The Matrix Revolutions Movie Review

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

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Written by: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers)
Directed by: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers)
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett Smith, Monica Bellucci
Rated: R
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Plot
In the conclusion to The Matrix trilogy, the human city of Zion defends itself against the massive invasion of the machines as Neo fights to end the war with the machines while also opposing the rogue Agent Smith who wishes to destroy both worlds.

Verdict
The only reasons to watch this movie is because it concludes a trilogy. I wouldn't have watched even then but the second movie ends with a 'to be continued' screen which compelled me to seek some kind of resolution. I got that, I guess. The first movie has a simple concept, and both sequels show that trying to explain that gets very difficult. I like to think The Matrix exists alone, Reloaded is an action scene proof of concept and Revolutions is an abandoned idea.
It depends.

Review
The Matrix (read my review) is awesome. Reloaded (read my review) goes bigger and better. Outside of the action, the story of Reloaded became cumbersome. In Revolutions the story spins out of control. While it concludes it's not as tightly wound as what we've seen previously, and there are many unanswered question introduced.

I didn't want to watch this, but the second one forces you into it. We start with Neo stuck in limbo. We're introduced to yet another program, the train man. Why is Neo here? He got here because he can communicate with machines in the real world, but I don't know how.

 

This is just convoluted. The plot ran out and the movie has resorted to complication. Agent Smith wants to destroy everything because he wants some kind of freedom and the movie needs more imminent danger. The thousands of sentinels primed to destroy Zion just isn't enough. I get some of the plot points happening at Zion, but they aren't distinctly necessary.

I thought this might move into Neo being to jump into the Matrix whenever he wants, but that's not addressed. Neo must go to the source at machine city to stop things. There's some drama at Zion with the defense leader, but it's just padding for the plot. Smith is in the real world and my biggest issue with that is why the 'code' shows up as orange fire. That's assuming that machine code is compatible and can be overwritten onto a human brain. Neo can see machine things and Agent Smith in the real world, though he gave us his vision for this second sight. Great I guess.

Where are the human battery towers in relation to machine city? If no one can get near machine city, yet they obviously can get near the battery towers since they rescued Neo, why don't the machines guard their batteries? Also, has Zion just given up on freeing people?

Neo makes it to the source. The movie is just bonkers now. We're left to surmise, but Neo has a big fight with Smith, the end result Smith copies himself over Neo so the machines can have a copy and then delete the rogue program Smith. The movie doesn't explain that. Was the fight a ruse by Neo? He has to know he can't defeat Smith and all the copies. Is the entire Matrix copies of Smith and thus now empty after the deletion? Why did Neo appear as the Oracle? While Smith did absorb the Oracle, is this a hint that the Oracle and the One are linked? Who knows.

Neo saved the world as was his destiny even thought he doesn't believe in all that crap. The Matrix reboots, but is there anyone left in it? The Oracle and Architect will let anyone that chooses leave the Matrix, but how would anyone know they have that choice? Previously, and I'm only assuming, Morpheus and team Zion sought out people with abilities and gave them a choice. That's the only way to choose. Was the next movie going to be a buddy cop type movie Morpheus and a program/machine giving people pills?

If the Matrix is the world as we perceive it, as has been suggested, at what point would you get a choice? It's a messy ending. Each movie's plot became more complicated than the last. I like the self sacrificing hero journey, but I also am left thinking, "That's it?" It would be a little too on the nose to give us a teaser that Neo lives on, but I'm left wanting something more than what I got. The Matrix is just so, so good. I love the concept and execution. Both sequels show that trying to explain a simple concept can become very difficult.