Revolution? No Blindingly Obvious! (Matrix Revolutions (DVD))

Member Name: English Lady

Product:	Matrix Revolutions (DVD)
Date:	20/10/04 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: wraps up loose ends, Amazing effects

Disadvantages: wooden acting, not a "complete" film

Love and war are often illustrated together. War is bloody, horrific and a waste of life. Love is the opposite of that. It is the start of life.

Throughout history love has been pictured on the background of war. Romeo and Juliet, Captain Correlli’s Mandolin and The English Patient are all films/books that come to mind when you think of this stark contrast. Now you can add Matrix revolutions to that list.

Ok first off folks a real significant warning. Do not even attempt to watch this film if you’ve not seen The Matrix or Matrix Reloaded. You will be totally lost. I have a mind which is sieve like. Only big bits of information get stuck in it so I spent a lot of this film trying to remember what had happened in reloaded and then assimilating that knowledge into watching Revolutions.

In fact if you didn’t see this film in the cinema, wait for its video/DVD release and rent The Matrix and Matrix reloaded at the same time and watch them in close succession. To be honest I think that was how the Wachowski brothers wanted this trilogy to be seen. Altogether in one massive 6 hour(ish) movie. Reloaded and Revolutions are definitely one massive movie split awkwardly in to two separate films and as a single stand alone film Revolutions would just not work.

So let’s recap. Neo (Keanu Reeves) was once just a normal, everyday working fella with a darker hacker side to him. Once He met Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) however he was sucked from this average humdrum existence in the Matrix to an exciting, evil fighting life outside the machine created Matrix. Through many trials and tribulations Neo finds out he is the prophesied One. The one to protect Zion and to release all humans into the freedom of the real world.

Mr Smith is a programme. He is sent out to quash anyone in the Matrix who is not playing by the computers rules. Apparently Neo destroys him at the end of the first movie but we find Mr Smith mutating at an alarming rate in Reloaded. Neo has to save Zion again much to the disbelief of many Zionites. Morpheus never stops believeing in him and the same can be said of Trinity. Both would give their lives willingly for Neo. The oracle tells Neo he has to find the keymaker and has to confront the villainous Merovinghian (also known as The French Man) to do this. Neo gets the keymaker and therefore the key but at the end of that movie he finds out a lot about himself and his nature and right at the end of this film Neo falls into a coma.

Just by reading that last paragraph you can tell Reloaded was an unfinished movie. The Matrix is the introduction. Matrix reloaded is the main content with explanations of characters and plot and Revolutions is the kick ass battle filled conclusion. Well at least it should be!

So I’ve finally got there folks this is where we actually get to the beginning of Revolutions and it really is disappointing and confusing. It took me a long while to get orientated, to remember where we were up to and to put things into context. Once I managed this however I settled into the story well and followed the action easily.

Neo is in a coma. He’s lost out there somewhere between the machine world and the Matrix. He is in fact in a train station. Waiting. He meets a lovely family there who (very helpfully) explain to him where he is and why they are all there. They are waiting for the train to take them away from the Matrix. The man is sending his daughter to the oracle because he knows it is best for her but will not be going himself. Neo struggles to understand how he can let his little girl go but the man explains that the love inside him enables him to do anything for the wellbeing of his dearly beloved daughter. This folks is a pivotal scene. Remember it as the film progresses and it will help you really see the point of this whole trilogy.

Whilst Neo is busy waiting Trinity (Carrie Anne Moss) and Morpheus are busy looking for him. A trip to the Oracle tells them that once again Neos fate is held by The French Man and they will have to get past him to rescue him. Trinity’s willingness to sacrifice everything, even her own life for love of Neo leads to Neos rescue and release. Another visit to the Oracle leaves him with some difficult choices and whilst others struggle with the challenge of getting back to Zion to help hold back the sentinel attack Neo disappears off to do some thinking. He makes his decision and as always Trinity will go with him wherever he may go. Even if it is likely they will never come back alive. Many people make sacrifices to allow Neo to follow his decision and I think this makes a very valid point about how all our decisions effect others not just ourselves.

It is no surprise that there is a massive battle scene towards the end of this film and it is also no surprise that many acts of bravery are executed in the attempt to protect Zion but I refuse to tell you how it all turns out. That you must find out for yourself.

This film ties up all the loose ends and pulls them altogether. I really enjoyed it but it is nowhere near as impressive as the original Matrix but then that film was so unique, so different than anything that came before; that it was going to be hard to beat! The storyline is twisting and turning and does take a bit of following. This is not a mindless action movie but it is not likely to give you massive brain ache either.

What really irks me is the acting (or lack of it) but the main characters. Trinity and Neo are meant to be head over heels in love but only once in the whole film did I see a scene that showed me any kind of passion between the two lovers. You will know the scene when you see it; it may be one of the most touching scenes from the whole trilogy of films. It really is a shame as I can imagine that two people with decent acting skills could really pump a lot of life into this last film instead it ends up lack lustre and well pretty damn weak as an ending.

The computer animation is amazing. I mean breath-takingly so. Any scenes involving the scary octopus like sentinels had my jaw gaping in awe. The battle scenes were fantastic but I did find the fight scenes between Smith and Neo to be just a little bit disappointing. There was nothing fresh there; nothing new it was all old hat.

The soundtrack works well mostly except for one scene which has this weird trance/techno music over it which just grated on me. The scene was weak in the first place but the music just made it even weaker! I wouldn't go out and purchase the soundtrack on it's own but then none of the music used really would be classed as my cup of cocoa(I don't like tea!)

I find it difficault to rate this film. I really enjoyed it and I loved the deeper meanings underlying the storyline and wooden acting BUT the execution of this film left me feeling unsatisfied. I want to rave about this film but sadly I cannot. I want to say it was an experience. It was but, as Simon Cowell Might say, A distinctly average one!
You can pick p the DVD t Amazon for £15.49 and copies of the DVD are going for around £8 on Ebay.

Love and War. Complete opposites but so alike and often blended. This film is like Love one minute and war the next. One moment you will adore it and the next you will want to shoot it dead. For me the love conquered in the end but only just!

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