The Matrix Reloaded

Reloaded is a completely different film than the first Matrix. It seems as if it wasn’t even made by the Wachowskis, but rather by James Cameron in cooperation with Paul W.S. Anderson. Cameron is brought to mind by the bombastic set design in Zion, Anderson by some of the excessively digitalized visual effects (Neo’s face during the fight with the Smiths is a bad joke). The content is for nothing – whereas the previous film’s dialogue got its charm from the interesting idea of a parallel world, the dialogue here just messes around with words in a pseudo-intellectual way. The fistfights combined with the exotic techno soundtrack are very elegant and all the action on the highway is fantastic. And the nice costumes and detached humor (Frenchman Lambert Wilson and his vaginoscopy) are also pleasing. Beyond that, however, The Matrix Reloaded is just a synthetic formalistic diversion and fashion bubble. (20/05/2003)

In my day, I grossly underestimated the film, or rather overestimated it. I searched within it for more than a perfect post-cultural encyclopedia, richly overwhelmed with meanings and inspirations, narcissistic in its visual beauty. That was a mistake. The Matrix Reloaded can only be enjoyed if you accept it in this lightly coated yet childishly honest position. Years later, I saw a film that seemed to contain within it all the beauty (narrative, thought, visual) of all the magnificent epic works of fantasy. It's a real imaginative charge, unbridled by any self-criticism, guided only by a love of pop culture as a whole, and also by an excellent idea that turns the first film into a fairy-tale coloring book. Reloaded is a more mature but no less stimulating experience. What was encoded in Star Wars for generations before that, the Wachowskis offer in the cinematic language of the new millennium. I sincerely feel sorry for those who do not appreciate it – the most conspiratorial feeling of a person who feels at home in a green world. (25/01/2004)

I remember the second Matrix film as something that disappointed me, because part of the promotion was, among other things, a strong targeting of Monica Bellucci, who really can't be the main reason to see Matrix Reloaded. However, in retrospect, it is not that much worse than the first film. It's just that the party time at the beginning still seems so inorganic. Especially considering how Neo and Trinity's relationship is written like it was out of a fairy tale. (05/07/2020)

If you are willing to endure tons of logical and illogical wannabe profound nonsense, you can expect a fairly solid film that offers a lot, especially in terms of visuals. Excellent action, where, in my opinion, there is practically no blood, but I can accept this fact comfortably given the exceptional style of the film. The shooting scenes are fantastically filmed (something similar can perhaps only be done by Michael Bay and Michael Mann), and last but not least, the fantastic sound and music mix deserves praised. The screenplay is relatively solid and the performances are quite decent for action sci-fi. At times I was bothered by the excessive amount of visual effects (the fight with Smith, the ending), but that can be overlooked. Stylish and innovative entertainment. (28/02/2006)

The rating applies to the entire trilogy. Regardless of whether the Wachowskis had planned only one film or the entire saga, the resulting triptych is incredibly complex and brilliant. Even though Reloaded has several parts that pissed me off (the beginning in Sion, the way the characters figure out what to do next, Neo as cool Superman), the shift from the first part is so radical that the quality bar didn’t drop too much. Technically, it’s just as awesome, but content-wise it’s somewhere else. How you’ll relate to Reloaded it’s entirely up to you, either you will accept that shift or you won’t, and the film says that very subtly several times – have you you decided – now it’s only up to understand that decision. (22/08/2010)