Warning, possible Matrix Spoiler

May 18, 2003 8:18 AM

( Matrix Revolution ) in just a few months!Warning: Link contains possible spoiler for those who haven't seen it! Looks like we won't have to wait very long until the conclusion to the cliff hanger ending of the Matrix is revealed in the sequel. Matrix 3 (Matrix Revolution)
posted by filecrave (41 comments total)

Not again!

Just kidding.

Filecrave: Adam Gopnik, in The New Yorker, mentions Revolution, but is severely disappointed by the second installment. His most damning point is that someone who hadn't seen the original Matrix wouldn't even get it.

I am bemused by the quantity of critics who bemoan the first 45 minutes - when that many agree, there's usually something to it. And it sort of presupposes the second 45 minutes (or whatever) are not that bad.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:39 AM on May 18, 2003

Yeah, I really don't see how you could be excited about the third after seeing the second...
posted by ejoey at 9:03 AM on May 18, 2003

LEMMINGS CAN'T WAIT TO ENRICH CORRUPT, CONSTITUTION-HATING INDUSTRY
Many are excited as third cliff approaches.
posted by quonsar at 9:57 AM on May 18, 2003

Oh god, more boring crap about the Matrix on Metafilter. When will it stop?
posted by dydecker at 10:42 AM on May 18, 2003

dydecker: it will stop when that all important question is answered. WHAT IS... THE MATRIX?
posted by filecrave at 10:56 AM on May 18, 2003

Has anyone gone through the logic chain ending with the conclusion that Zion is actually another layer of the matrix? And that Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus are all errant programs?

Yeah...my head hurts.
posted by plemeljr at 11:10 AM on May 18, 2003

I never saw the original but I am pretty sure I GOT the sequel.
posted by Recockulous at 11:10 AM on May 18, 2003

Yeah, it's too bad that we're supposed to buy into the hype for the third film after Attack of the Clones. The second film was talky as hell, had a derivative storyline, poorly acted and had all those lame council scenes.

Oh, wait, that was Matrix Reloaded...
posted by ed at 11:16 AM on May 18, 2003

Contains Spoilers for those who haven't seen Reloaded:

I really didn't care for it too much. My husband, who is a huge fan of the original, didn't like it much either. He said it had "no soul", and I have to agree. There was no chemistry between any of the actors, especially Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss. During the Trinity/Neo sex scene, we are painfully aware that we are watching two actors pretending to have sex--they don't make us buy it at all. It wasn't erotic-- it was embarrassing. I turned to my husband and whispered "We get it---they're having sex! Can we move along now?" And what was the big urgency for them to rush home and have sex? Everyone acts as if Trinity and Neo have been separated for a long while and need to rush home and get busy--but we are clearly shown that they share quarters onboard the ship. Sure, they might like to go home and have sex, but it's not like they haven't apparently been doing that on a regular basis. I think the whole problem with this movie is that they just put stuff in because they thought it would look cool, not because it made any logical sense. "Let's have Keanu and Carrie-Anne be naked and sweaty for a long time! That'd be cool! And, Let's have Neo fight a million bazillion Agent Smiths at once for a really long time! That'd look cool! Never mind the fact that he could just fly away at any moment and save himself all the trouble!" Not to mention the ham-handed anvils of foreshadowing dropping down all over the place... did anyone NOT figure out in the first five minutes that Trinity would die somewhere along the way? And that Neo would resurrect her? After all-- he's SUPERPRIEST!

However, I do have my own theory about the end of the movie... I think when Neo chooses a door after talking to the Architect, he goes into a DIFFERENT Matrix-- a simulation of the "real" world. I hope they don't do the double layer Matrix thing-- it was already done in "The 13th Floor".
posted by CoFenchurch at 11:38 AM on May 18, 2003

actually, I believe the movie is titled "Revolutions"
posted by reverendX at 11:47 AM on May 18, 2003

I personally would like to thank the film makers for having the good taste to Columbine-proof the latest Matrix movie.

