James Lileks reviews "The Matrix Revolutions"

The Bleat ^ | 11/07/03 | James Lileks

[AmishDude]

I saw it.

There's 2 hours I'll never get back again.

To begin the parade of annoyances, Cornel West got way too many lines this time and I couldn't help thinking that the limp, deadpan performance by the Crown Prince of Academia was actually one of the best in the film.

I have to give some kudos, though. The second best part of the film (you always have to give props to the CG department) was the acting by the traitor guy who does a dead-on impersonation of Hugo Weaving. It took me about 90 seconds to know he was channelling Smith. It took Neo 4 "Mr. Anderson"s and 2 roundhouse kicks to the head to figure it out. In his case, the acting was too good. Whoda thought?

If Neo and Trinity never told you they were in love, would you believe them? I thought from the beginning that their love was only because Trinity was the only chick on the ship. Neo would have fallen in love with Morpheus if Trinity weren't there. Her death scene was eternally long and too long in coming.

OK, explain this to me: A rag-tag bunch of humans living underground and having their civilization wiped out every few generations manage to build highly sophisticated robot-suits???

The special effects were breathtaking, but I found myself not caring a whit as to how they related to the story. If there was a story. Oh, and the Oracle had to re-form herself. I get it. It wasn't because the actress that played her last time died. It was all part of the story. Riiiiiight.

But to top it all off, here we have some sort of Messiah, a chosen one who sacrifices his sight, his lover and (probably) himself for . . . detente.

What the hell is that? No great revival of the human race. No revolution against the machines. No revelation that the real world was just another level of the Matrix and Neo's journey was pointless. Nothing interesting, just a promise by the architect to leave Zion alone and to release the humans if they manage to one day become self-aware and want to leave the Matrix. (I suppose they'd have to go through that red pill/blue pill nonsense.)

What a rip-off! These idiots were celebrating because they get to live in squalor cowering from the all-powerful (and all-benevolent, apparently) machine.

Of course, if the Whatchamacallit brothers actually intended that, it would be a brilliant and highly cynical take on the nature of man and God.

Somehow, I don't think so.

Oh, well, at least one of the villains was French.

"Everything that has a beginning, has an end." Mercifully.

[AmishDude]

Make that the Clown Prince of Academia. Sheesh.

[Cronos]

And what was with that Train scene at the beginnign of the film? It had absolutely no relevance to the rest of the film. Huh? Two programs give 'birth' to another program. woooooo!!! And they feel 'love' for that 'program' they create, wooooo! IF the little girl program gets destroyed can't they create an exact duplicate once more? It's NOT a HUMAN Being, heck, ti's not evena roboto, it's a program

[beaware]

"EXACTLY!!! Welcome to the paradox of the entire series. Obviously there are barriers to the so-called "physical" world versus the world that exists in the "matrix". "

It's hard to say your wrong on this one point without giving away an important part of the movie...

[AmishDude]

Don't worry about spoilers, Lileks' review is full of them, that's why I posted mine here.

[Quick1]

But to top it all off, here we have some sort of Messiah, a chosen one who sacrifices his sight, his lover and (probably) himself for . . . detente.

In this case, he won far more than detente. He actually won free will for the people still stuck in the Matrix. Remember what the Oracle said at the end? "What about those who want (emp. added) to leave the Matrix?" What about the change that she and the Architect said was so dangerous for her to do? It was referring to the free will won by the people.

[Conservative til I die]

What excites me about the series is that for the first time on film based media for a large audience, the Wachowski (spelling) brothers (producers/writers) have attempted to throw the "what-if" scenario with regard to future technologies run amuck. It is simply their interpretation of what could happen.

Another movie series is somewhat similar, but is more violent and has definite, concise modes of action .. Definitive beginning and ends - That is the Terminator series of movies.

Is it me or did your second paragraph completely contradict the first?

"The Matrix is the first series of movies to deal with this concept....except it wasn't, Terminator did first."

(Although it didn't deal with that topic itself, Tron is another film the Matrix is derivative of, IMO).

[AmishDude]

I mentioned that, he got a promise. Whoopdeedoo. Oh, sure, the Architect said that he had to keep it. Wait until he feels threatened. (I know it's fiction, but this is supposed to have some "deeper meaning".)

Personally, I think they just wanted to keep the franchise alive.

[DoctorMichael]

Haven't seen it yet, but will Bump.

[DoctorMichael]

Jusy saw it.

I won't even attempt to write a long meaningless bongwater-induced essay on the philosophical implications of the storyline. I REALLY enjoyed the first movie. The second was disappointing and I actually was drumming my fingers on the arm of my seat in the theater during some of the fight scenes because I was totally bored. Now, the third. Hmmmmmmmm............

I'll make one comment: The amalgamated face at the end of the movie, representing (I guess) the AI conciousness says, "It's finished". Isn't that Christ's line? Shouldn't Neo have said this since HE'S the Savior? I didn't like this misattribution of the words. It spoiled the ending for me.

All in all though, amazing special Fx during the fight for Zion.

Awaiting ROTK.

[AmishDude]

I think any specific religious/philosophical references are pointless. I agree with a poster on another thread: It's a mish-mash of disjointed references to different philosophical and religious ideas.

[Dr. Frank fan]

In this case, he won far more than detente. He actually won free will for the people still stuck in the Matrix.

The problem with this is that, by the rules previously expounded within the Matrix trilogy, less than 1% of humanity ever even questions "the Matrix" in the first place. 99% will be content to exercise their "free will" by staying in the Matrix (which is going to get better and better as the AIs can now reproduce and evolve; i.e. the little girl who created a colorful sunrise).

In short, what Neo "won" was a victory for the machines over humanity: 99% will stay in stasis, the "select" 1% will be freed to Zion (a dismal underground city) to disco-dance all day long, and no more serious efforts at rebellion will occur anymore (why should the humans rebel anymore? Neo fulfilled the "prophecy" and the war is "over"!). Who wins in this deal? The machines.