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Lately, every review I read from you Brad is negative

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"They don't make them like this anymore"

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What are you referring to, to Brad?
 

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Posted by Jim Leko (Member # 1287) on 11-08-2003, 09:04 PM:
 
I enjoyed the movie until the last 5 minutes or so. I just didn't get what happened. The credits started rolling, and I was like "Oh, hell no, you can't end it like that."

On a side note, didn't Trinity say (in the first movie), that the EMP was the only defense they had against the machines? Maybe she forgot about the 4 million rounds of ammo they had.
 

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 11-08-2003, 11:48 PM:
 
I didn`t understand why all their EMPs are on the ships. Shouldn`t they have mobile EMPs (like in "Ocean`s Eleven" ). When they build all the stuff they had, surely they could have had a couple more of these.
The people we saw in the ending were all programs. So they were still in the Matrix, in a happy version. But didn`t Smith say the happy versions didn`t work?
Anyway, even with the threat of the unleashed Smith, how could the machine master (with the floating face like "The Mummy" Imhotep in the sandstorm) agree to freeing everybody when this would have meant they would be out of power?

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It seems setup for another movie, since no many things were left open and unanswered. Since so much money had been made with this popular series of movies, I can't imagine them not continuing it somehow.

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I now understand what exactly Neo did and what happened to him.

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I liked the movie for what it was. But comparing it to the others is like compairing apples to oranges.. Nothing is like the first or the second.. but all three are good for the individual movies that they are.

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I'm sorry, but I really disagree with this point of view very strongly. I can think of a number of movie sequels that did as well as their original and felt like they were a fitting addition to a saga instead of something that just cashed in on the original's coat tails. "The Godfather Part II," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Aliens," "Toy Story 2," "Terminator 2" or even some recent ones like "X2: X-Men United" all felt like they were fully justified in being made. A sequel should live up to the original film, if not surpass it in some way. I think all of the sequels I just mentioned did that. The two Matrix sequels (and many many other sequels of other films out there) feel like Hollywood just cashing in.

The story of "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" is pretty thin, and the ending of "Revolutions" was indeed a let down. For one thing it just didn't make much sense in terms of the character arcs. You have one principal character inexplicably being killed off so the other can be free to assimilate with the machines in a blinding light. It really felt pretty clichéd.

Sure, a lot of the CGI effects were pretty cool. But that is only icing on the cake. You have to have a couple layers of cake foundation for the thing to be a successful film. The Wachowski Brothers reportedly spent over 270 days filming the two sequels. I think a lot more work should have gone into the writing and developmental stages.

For example, look at the tremendous work done by Pixar on all their films. Those guys really work out all the kinks in a story to make it work. They literally work for years honing in the screenplay before anything gets animated at all. They understand you have to feel something for the characters and they often succeed and entertaining an audience and making them laugh. On top of that you can tell the work done at Pixar is literally a labor of love on their part. The joy they feel for what they do shows in the quality of their work. Pixar puts in lots of extra effort instead of just going through the motions (which is exactly how the Matrix sequels felt). It's a shame the work ethic of Pixar cannot seem to be copied by lots of other film studios.
 

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 11-09-2003, 02:53 AM:
 
If you mention Pixar, please don`t forget to also mention Aardman. I think their work is among the greatest in animation.
 

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Posted by Daniel Wright (Member # 1983) on 11-09-2003, 10:18 AM:
 
It was nothing but philsophy followed by explosions and flying body parts followed by more new age drivel, more explosions and more new age drivel.
 

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Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 11-09-2003, 01:37 PM:
 
The fact that you are referring to new age as drivel, only points out that this movie was never meant for you. It was meant for drivelous people only.

I liked this much better the second time around, even though the sdds mix was pure crap, and the aperture place was not the right one for this theater, and the image was aimed too high on the screen, and the automasking was set all the way to the side to expose.... oh who cares? the manager didn't. He just looked at me like I was insane! really it was that he had no clue what I was talking about.

Stupid megaplex!

Dave
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-09-2003, 09:00 PM:
 
11/09/2003, 1:05PM, Regal Cinema World 8, Eugene OR, house #3, SR-D. Attendance around 75. No notable presentation flaws -- looked and sounded great. Who woulda thunk it -- A chain-operated multiplex with good presentation!