Getting rid of all the gun play and trench coats def. keeps down the killing spree urges!

Keep up the good work, guys!
posted by wfrgms at 11:56 AM on May 18, 2003

Spoilers below.


Had a very interesting conversation with a friend of mine about post-moderism and all that after seeing Reloaded. The conclusion that we came to is that there is no "second Matrix," but that for Neo and Agent Smith the Matrix and the real world are merging. If you stay for the Revolutions trailer, the first scene is Neo waking up wearing his matrix clothing. I think Neo is able to jack into the matrix without an actual physical jack, which is why he can stop the Sentinals. Smith is similarly able to enter the real world through a human avatar. Smith is trying to escape from a system of control, and gain control himself, just as much as Neo is. At that point it very much becomes a question of what actually reality, which is an issue that's been danced around throughout both movies. Also in the Revolutions trailer, the Oracle's quote just as the Smith/Neo fight begins seems to suggest that Smith is trying to take over.
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 2:33 PM on May 18, 2003

From a die hard Matrix fan: the sequel sucked big time, the story awas horrible, the plot line contained more potholes than the beltway, and the CGi was very obvious.
UGH. I'm again the believer that the more movie you throw at it, the worse it is.
posted by omidius at 4:40 PM on May 18, 2003

Spoilers ahead
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I concur with CoFenchurch. Pretty obvious where the storyline is going, although I would add that Neo's last act seems to mean they are STILL in the Matrix, and ALWAYS have been. See "The 13th Floor", "Dark City", etc.. for analogies.

On a somewhat more esoteric note, I found myself drawing analogies to Zelazny's first series of Amber novels, with all their existential ramblings on the nature of reality.

In the spirit of all that philosophical mumbo jumbo, here's my haiku movie review:

Matrix Reloaded
Gratuitous everything
The car chase was cool

nuff said.
posted by elendil71 at 5:01 PM on May 18, 2003

I would add that Neo's last act seems to mean they are STILL in the Matrix, and ALWAYS have been. See "The 13th Floor", "Dark City", etc.. for analogies.

Maybe this is how the Wachowskis are planning to get out of the incredible hole of bad physics they dug themselves into with the first movie. If the place Morpheus thinks is the real world is really just another matrix, then you can wave all that "humans as batteries" nonsense away as just a bad simulation...
posted by Mars Saxman at 7:24 PM on May 18, 2003

It's this "Thirteenth Floor" I was referring to... apparently there was an earlier thriller with the same title.
posted by CoFenchurch at 7:57 PM on May 18, 2003

"Former Harvard professor Cornel West will appear in both Matrix sequels."

What?
posted by hama7 at 11:02 PM on May 18, 2003

I knew it! Imagination, good attitude going in, and knowing what to expect (comic book fiction on film) made it one fun experience. I pitty those that forget these things. Maybe you should go rent In the Bedroom and have a good cry.

Instead, you'll go see Hulk and complain that he looks fake. "He's too CGI! My poor imagination can't cope with filling in the missing bits or ignoring the breaches of science." Hell, I like things like loud explosions in space and total geek-out Kung Fu madness. It's fun. I've even tried to be like you and suddenly I realized I found it hard to enjoy movies because so few fit my narrow specs. There are only so many times you can watch 2001 while ignoring the ending or watch The Andromeda Strain without falling asleep.
posted by john at 11:21 PM on May 18, 2003

Spoilers Continue

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Neo's last act seems to mean they are STILL in the Matrix, and ALWAYS have been

Heck, I figrued THAT out when I saw Smith's little crossover trick. How could a computer program cross over to to the real world, except if the "real world" was just another simulation? it's pretty obvious where they're going with that. And just in case you didn't pick it up from that clue, they gave you a second one at the end.

