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Stars:
Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinket
Smith, Gloria Foster, Monica Bellucci, Randall Duk Kim, Adrian Rayment, and Neil
Rayment
Writers:
The Wachowski Brothers
Directors:
The Wachowski Brothers
Feature
length: 138 minutes
Extras:
Preloaded Featurette, The Matrix Unfolds Featurette, The Freeway Chase
Documentary, Get Me An Exit Featurette, Enter The Matrix Documentary, Animatrix
Trailer, Matrix Revolutions Teaser Trailer, The MTV Movie Awards Reloaded Spoof
TV Spot, Web Links
Languages:
English and French Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 36
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2003/DVD Release: 2003
Theatrical
Distributor: Warner Brothers
Home
Video Distributor: Warner Home Video
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Six months have past since Neo (Keanu Reeves) learned that he was “The One” destined to liberate humanity from their enslavement by the machines that keep them in a virtual dream world while using their bodies like batteries in a bizarre symbiotic relationship called The Matrix. Neo has been suffering from nightmarish visions where he sees his lover Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) die. He is also uncomfortable with the messianic following that has grown around him as more and more devotees leave gifts for him and ask for his blessings as if he was the second coming and for them he might as well be. The machines are burrowing deep into the Earth on a mission to destroy Zion, the last refuge for humanity on Earth. In less than twenty-four hours they will breakthrough with enough force to exterminate every last living being there. Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) sees this as a sign that the century long war against the machines will soon be over and the prophecy will be fulfilled. So they leave Zion in an attempt to gather intelligence from “The Oracle” within the Matrix. With the fate of humanity resting upon his shoulders, Neo is troubled about his destiny. He wonders if his visions of Trinity’s death are what will be or what could be? A question not easily answered by the Oracle as Neo discovers his old nemesis “Agent Smith” (Hugo Weaving) has somehow discovered away to replicate himself and is bent on getting back what he believes Neo has stolen from him, “his purpose.” Soon Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus are following the Oracle’s instructions and searching for a man known only as “The Keymaker” (Randall Duk Kim) in a race that pits them against new enemies as the future for all is held in he balance of Neo’s choice.
What are great about “The Matrix Trilogy” films are the multiple layers in which one can view it. You can see them as simply sci-fi action pictures or you can see them as more. One thing I have noticed since watching the film on DVD is that like the first film, there are little subtle things that are easy to miss the first time around, but add greater dimension to both the fantasy world of the films and what one brings out of them. For instance in Neo’s meeting with The Oracle, she tells him that strange occurrences that people will sometimes refer to as werewolves or UFOs is a program doing something it is not supposed to do. Later when Monica Bellucci’s character introduces Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus to two body guards she describes as “being kept around because their hard to kill,” she then takes out a hand gun and says “But how many people carry silver bullets” and then shoots one in the head, killing him while ordering the other one out. Does that mean that these earlier versions of the Agents were what we might call werewolves? I don’t know for certain, but it certainly is an interesting prospect.
The
following part of this review contains spoilers and thus the spoiler filled text
is red so that if you do not want to read it, just skip past it and continue
onward to the discussion of the DVD features themselves in green. A lot of
people who saw the film got lost in all of the philosophy and while I personally
enjoyed that aspect of the film, I can understand why some people got lost.
Though I do not consider myself to be Gnostic, I have to admit that there is
something to be said about that school of metaphysical thought. I noticed while
watching “The Matrix Reloaded” on DVD that even one of the hovercrafts is
named the Gnosis. This takes me to the conversation between Neo and
Architect of The Matrix and its relationship to Zion.
*********DANGER – BIG – TIME – POSSIBLE – SPOILERS*************
Basically I
think Zion and The Matrix are a part of the same game. It does not matter if Neo
is on VR or reality because the Architect has already stated that the cycle has
occurred before. The Matrix has been around a lot longer than Neo realizes.
To account for the anomalies that occur as a result of the imperfect world the
human minds need to believe they are not in the Matrix, the Oracle creates the
myth and a few humans are allowed to think they escaped the Matrix and a war
over their minds and souls begin.
At a certain point the Architect has Zion destroyed and reboots the Matrix and
the process starts over again. So in a sense, even if Zion is not real, it
doesn't matter because they are trapped like a hamster on a wheel. Trapped in
creation. Very Gnostic is it not?
So it is not a question any more of what is the Matrix and why does it exist,
but can humanity rise above the cycle of creation and destruction. This makes
the premise Buddhist in nature too
Maybe I'm wrong. However I am convinced though that if humanity is to be
liberated it has to be liberated from Zion as well as The Matrix in order to
break the cycle.
I actually think that even if Zion is real, it is still a component of the
Matrix because it is all a form of control. Humans depend on machines that
depend upon humans. Sort of like the Vorlons and The Shadows in "Babylon
5." In that series’ first three seasons we are lead to believe that the
an alien race called the Vorlons are the good guys, however their actions become
increasingly questionable until a guru like figure named “Lorien” helps the
series’ hero realize that essentially "Understanding is indeed a triple
edged sword." Another alien race in direct opposition to the Vorlons,
referred to as "The Shadows," are basically playing a deadly game of
intergalactic chess with "The Vorlons," to see who will shepherd the
younger alien life forms for the next thousand years. Will it be through order
or chaos? In that series the hero
makes a great sacrifice to free everyone from that cycle of imposed war, peace,
and control. I think in the third film Neo will also make a great sacrifice to
free humanity from both "Zion"
and "The Matrix" and finally reveal the whole truth" to all.
