I read somewhere that when the economy takes a dump, movie studios release lots of sequels.
And it's been a while since I saw a movie that bugged me this much, but, well, it did. What follows is something of a rant because I was sort of disappointed, and mostly because I was unimpressed. Then there's another part of me that grimaces and snorts and says, it's just a fucking movie, who the hell cares?

Apologies if you haven't seen the movie.

The Matrix was a really cool movie. The Matrix: Reloaded was a disturbing movie. I had no problems with the first Matrix-- it had character development, it had bad guys, it had a mission, it had action, it had love, it had humor, and especially, it had philosophy.
Reloaded had philosophy, too, although I question its motives.

We got to see Zion in Reloaded... Zion was described in the first movie as Paradise, and if that's Paradise, then please sign me up for Hell. Gyrating half-nekked intoxicated barefoot stinky sweaty people, like at the Oregon Country Faire? Oh God no... and the stupid mindless drums...

Plus I certainly didn't appreciate the Leni Riefenstahl-esque cathedral cave worship of Morpheus.
Scary shit. Achtung.

The worry about the difference between using machines and succumbing to the machines was bothersome, as was the constant suggestion that maybe it's all just for nothing, maybe, in fact, it's still all in Neo's head.

Neo. Right. Keanu Reeves is not a very good actor, let's be honest. There were about three times when I thought it would be suitable if he cracked a big grin and played an air guitar like in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. He was allowed to be something of a geek, something less than Superman, in the first Matrix. In Reloaded, his character didn't develop at all. Even after he ceases to believe he is "the One" he never struggles with his ego.
Bah.

And bah, too, for the stupid kiss-demand scene with that hottie in white latex, Persephone with the sexy accent. With a jealous Trinity looking on, Neo gives Persephone a stupid smooch, she says sorry, no good, and he totally lacks conviction that he's struggling with having to kiss her again. I would have loved to see, at that point after Neo fails with the first kiss, for Trinity to push his scrawny ass out of the way and grab Persephone, plant one hell of a kiss on her lips and make her flutter her lovely long eyelashes.

Aside from this, it looked too much like a video game to me. The multiplying Agent Smith fighting Neo was too much to watch, too fast, no sense of action-reaction or actual impact of physical bodies, like there was in the first Matrix. All the fight & chase scenes were too long, too, if judged by the ass-o-meter. That system of measurement is based on how tired my ass feels at the end of the movie, and it is directly proportionate to the length of the scenes in any given movie.

I would have liked more philosophizing-- there are a couple of questionable elements running around in this Reloaded movie. We must all get along? What? We got here by rebelling but now we must become part of Control? We're all dreaming if we think we're free... We're only free if we're safe... Choice is an illusion... Hmmm.

Will I see it again? Maybe once it gets to the $1.50 theatre. Will I see the third Matrix movie this coming November? Of course. And I hope it answers some of my questions about the propoganda bullshit.


Bah.