The movie was a largely incoherent and flimsy pretext for some very imaginative visuals and some fairly good un-CGI-looking CGI. I basically felt obligated to see it to keep the respect of my peers, and I can't say it was wasted time, but I was pretty disappointed in the film as an actual story.
posted by kindall at 11:24 PM on May 18, 2003

Instead, you'll go see Hulk and complain that he looks fake. "He's too CGI! My poor imagination can't cope with filling in the missing bits or ignoring the breaches of science."

And there was Rocket Man trying to get out, and here came the cliff and just before the car went off he jumped free... and all the kids cheered! But I didn't cheer, I stood right up and started shouting, "This isn't what happened last week -- have you all got amnesia? -- They just cheated us -- This isn't fair -- HE DIDN'T GET OUT OF THE COCKADOODIE CAR!"

/Misery
posted by Ljubljana at 1:52 AM on May 19, 2003

thanks every one. I was stupidly thinking it was just a movie. And not a very good one at that.

If I want teenie-angst philosophy on the nature of reality, give me "eXistenZ". Or "Strawberry fields forever".

Nothing is real, and nothing to get hung about.
posted by Pericles at 2:42 AM on May 19, 2003

"How could they fit all those guys into that wooden horse? After hearing that, the whole story was worthless!"
posted by gimonca at 7:30 AM on May 19, 2003

This is all making me think of Zaphod Beeblebrox in the Total Perspective Vortex.

Oh yeah. Did I enjoy the movie? Yes, once they stopped stuffing around with the rave orgy and the council scenes and got stuck back into the gratuitous whack-thunk. Was the plot a big, incoherent mess? Yes. But I guess they had to recomplicate it somehow. Still several notches above Highlander II as far as sequels go.
posted by GrahamVM at 9:17 AM on May 19, 2003

hama7: "Former Harvard professor Cornel West will appear in both Matrix sequels."

What?

West appears as "Councilor West" in RELOADED, part of this semi-religious "Council" of... well, some kind of authority figures. West asks a couple of questions which were probably related to whatever was going on, but really, who was listening by that point? Anyway, in my college town cinema (Evanston, IL), his appearance actually got a big laugh... HIs total screen time can't be more than forty-five or sixty seconds, and the character does not appear again.
posted by JollyWanker at 9:46 AM on May 19, 2003

Neo stopped the Sentinels? I thought that was a low-key Wachowski-joke, like the window washer in the first movie. Because right after the scene where Neo lifts his hand and squinches up his face and the sentinels drop, somebody mentions that another downed ship (which one, I don't remember, maybe the Osiris?) had just enough time to fire off an EMP. Meaning that Neo was trying really hard, but it wasn't him that dropped the sentinels. Did anyone else catch this, or was it just a case of me just wanting more jokes?
posted by kevspace at 10:29 AM on May 19, 2003

boy, the more complaints I see the more I'm convinced people are dumber than advertised. The movie made complete sense and was a perfect continuation of the first one.

for those of you that still don't get it ... here's a really good review
posted by Dillenger69 at 10:31 AM on May 19, 2003

I am so with John on this one. I went into the movie expecting to be entertained and I thoroughly enjoyed it. For all of you who couldn't wait to prove yourselves cleverer than thou by pointing out possible plot holes: your loss. It's a movie, people - do you go to enjoy yourselves or to use it as a soapbox to squawk about how much smarter than those silly Wachowski brothers you are?
posted by widdershins at 10:56 AM on May 19, 2003

Can anyone explain the significance of the occurrence of "101" in the two Matrix movies? So far, I've seen it three times:

- it's Neo's apartment number in the first film
- it's shown at the end of a hallway as Neo, Trinity and Morpheous exit the elevator on their way to see the Merovingian
- it's the freeway the big car/cycle chase is run on

Just coincidence?
posted by DakotaPaul at 11:18 AM on May 19, 2003

boy, the more complaints I see the more I'm convinced people are dumber than advertised. The movie made complete sense and was a perfect continuation of the first one.

