time", they'll never match the visceral thrill buttons that the first one hit. It may be every bit as good a movie; hell, it could be better...but the impact of the first can't be duplicated. It's a bit like the original "Star Wars"; Empire only overcame it by going in a radically different, more character-oriented direction. But as the figures show, Empire didn't do nearly as well as "Star Wars". The impact was gone.
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hhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. You heard that shit here first. Its so true that your a jackass to deny it.
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...is that the new Matrix film could quite possibly end up being the most boring film ever made. Judging by the trailer, the entire movie looks to be in slo mo, stop motion. It will be real old by the time the 3rd one comes out this winter.
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I had a feeling the sequels would feel forced.
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Neo, gets unplugged from the Matrix and wakes up to realise it was all a dream. Cue the the song 'i'm late I'm late, for a very important date, no time to say hello goodbye, I'm late I'm late i'm LATE!'
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This is exactly what I expected. People, people, it
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May 04, 2003 1:12:32 PM CDT
"The story takes a back seat to action" but "has long scenes of
by drath
Okay, I don't expect this thing to be as "magical" as the first one and I'm not trying to attack a negative review to a film I think I'm gonna love. To me, these films are glitz and spectacle with an illusion that they are toughtful and deep. But I can see why Hollywood types feel fans don't know what they want when reactions contradict themselves. Either it's gonna have talking, or it's gonna have action. Bitches complained when Star Wars was re-released that the scenes with Ben and Luke were boring. Nevermind that those scenes SET UP the entire mytholog of the series and that maybe it's boring because you've seen it a thousand plus times. If the complaint is that the down time is wasted on clumsy dialogue and bad jokes instead of building up story and character, or that without the action there just isn't much worth watching, then say it that way. I doubt it matters, action and trick shots are what the first one was really all about and that's all the sequels will be about. Hope it'll be as fun to see in a theater as X-Men 2 was. That's all I ask of these summer movies because that's usually the most they can deliver.
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May 04, 2003 1:34:07 PM CDT
For all the people who say bullshit like "It's just a movie"...
by derekwallace79
Anyone else wanna back me up on this? Got similar experiences to share?
So you'll be having a conversation, debate, even a heated argument with someone about a movie. Why did such and such happen, or why didn't they do this, or what if they did that instead? etc. etc. etc.
And then, after TEN FUCKING MINUTES of tossing ideas back and forth, the goddamn weasel will KNOW they're in a corner and they try to use the "it's just a movie" card!!! SHIT, PEOPLE!
GET A BACKBONE YOU INCOMPETENT, VAPID TROGLODYTES!
Either admit defeat, or come up with a better counter. That shit would get your ass booted out of an official debate so fast it would make Wally West miss a step!
And for so-called "ordinary" people who say that to you in video stores or on messages boards like THIS ONE??? Fuck them! FUCK THEM ROYALLY!
Motherfuckers wanna spend hundreds, even THOUSANDS of dollars that they slaved away at some burger joint or cubicle for...assfucks wanna camp out at Mann's Chinese Theater for weeks on end...shitbirds wanna go out with their families, spend 12 BUCKS on a ticket at AMC, grab a tub of popcorn for 5 BUCKS, a soda for 3 BUCKS, chocolate bar for 2 BUCKS, fight to get a good seat but end up in the damn FRONT LEFT CORNER...talk about the film with their coworkers at the water cooler the next day...
BUT SOMEHOW IT'S JUST A MOVIE???
WELL FUCK ALL OF YOU WHO USE THIS COPOUT!!!
Fucking spineless MOUTH-BREATHING high-school dropouts. Go give yourself a 9mm temple and get out of my face in a SERIOUS discussion about the possibilities and limits of America's predominant artform. And yes, it CAN be art, motherfuckers!!!
>panting<
NOT thinking it's "JUST A MOVIE",
Derek C. Wallace -
make that 9mm PIMPLE. D'oh!!!
But the message remains the same! GLORY TO ZION!!!
DW -
Look at yourselves! What causes this behavior? What is the deal with all this inter-franchise rivalries like you all have stock invested in each film? The Matrix will kick X2's ass, ILM sucks, WETA rules....etc. You know how many big blockbuster type summer movies were released back in the 80's? About one per year until about 1989. We're lucky that we have all these big dumb movies to choose from nowadays and all you people can do it stratify yourselves into little franchise based cliques. It's pathetic. Now the first Matrix didn't have one original idea in its entire running time and anyone who thinks that it did is just ignorant of classic sci-fi but it was a fun movie where shit blowed up real good. I'm sure the sequels will be more of the same. So just freaking enjoy all these cool, dumb movies and the next time you get the urge to come on one of these TalkBacks and curse someone out because they don't like "your movie" have a bong hit or something because this horsehit is getting really fucking old.
