Review Detail

Very expertly done edit! It’s exactly what it sounds like: The Matrix without Zion. This is a considerably faster, more action-packed movie than the originals were, and the plot is a lot easier to follow. The one drawback is that it does feel somewhat incomplete, due to a lot of loose ends never being tied up. For example, Morpheus completely disappeared some time during the third act, so it still lacks closure. However, the ride to the end is a lot better this time, so I would definitely rather watch this than have to sit through both of the originals. It felt a lot more in tune with the first movie in terms of pace and overall style, which is undoubtedly thanks to the fact that there is no Zion footage at all (except for Neo recieving the chip from the oracle, although through clever editing we’re actually lead to believe this happened on the Nebuchadnezzar).

I can’t quite say this is the ultimate cut of the Matrix sequels, because frankly I’m still looking for that. In the mean time though, this is definitely a much more satisfying sequel, even if it’s still a little off. I gave it 4/5 stars. You get most of the good parts and none of the bad in a 2 1/2 hour movie, which starts off running and never loses its feet. The annoying plot twists are still in there, and the ending still leaves a fair amount of story threads dangling (which was a problem in the original, as well), but overall this is a solid sequel.

Review by Timstuff — September 11, 2008 @ 10:28 PM