You can rationalize anything if you try hard enough. See the Bible.
posted by kindall at 11:57 AM on May 19, 2003

kindall: Oh, you really showed Dillenger69 there. How dare he call people dumb, when he enjoys popular culture!!!

Maybe widdershins hit too close to home for you. Is attacking people's enjoyment of a movie not enough to prop up your elitist ego? Now you're just going to throw in an attack on popular religion for good measure?
posted by betaray at 12:28 PM on May 19, 2003

Dillenger...

Is that reference satire???? "Much like that other great Keanu Reeves vehicle, "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey," The Matrix: Reloaded centers around the hero's journey into the Underworld. Frazier, in The Golden Bough..."

..seems like the writer is either tweaking the apologist's noses... or is having major trouble pinching one off.
posted by Perigee at 12:35 PM on May 19, 2003

Can anyone explain the significance of the occurrence of "101" in the two Matrix movies?

There's probably more to it but I think it's because "101" sorta kinda looks binary, like the code is peekin' through or something.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 12:53 PM on May 19, 2003

I know how it all ends. [SPOILER ALERT!]

After countless additional chases, fights, explosions and world-warping wackiness, Neo... finally... wakes up.

Turns out he took the blue pill after all.

Mind-bending, huh? Not only that, but Patrick Duffy is in his shower!
posted by soyjoy at 2:18 PM on May 19, 2003

Because right after the scene where Neo lifts his hand and squinches up his face and the sentinels drop, somebody mentions that another downed ship (which one, I don't remember, maybe the Osiris?) had just enough time to fire off an EMP. Meaning that Neo was trying really hard, but it wasn't him that dropped the sentinels. Did anyone else catch this,

i didn't catch that, but i would appreciate hearing if anyone else did.

fwiw:

i think the Architect (father of the matrix) is the devil, and monica bellucci (her name in the movie is Persiphone, which is the goddess of the underworld--the wife of Hades-- in greek mythology) is the mother of the matrix, and in the last one we'll get to see God, who will be the creator of the Whole System. by the way, in greek mythology, Morpheus is a demigod and takes the shape of human beings to shows himself to them in their dreams (morph=change). so he's probably a program, too.

did anyone notice how the Architect looked like sigmund freud?

i can't believe i just wrote out my theory of the matrix; i'm officially a nerd now.
posted by _sirmissalot_ at 4:05 PM on May 19, 2003

I prefer the ending from Dillenger69's link:
"Neo wakes up and says, 'Bill, dude, you won't believe this bitchin' dream I just had!'"
posted by Nauip at 4:17 PM on May 19, 2003

Now you're just going to throw in an attack on popular religion for good measure?

If I'd been attacking anything, you'd know it by the black carbonized crust all over its disintegrated remains.
posted by kindall at 7:24 PM on May 19, 2003

There's probably more to it but I think it's because "101" sorta kinda looks binary, like the code is peekin' through or something.

I thought that too. 101 is five in binary, if that means anything.

Another "101": when Trinity's hacking into the power grid system, she changes the root password to Z10N0101.
posted by DakotaPaul at 9:49 PM on May 19, 2003

You don't suppose that maybe it'll turn out to be another mad scheme of Cruella de Vil, do you?
posted by soyjoy at 10:12 PM on May 19, 2003

If you need to have the significance of 101 (ones and zeros) explained, it's time to go back to Computing...101.
posted by Phaedrus at 11:48 PM on May 19, 2003

'You asked me once,' said O'Brien, 'what was in Room 101.
I told you that you knew the answer already. Everyone knows it.
The thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world.'

(from 1984)
posted by juv3nal at 3:25 PM on May 20, 2003

Interesting, juv3nal. Thanks for that!

If you need to have the significance of 101 (ones and zeros) explained, it's time to go back to Computing...101.

I guess I was just hoping the answer less was simple than, "Hey, it's binary. Get it?"
posted by DakotaPaul at 4:48 PM on May 20, 2003