Mad Times

The Matrix: Revolutions

Third volume in the Wachowski brothers' existential action trilogy. There was a lot of carping and moaning about last summer's Reloaded and about this finale. I understand what people are kvetching about, but really, if it bothers you that much you're taking these movies way too seriously.

There really aren't too many surprises here, but what is here is presented with the same eye for over-the-top visuals and action. The main problem in the movie is that after two other over-the-top movies there's not much space at the top for this one to move into. Billions and billions of Agent Smiths, billions and billions of squids.

The highlights of this movie are all character pieces, though. The little bit acknowledging the new face of the Oracle (Gloria Foster, the actress who played her in the first two films, died and was replaced by Mary Alice). Trinity's part in the standoff in the Merovingian's night club. The awesome job Ian Bliss did playing Bane while posessed by Agent Smith. The very end of the Neo vs. Agent Smith battle. Jada Pinkett Smith's Millenium Falcon chase scene. Colonel Mifune's death scene. I swear I even saw Keanu emote a couple of times as Neo.

Anyway, it's not a masterpiece of the cinematic art, but it was sure fun to watch (2.1 times. I went to the show that started 10 minutes before the one I had a ticket for. I realized this before the previews ended and decided that I could use this like the Omega 13 in Galaxy Quest, so that I could rewind the film by 10 minutes at any one point. I never had occasion to use it, so I just left as the credits rolled and caught the Smith vs. Neo battle again. My second full viewing was on the 6-story-high Boeing IMAX screen at Pacific Science Center. That was fun, but about half-way through the movie I stopped noticing how big the screen was and was just watching the film.)