I loved the pretty pictures and the great sound. I don't get the philosophical mumbo jumbo though. I don't have enough brainpower left at my advanced age to process this much thought-provoking material. But the visual and aural stimuli was enough to satisfy me.
 

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Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 11-09-2003, 09:09 PM:
 
The wife and I just saw this and thought it was Taaa-rific.
I like movies that leave me asking questions. It gives my brain something to work on.
Excellent finish to the trilogy
Hugo Weaving (agent Smith) deserves an oscar for his demonic character presentation, after he absorbs The Oracle
 

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Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 11-09-2003, 09:16 PM:
 

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and the image was aimed too high on the screen, and...

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I noticed that here, too. It seems to be another of those pictures that has everyone's heads crammed right up to the frame line. Trying to adjust for it didn't do much good.
 

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Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 11-09-2003, 10:11 PM:
 
Speaking of the framing, was this movie composed for "opening up the top and bottom" in the super35 frame some for the IMAX version? Has anyone seen the IMAX version that can verify if the IMAX version is "opened up at the top and bottom" compared to the 35mm version, or is it cropped on the sides, or a mixture of the two from scene to scene?

I noticed that like the previous Matrix movie, tops of heads were cropped in close-ups in many scenes.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-09-2003, 10:31 PM:
 
Now that you mention it, I noticed the tight headroom too. Judging from the letterboxed trailer for "Return of the King" the booth had the framing spot-on.
 

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Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 11-09-2003, 11:09 PM:
 
[quote]Speaking of the framing, was this movie composed for "opening up the top and bottom" in the super35 frame some for the IMAX version? {/quote]

I can only assume the IMAX version will be the same as the last MATRIX film. Hard matted for the full (or close to) AR of the 35mm presentation.
 

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Posted by Brett Garten (Member # 1996) on 11-10-2003, 03:13 AM:
 
First post from this new fish from Oz!

The first Matrix was written before Assassins, the Wachowski's big break, so there was plenty of time to hone the script before production. Reloaded and Revolutions went into pre-production without finished scripts. All of the cast committed befopre seeing the scripts.

BTW, does anyone know about the Larry/Lana Wachowski controversy.
 

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Posted by Dennis M Dow Jr (Member # 1970) on 11-11-2003, 12:04 AM:
 
Saw this movie and enjoyed it a great deal... the ending was not what I expected and seemed to leave room for another sequel... I feel that if people missed Reloaded they will have a hard time understanding this as it references things brought up in it.

Overall I would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars....

First one is still the best of the bunch
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-14-2003, 04:07 AM:
 
Don't miss this review...

The Matrix Revolutions is boring and shitty

(includes spoilers)
 

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Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 11-14-2003, 09:49 AM:
 
I'm pretty sure now, that there are two versions of this film. I'm glad our local 10 plex got the good version on it's 3 screens!

 

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Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 11-16-2003, 04:42 PM:
 
I believe that this is not the end. A third movie will be made. I refuse to believe that this was the third movie. Perhaps a directors cut will make is more confusing and convoluted and long.

Dave
 

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Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 11-16-2003, 11:43 PM:
 
Brad,

That link is one of the funniest things I've seen in MONTHS.

Thanks for providing such a great link!!
 

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Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 11-18-2003, 06:47 PM:
 
I am reviewing the Imax version of the film. It is matted on the top and the bottom to approximate the 35mm. The image is steady and very clean. Every pore on Lawrence Fishburne's face and the makeup on Keanu Reeves were crystal clear. Sound is excellent, with very very active surrounds. I am guessing that the sound is the same as the 35mm version.

New Imax branding trailer is really good. Makes it seem like you are going to experience something really special. Nice!

Imax Nascar 3-D should be amazing! It's coming someday.

The usual excellent presentation from the Marcus Imax crew, but the knee banging count went up 3 because IT'S TOO DARK IN THERE. And, you might want to check the HF section of the right channel speaker. It just didn't sound right during the pre-show explanation. There is so much noise in this film, I couldn't isolate the right channel during the film, so I can't confirm my suspicion, but I've heard that pre-show enough now after, what is it, 5 years now!

Ticket price is $9 for all shows...about $3 above matinee prices and about $1 more than evening. I don't mind paying extra for a film that looks this good.