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I've presented at least a dozen plot holes, inconsistencies, science errors and just flagrant logistical flaws in The Matrix and "It's just a movie" is the only answer I've ever gotten for any of them. But like I said, it's a fun action movie so either enjoy it for what it is or don't.
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I liked The Matrix. It impressed me. Much more than I thought it would. It was smart and intriguing, something the trailers at the time didn't really alude to. That said, I am still baffled as to why everyone views this movie as the Second Coming. As much as I liked it and liked the way it didn't pander to the audience like a lot of sci-fi tends to, I didn't find it more than a cool movie. Ever since, people have declared it the best movie ever and so original and that it completely changed the way we all looked at movies. Yeah, the only thing we've had to gain from it since is that so many people use bullet-time in things nowadays. I mean, it even trickled down into videogames as a selling point (Max Payne, anyone?). The Matrix was a fun action movie with some brains behind it, but it certainly wasn't the genre-topping god that everyone thinks. Star Wars, although culled from various pieces of pulp sci-fi and old movie serials, defined (not redefined, mind you, but defined) the sci-fi fantasy genre. It made it popular and mainstream. Alien came along and incorporated a horror/thriller angle that played up the darkness of space and shadows. Blade Runner stepped in and redefined the way we all look at science fiction and our view of the future. These are movies that significantly changed the genre and stepped it up to what it is today. The Matrix, while cool, doesn't hold up to the same kind of criticism. Yeah, it had good action and terrific special effects. It even made you question a few things about life itself, but it hardly rewrote the genre or film, for that matter. While Reloaded looks like a good action yarn, I've hardly been salivating for the last four years to see it. And while I'll go to see it opening weekend because, well, that's the thing to do, I have the feeling that it will be just another cool sci-fi movie along the ranks of Total Recall. Yeah, it's fun, but it's hardly a new generation's Star Wars.
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I completely understood The Matrix. When the credits rolled opening night, I wasn't confused in the least. The film just didn't intrigue me. Sure, there were the cool moments (even I couldn't help but say "Holy Shit" during the metal detector sequence), but the action really wasn't all that different, and story was something I had seen before in various forms (Dark City, anyone?). Also, the film didn't push the FX envelope; it was very good, yes, but were you amazed thinking "I didn't think that was possible..." like you were with the original Star Wars? So, in the end, you have a good action flick with a clich
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May 04, 2003 2:50:49 PM CDT
Glad you didn't get too pretentious and condescending there, Jam
by sea bass
Again with the fucking franchise rivalries. Lucas sucks, the Wackovia Bros rule, enough already for fuck's sake. And yes, I get the Matrix. I got it when it was an episode of the Twilight Zone, the Star Trek when they were in the old west, The Ghost in the Shell, Yakamura, all the way up to the Terminator. It has more blatent plaigerism in it than all my high school term papers put together. What's funny is that all these pseudo-intellectuals who think this film is so deep can't answer the most basic glaring plot holes and logistical screw ups in the film.
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Anyone who gets this worked up about how awesomely great a movie is before they've even seen it is sort of an idiot.
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May 04, 2003 6:06:52 PM CDT
Jack24Bauer is the SEXIEST TOM-BOY TOILET LICKER ON THE PLANET..
by dirkthedaring
Get a life ass clown!
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here is a typical review from just about any clown who rears their ugly head on this fucked up website: "This movie kicks major ass! This movie fucking blows everything else away. Best movie ever! The plot and acting are fucking awesome! This movie fucking rules!"...I swear, what a bunch of monkeys....oh, and here are some more comments that most of the idiots put out for bored people like myself to read: "The Matrix is the best movie of all time! LOTR rules! The original Star Wars Trilogy is the best! X2 will demolish all comers!" This site is hilarious....
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May 04, 2003 6:32:48 PM CDT
What with all the rogue programs, the Matrix must have been buil
by zinc_chameleon
I just finished cleaning out hidden viruses in a Windows 2000 server using BCWipe 3.0 before I read the reviews. Agent Smith, the Twins, the KeyMaker all running around loose! Actually this is part of Goedel's Uncertainty Theorem applied to computers, so it's not totally clueless. The Matrix must be Microsoft product.