Neo may be the one who is, but was not the one at the time of when he first
visited the Oracle in the first film. Similarly in “Babylon 5” we learn our
protagonist named “Sheridan” is the one who will be, his female counterpart
is the one who is, and the man who was the commander of the station in the first
season of the series is the one who was. I bring this comparison up because in
the film before Neo leaves Zion to meet the Oracle, a character known as “The
Kid” gives him a spoon from one of the orphans whose mind was liberated from
“The Matrix.” This orphan must have been the one Neo encountered while he
was waiting to meet the Oracle for the first time. In the film the boy appears
to be making the spoon bend through the force of will of his mind. He then hands
the spoon to Neo who tries to do the same, but he also tells Neo something to
the extent that it is not know how to bend the spoon that is important, but
knowing that the spoon isn't really there at all. Since "The Kid" is
featured in "The Animatrix" I am guessing he may be the next one or
the real one if there is such a thing. It certainly appears as if the Kid has an
important role to play in "The Matrix Revolutions." I guess I’ll
know just how right or wrong I am on November 5, 2003 when “The Matrix
Revolutions” open worldwide.
***************END – OF – POSSIBLE – BIG – SPOILERS**************
“The Matrix Reloaded” is the first Warner Home Video DVD title to be released in Region One North America in a keep case and I hope the trend will continue since I think universally the keep case packaging is the preferred one when it comes to feature film releases. As far as I know this is something Warner Home Video will be using the keep case packaging on select titles as per whatever they feel is appropriate. I believe that “Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines” will be the next Warner Home Video title to be released in a single sized two-disc keep case like “The Matrix Reloaded.”
The first disc presents “The Matrix Reloaded” is an anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) aspect ratio with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound as well as a French Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack and English Captions and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired as well as French and Spanish Language Subtitles encoded onto the first disc as options. French Language Subtitles are also encoded onto the second disc as an option for the majority of the extra value features. With the first disc devoted to the picture and sound presentation “The Matrix Reloaded” looks terrific. It blows away the picture quality of the video transfer on the original “The Matrix” DVD too. There is only a slight amount of grain that is easy to look over while watching the amazing action set pieces and eye catching production design. The colors are solid throughout. We have the green tint when the characters interact within The Matrix, but it is not only a lot more solid in appearance, but it is less obstructive too. The other colors, however muted they might appear at times, still come through vibrantly and overall there is much less of a pea soup like picture quality than on the original DVD release of the first film in the trilogy. I also think the DVD benefits from the enhancements in DVD mastering technology that have occurred since the 1999 DVD debut of the first film. The English Soundtrack is terrific too with excellent separating of the sound effects, clear dialogue and an overall ambient quality that combined with the picture truly engages the viewer to delve into the world of The Matrix from the comfort of their home theater systems. Like the theatrical release, the first teaser trailer for “The Matrix Revolutions” (1:30) directly follows the closing credits and can be accessed directly by going to chapter 36 on the first DVD.
All of the DVD exclusive extra vale features are on the second disc and they include “Preloaded” (22:10), a promotional featurette with various cast and crew interview clips and on-location footage. Those who have seen the new trailer online may recognize a prop or two appearing in the background from the upcoming feature film conclusion to “The Matrix Trilogy.” Next is a look at “The Matrix” phenomenon and cultural impact in the featurette “The Matrix Unfolds” (5:21).
“The Freeway Chase” (30:47) is a documentary that focuses on the conception, preparation, shooting, and post-production made to bring this thrilling sequence to life on film. After the first twelve minutes or so I found myself getting a bit bored with this one, but it is a well-put together behind-the-scenes dissertation. One must also keep in mind how subjective reviewing documentaries and featurettes, let alone movies, are so just because I got bored does not mean you will so give it a chance.
“Enter The Matrix” (28:15) is another documentary that takes the viewer through the creation of the interactive game from development, production, post-production and through to the finished product complete with some of the scenes shot exclusively for the game, which offers approximately 20 hours of game play depending on the player’s skill and the character role they choose to take on in a story that takes place concurrently with the adventure in “The Matrix Reloaded.”
My favorite featurette was “Get Me An Exit” (9:48), which focuses in detail about the tie-in commercials with various “Matrix” inspired clips for “Poweraid,” the Samsung “Matrix Phone” and “Camera Phone” as well as “LCD TV.” “The 2003 MTV Movie Awards Reloaded Parody” (9:40), which features Seann William Scott, Justin Timberlake, Andy Dick, and Will Ferrell as well as a trailer for “The Animatrix” (4:32) wrap up the extra set top features on the second disc. Windows based DVD-ROM users will also have access to web links that include the official “Matrix” site where they can access photos and interviews as well as download trailers through a simple menu set up on the DVD. Upon exploring the DVD-ROM portion I did not find anything that one could not already access directly on their own through visiting the official site, but it is a nice interface to reach certain “Matrix” related web content easily and directly.
The interactive menus are all fully animated with scenes from the film including full motion scene selection access and animated transitions and all are easy to navigate. The extra features are a bit light, but the quality of the picture and sound presentation as well as the product overall makes this two-disc set an easy one to recommend. “The Matrix Reloaded: Widescreen Edition” will debut on DVD-Video at retailers on and offline on Tuesday, October 14, 2003 from Warner Home Video. “The Matrix Revolutions” will open theatrically worldwide three weeks later on November 5, 2003.
© Copyright
2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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