OK...this movie is really bad. I didn't care about the characters or what happened to them. Looked like everyone was just going through the motions.

To me, the movie has 5 parts.

Part 1---RipOff the First Matrix
Hey, we had a lobby shooting in the first film, lets do it again and this time some will be UPSIDE DOWN!! OOOOOOOHHHHH! (And when that one guy "goes berserk", doesn't he sound just like Rod Serling?)

Part 2 --- RipOff Starship Troopers and Aliens
Military guys fighting an endless supply of "bugs". Guys in mechanical suits shooting the "bugs". Young recruit saves all!

Part 3 --- RipOff Zotoichi and Love Story
Nothin' here a blind samurai can't fix. And love means you never have to say much of anything at all.

Part 4 --- RipOff Tron
The MCP lives again!!! Shades of Blue Thunder in how it arrived in the frame.

Part 5 --- RipOff every Western ever made
Showdown at high noon...in the rain...the pouring rain...lots of rain...it never stopped raining...very very wet.

"And as our hero rides off into the sunset" Say, who was that man...I wanted to thank him. Hey, let's make the closing theme sound like Carmina Burana!

Some other notes:
During the first 15 minutes, there is a chase scene...the music sounds remarkably like string leadup to the Jetson's Theme.

When Neo and Trinity fly above the "storm", the clouds looked like the clouds at the start of Columbia films.

Best part of this Matrix picture was, as always, Hugo Weaving's marvelous reading of "Mr. Anderson".

The presentation was great...the film really sucked. That about says it!
 

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Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 11-22-2003, 12:24 AM:
 
finally saw it on a Thursday because some theater managers told me that Matrix was dropping so badly they were moving it to the non digital small auditoriums this weekend.

Not as boring as I expected since I found Reloaded dull. But the movie makes a lot of Reloaded pretty much either redundant or irrelevant. It should have just been one sequel combining the best parts of both movies. All the freaking psychological babble just went on too long in both sequels. And biggest sin of the franchise sequels is that when I watch the original now, I can't take ANY of the characters seriously anymore. Most scifi movies have logic problems. However, I will hold this to a higher standard because it is one pretentious slow paced crapola. And what is the point of the freaking ending? Is he dead? Or is he just going to another loop and a 7th or whatever Neo will emerge. If so, where is the emotional investment in the character needed to sustain THREE freaking movies. And why can't the machines just program a fantasy that the Zion people are indeed rebelling reducing the need for the human pods to escape. Or was that the point- the whole trilogy being a fantasy for the human pods? What was the point of that Indian girl? THat whole Indian subplot leads nowhere. She is a freaking program anyway. So who cares.

Even if the battle scenes were good, at some point, you want something more diverse than just sentinels all the time. It was just like watching starship troopers.

And the cinematography was not that good. Too many closeups of characters cutting off foreheads way too many times(This is a recent trend in movies, very annoying and it is to make it look better for home video). The cinematography was also murkier than it had to be at times.

The scene where Neo goes to the whoever he was (the sentinels make a formation of a face). That was like an old sci fi movie FX and looked kind of cheesy.

It really boils down to this
1) Some good scenes, and good ideas.
2) However , two sequels one sequel too many creating so much bloat that the good ideas get lost in a sea of many.
3) Dull Dialogue being the worst sin making the good ideas seem pretentious and we end up holding them to a higher standard.
4) Morpheus is a total joke in the sequels. Not as big a joke in Revolutions, but you can't really forget him from Reloaded. He really becomes quite a pitiful figure in this installment that you really feel bad for him.

Typical dialogue in the sequels:
Curious Person like Neo: Where is it?
Oracle or Morpheus Like Person: Where is What?
Neo: It.
Oracle: You know where.
Neo: No, I don't know.
Oracle: Yes you do. Just think.
Neo: what if I can't.
Oracle: It will be whatever you want it to be.
Neo: Huh? Whoa!

Pravin: AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

[ 11-22-2003, 03:29 AM: Message edited by: Pravin Ratnam ]
 

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Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 11-22-2003, 12:54 AM:
 

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Where do they get their food? where do they get gun powder and bullets? Where do they get there energy? Where do they get their water? How do they know how to use and or build all the crap they have? why do they have that many weapons in zion?

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