Will it be replaced by an open-source Zion? Does Linux Torvalds get a cameo? Real geeks want to know! -
Sure, you can just write him off as an idiot because he didn't go, "CGI! John-Woo-like Fighting Sequences! How Original and Amazing!" but I've been worried about this series ever since I heard about the use of overused modern plot devices like Computer Viruses and subterranean human cultures that wear African-styled clothes and do nothing but beat on crude drum-like instruments. I will reserve final judgment until I've seen the movie, but I really want to see if they will deal with an issue as "mind-blowing" as the premise in the first. I hear people saying, "There's no surprise that they can possibly pull on us now that the Matrix is exposed, so they should just thrill us with CGI..." and I think it's bullshit. Imagine the possibilities simply wrapped in human nature that could easily be explored and warped against our expectations. They had so much to work with at the end of the first movie. For one, suppose Neo did go teach these humans in the Marix how to fly. That could lead to different splinter groups of humans evolving crazier and crazier abilities and vying for control of the Matrix. All of this could have been explored without beating the "computer virus as villian" horse to death. Not to mention that they seem dead-set on naming everyone with really stupid, pretentious names that echo Greek mythology and biblical concepts...it just gets silly. I suppose my only expectation should be that I will be entertained by this one. I'd rather be both entertained and intellectually challenged, but I may have to settle for what I can get...and that is the biggest shame about these sequels. Once again, judgment is reserved until I actually see the damn thing, but my expecations are guarded.
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The movie looks really good from what I saw from the trailer
10 more days -
Check him out! --- http://www.waxy.org/archive/2003/04/29/star_war.shtml
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well, i have read a bunch of reviews of the matrix from people swearing that they have seen screenings of the matrix, half say awesome effects, awesome kick ass fighting scenes and no story to it, the other half say it tops star wars, all of the above plus story to it, Not episode one, were talking epsiode 4, new hope i think? correct me if iam wrong, so, i will just wait till the 15th like all the good semeritians, and yeah, i will see what the critics think, although half the time they suck a donkeys dick, but, i think it will kick some major ass, what i have seen so far, half of me wants to see a sequal that has a good story and kick ass effects, the other half wants to see neo kick the fuck out of smith, but, i must bid you all farewell and pass the days till the fifteenth
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1. It takes place in a world that's significantlyly LESS interesting that this one. It's either an utterly anonymous city with tall plain buildings and no unique characterisitcs whatsoever, or it's in this grimy little submarine floating in the ooze. Even when they go to the Oracle, for this big important revelation... she's an old lady baking cookies! Were they TRYING to make it as dull as possible? The concept of the Matrix was clever, but it was visually BORRRRRINNNNNNGGG...------------------------------2. The effects were okay but not staggering -- was bullet-time really THAT mind-blowing? It looked good, sure, but was nowhere near as exciting as, say, the Podrace. And the way the camera would circle suddenly-frozen action was actually really ANNOYING: why did it keep doing that? Every time it happened I was like "What? Is the computer breaking? Why is everything stopping? This makes no sense!" And it didn't. It seemed a classic example of having an effect purely to show off. "Look what WE can do!" Not to mention the fact that it was pre-empted by the then-current Gap ads on TV. But even if it hadn't been, it still would've been grating and weird. The special effects in general just weren't that spectacular.---------------------3. Triniy and Neo's love for each other was UTTERLY unbelievable. When she confessed her feelings for him I was like "WHAT? Since when?" They'd exchanged about 10 lines in the whole movie -- or if they didn't, their conversation was so passionless that it felt like it -- and all of a sudden they're in love??? I felt like the writers were like "We need a plot point. I know, make 'em fall in love." It was totally out of left field and jarringly implausible.-------------------4. Maybe the biggest failure of all: I COULDN'T CARE LESS WHAT HAPPENED TO ANY OF THESE PEOPLE. When Morpheus got captured I was totally unmoved. I didn't care if they rescued him, or died trying, or what. Everyone was SOOO chilly and stylized and archetypal that I did not feel a shred of human warmth from any of them.------------------So for me, the movie was profoundly mediocre. They did hit all the points of the Hero's Journey, and various little things were well-executed, but it was nothing special. I really, genuinely felt that about it. That said, at least the new one has that awesome chase scene. I really am looking forward to that. Ditto the hundred Agent Smiths. We'll see how it turns out...
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Thats incredibly true. Excellent way of thinking.
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This kid is THE CHOSEN ONE. He's better than NEO! --- http://www.waxy.org/archive/2003/04/29/star_war.shtml
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May 05, 2003 2:06:21 AM CDT
Since no one responded to what I laid down earlier I'll assume t
by sea bass
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May 05, 2003 2:46:13 AM CDT
I agree. I think that at this point the burdon of proof is on Ja
by sea bass
Because that's the way the wind seems to be blowing.
