A movie review unloaded: The Matrix Reloaded

Note: No spoilers ahead

I could subtitle this blog entry as "I brag therefore I am". But that would be only half the story. It should be "I brag therefore I am a very luck guy with a girlfriend who owns a small business which is soon to be advertising at the local movie theater and hence I got a very special treat tonight". Well I've said it now so I guess I wont have to say much more. Oh, the special treat? Yeah, it was tickets to a "friends and family" preview of "The Matrix Reloaded" at our local movie theater.

Now I'm not going to be so cruel as to give an spoilers about what is in the much awaited sequel, if you really wanted a spoiler or two you would probably have hunted them down by now. However I will say this, if you can get past the first 30 minutes or so which is set mostly in Zion, then those who were big fans of the first movie will not be disappointed. Those of you who haven't seen the first movie will be totally confused, but will enjoy the effects none the less but do yourself a favour, rent "The Matrix" and watch it first.

Yes you'll see the same trademark bullet-time shots a plenty, but they will go so far beyond the original usage your jaw will, or should be dropping all over again. Mine was. Just when you're thinking okay this is another Neo vs. Agent Smith(s) fight, it steps up a notch and another, and another, and another until you're wondering how it will all end. On occassion you can feel the audience getting ready to start laughing it gets so insane. And a couple of times even the movie characters give a little Spock-like grin that indeed, they had just witness something "interesting".

Yes the parts of the movie outside of the Matrix are for the most part slow, mundane or cheesy, but I'd say the same was true of the original. I'd hoped that the brothers might have been able to make the sequel and completely avoided that part of the story. Fortunately the non-matrix stuff is mostly frontloaded, mostly to explain the whole Zion sub-plot that was never really explained in the original movie. Now that the saving of Zion is the focus of the story I guess it was inevitable more time would be devoted to it in this movie.

But I would say the spectacular effects, stunning fight scenes, and yet more philosophical discussions between the ever terse "I know Kung Fu!" Neo and more garillous characters more than make up for the slow start. I really can't wait to see how they filmed some of the scenes. There's also a good deal of humour in there, but its quite natural and not at all like the movies where characters inappropriately drop out of character to make a joke with the audience. And there's some subliminal humour in there too, probably more than I caught on a first viewing. Eagle eyed Bush haters will love the brothers dig at Bush being included among the montage of mankind's evil scurges. Blink and you'll miss it!

Residents of Oakland and Alameda, California will get a kick out of seeing their home towns and streets on the big screen. Driving through the tube will never be the same, and finally I know what that big explosion I saw on the Alameda Matrix set was! Damn those guys did some amazing work on that fake freeway they built!

Oh and I should mention the surprise twist at the end (I wont say any more other than its a surprise) will leave you drop jawed and begging for the concluding sequel. Fortunately we only have to wait until November to see it which isn't too bad - unlike the several years between "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" which was certainly the last time I was this anxious to see a sequel! So if you feel the least bit envious that I got to see the movie on 5.13 insted of 5.15 just bare in mind, its just another two days I have to spend waiting for the final episode. And I can tell you I'm a darn sight more anxious to see this final episode than Star Wars!

Get ready to "Free your mind" and enjoy the movie!