Matrix Revolutions

The Matrix Trilogy must be one of the most significant films of our time, and is likely to go down as an all time sci-fi classic along with the likes of Blade Runner. It is obviously laden with symbology fished from a variety of sources, but I wonder if the Watchowski brothers realised just exactly how powerful a metaphor for our reality they were creating.

The central premise that our lives are not 'real' but are steeped in illusion in order that our life force may be fed upon whilst we are enfenced unwittingly like cattle - this is a relevant and powerful message on many levels. It can easily be seen that this is true on a superficial level, with the rampant rise of ultra-aggressive capitalist consumerism, whereby everyone is 'sold a dream' in order to siphon off all income to profit the few, but it goes deeper than that, and can be used to catch a glimpse of some ideas on the true nature of reality. The overlap with material such as Castaneda is remarkable, with stories about the archetypal predator who is invisible, and feeds on us because he has 'given us his mind'. In all, it is a striking metaphor for the human condition.

Of course the great thing is that, even if you don't want to explore things to those levels, taken at surface value as a piece of entertainment, the Matrix is still a fantastic sci-fi/action trilogy, with colourful characters, awesome visuals, and a solid original plotline. Taken as a trilogy, this is a fantastic piece of film-making artwork, though for me, this third episode is the weakest of the three, as the story gradually dissolves into excessive desperate violence, so for that reason I give it 4 stars. But don't get me wrong, it is still a very strong film and beats many other modern sci-fi efforts hands down. It just has a very high level of expectation to live up to, given the beginning of the trilogy.

After reading all the negative reviews, and skipping out on its appearance at the local multiplex, I finally got a chance to sit down and view Revolutions in the comfort of my own home after receiving the DVD as a birthday gift. Naturally, before even pressing play, I had a negative feeling about the film, and was somewhat skeptical as to what the Wachowski brothers were gonna throw my way.

However, after viewing it, and letting it sink in a bit, I must say that the film is far better than I expected. Mostly due to the pacing, which is much swifter than the middle installment. While the 2nd film seemed to get caught up in its on existential and spiritual hokeyness, this film seemed to be quite a bit more balls to the wall action and straightforward in terms of plot. Again, the acting leaves a lot to be desired (did anyone buy into Neo and Trinity's 'love'?), and there was the occasional talky nonsense, particularly in the scenes with the 'new' oracle. But the Battle for Zion makes up for most of it, as does the final confrontation with Agent Smith. I must say though, the ending leaves open quite a few questions and is somewhat open ended... but again, would you expect anything less?

Watching this is equivalent to being served my own excrement on a dinner plate. Cold. And a few days old.