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I'm tired of everyone saying how the matrix created bullit-time. if youve ever seen the beginning to the Howard Stern Show it has bullit-time photography and its been that way since 1994.I'm not saying Howard created it but it was around loooong before the Matrix used it.
PS Who gives a rats ass about the Matrix...im waiting for the Hulk.
Obidugg -
May 05, 2003 3:53:47 AM CDT
So is the site gonna update or what the fuck? Staring at the sa
by kevin costner
How 'bout something on Pirates Of The Caribbean? Johnny Depp is hilarious when he wants to be.
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Howard Stern mentioned the review of that crazy fuck that posted the Matrix review last week. Howard Stern is such an ignorant idiot that he took it as a legitimate review! The Matrix is going to be awesome but I can't wait for the HULK!!!
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Oh, I get everything about the Matrix, and Neo. I just don't see how everyone can get excited about a kung fu rip-off of Dark City starring a retarded man as the messiah. I mean, you guys weren't cracking up when Keanu said "I know kung fu" or "Whoa" in the same voice as Ted "Theodore" Logan? Or when he was doing backbends? Or when he'd strike a Bruce Lee pose with his eyes glazed, and drool running out the corner of his mouth? Or when everything would switch to computer effects that looked like whey were made on Playstation? Or when he fell madly in love with the girl he'd just met and had hardly spoken to? I enjoyed the Matrix, but only because I left the theater with my sides hurting from laughing.
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Let me get this straight. Just REFERRING to something either obscure or intellectual in a film means that the film is therefore an artistic success of it's own?
So basically, the language of film, the conventions of drama, mean nothing as long as a film's references are sufficiently scholarly? That makes sense to me!
To hell with feeling empathy towards the characters! Damn pacing! Forget about all of that awkward plotting stuff! Who needs any thematic integrity?! BECAUSE WE HAVE GOOD SUBREFERENCES!....Please.
In order for references to actually add something substantive to a work of art, the artist actually has to take an idea and expand upon it, or make an attempt to analyze it. In other words, the reference is not static. Instead it grows or changes.
A poor use of a reference is one that is inert. It's just there to remind the viewer of something without actually saying anything about it or using it in a different way. It doesn't actually demand further examination. Basically, it's a lazy attempt to fake meaning without actually working to achieve meaning. It's like the difference in being able to recognize someone is speaking Japanese and actually understanding and being able to reply to what they are saying.
Anyone who claims the Matrix is somehow profound and rigorously intellectual, please, give me any instances of a dynamic subreference. Where did the Matrix integrate a philosophical idea into the story in a way that analyzes, comments on, or expands on that philosophy? I'm challenging you to find one............. -
''R-O-G-U-E. rouge (pronounced ROOJ) is the French word for blush, a reddish powder or cream that women and drag queens put on their cheeks. Got it?''
aaaa , no , the french word ''rouge'' means red
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Tell me your plot inconsistancies and I'll put up more of an argumen than "it's just a movie" So far I've been able to explain them pretty well.
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Ok, here's one for you...Let's take the Oracle. She was an old lady in greek mythology that gave out advise and was believed to know the future. She sat on a tripod, she was an old lady, she sniffed the fumes of the earth *hot springs*, has a sign in greek that says *know thyself*
Matrix Oracle
Old lady, breathes in fumes before advising them *cigarette, cookies* sits on a tripod. There are many more similarities between the two, but those are the only ones i can think of at the top of my head. -
Look up the 17th century French philosopher Rene Descartes. Look up Brain-In-Vat. Dumb ass. That philosophical idea was expanded.
We farm animals for energy, A.I. farms us for energy, moral debate on sustaining life by farming upon other life is expanded. Human are the cows that provide steak and milk for the A.I. now.
As for the use mythology, Western idea of resurrection had been explored with the Eastern idea of reincarnation. Western idea of born saviour had been intertwined with Eastern idea of a hero's becoming through the paths he chooses. Wstern idea of prophesy with Eastern idea of fate. Etc.
I can go on forever, but you probably won't get it. So I am just going to stop here, and not waste anymore time on you. -
Trinity has been watching Neo way before the movie begins. Listen to what Cypher said to Trinity at the beginning of the movie. And do you even understand why they call it bullet-time? The visuals didn't stop, time is running from a bullet's perspective. How else can you show they move that fast? Just dodge-dodge-dodge and no bullets hit them? Is that a better visualization? And what? You'd rather Oracle looked just like what you had expected? When Neo died, did I cry? No one would, but so what? Were you expecting he'd die? Were you expecting a resurrection? Were you expecting Oracle's " maybe in your next life " to come true? Were you expecting that Trinity knows Neo will die, and that her sadness towards admitting Neo is The One came from the fact that she loves him but had thought that Neo would die after the revolution? Watch it one more time and see how all the details are wroked in and how everything fall in place.------
Please, we all know who will win the Pod Race. I don't see how exciting that is. -
Just seen The Matrix Reloaded (thought was just clever hollywood gimmick title but has real depth when the plot is revealed.... more on this later)...only my first viewing so forgive me if some things I point out may be incorrect...
so, what's bad? the "action"...which for majority was flat and felt "dead"...why? my opinion is way too much CGI (and when you can tell it's CGI, that's bad CGI) and too little "real world" wire-fu which made the first one so stand out. Compare for instance ANY fight scene in Matrix (eg Dojo, Wetwall fight, Subway) and it way outshines any in Reloaded (only the brief, possibly pointless, fight between Neo and Seraph as well as Trinity's fight with the Agents remotely resembles the raw essense of first film).
The so-called rave scene is not as bad as people make it out to be...it serves to demonstrate people struggling against the odds and have such faith to "party on" despite impending doom (coz the "One" will save them?)ok, Morpheus speech was corny but kinda necessary as he gave one of realism filled with hope (vs what the Commander whom would have prefered to hide the worst)..
what's good? as it turns out, plenty! Just when I thought, "Groan, is it going to be one after another CGI action sequences?" the W Brothers goes and proves to us why they are one of the premier filmakers around (granted they have to date only 3 films to their name ;P)...The sheer scale of the story towards the end...was..breath-taking...so much so I came out stunned....I must admit it took me next few hours to think things through plus help of discussions to realise where this story was going...which of course blew me away even more (and yes, making it an instant must-see-again)
SPOILERS ahead: it's been well discussed in this forum so I will try not to repeat everything pointed out..
My "conclusion" from this movie is the "real world" is not really but only exists as a sub (or parallel) programme to the Matrix...SO Zion was created to cater for the 1% of population whom would reject The Matrix otherwise, resulting in excessive "crop loss" which would have made the Computers try to salvage them..Thus these people continue to "live on" in Zion believing themselves to be free but in reality they are all still attached to the same system and utilised as batteries too. (this also explains why Smith could transport himself into the "real world" since it's only another programme anyway)
However, in creating this system, an anomaly (ie bug) has arisen which the Architect (ie programmer) tries as he does cannot get rid of....this anomaly is Neo....instead he realizes the way to rid of it is to set up this elaborate "destiny" for him to run its cycle and bring it back to The Source where his programme is recycled back in (ie bug fixed) and the entire programme ( I believe this includes both The Matrix and Zion....how else do you explain how they maintain The Matrix in the late 90's/00's despite all this apparently taking place hundreds of years in future? ) is reloaded (hence the clever title). So to help this along, programmes like The Oracle (yes she is "one of the bad guys" so to speak) and Keymaker are created...all to bring Neo to the Architect seemingly oon his own free will but (as Merovingon pointed out) it is not of course...What he did do different this time is instead of going into the Source Door and save humanity (the alleged 21 survivors of Zion to rebuild again but in reality a reload), he chose the Matrix Door in order to save Humanity and thus dooming all mankind since this anomaly will wreck the entire programme (inc Zion programme presumably) in time and destroy every last human....
BUT! the catch is in performing this new, unexpected action the anomaly ie Neo is now changed as a result and for the first time is able to perceive Zion as also being a programme (eg disabling the Sentinels)...for the first time possibly the Computers are truly scared (since they were obviously not at end of first movie since this is all going according to plan and has already happenened 5 previous times...) of what he could do..
Many theories abound of many things.....which of course can only be resolved in Revolutions...but we can always speculate ;)
Since it is all a programme...how do we know what the real world is like at all??? Maybe there is no real world left? Maybe it is still a paradise? It could easily be Aliens are controlling the Matrix etc...However this would be a cop-out and I believe the W Brothers will not do that to us....
how to end this movie? a happy Hollywood ending with humans all being awaken by Neo and defeating the machines? a sad cynical we are all still and will be forever stuck in the Matrix/Zion/programme? A Happyish ending is most probable BUT as has been pointed out, one of main 3 will probably die...or rather the one theory I favour the most is Neo is NOT human and as such will realise he is only a programme himself set up by the Architect to deal with the anomaly to enable reloading the system and ironically though designed (like the Oracle) to help enslave humans, ends up (due to love for Trinity) saving them and in doing so, making himself as a programme obsolete...
One probable outcome is one that Machines are not as -
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