"‘The Matrix’ Convolutions"
by Scott Mantz

"The Matrix Revolutions"
Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss,
Laurence Fishburne
Directed by the Wachowski Brothers

Fists of fury! Keanu Reeves and Hugo Weaving fight to the finish in "The Matrix Revolutions"

I don’t know about you, but I’m not taking the red pill again anytime soon.

Yes, I know that the first "Matrix," which came out in 1999 and grossed more than $450 million worldwide, was an innovative, provocative, imaginative smash (and rightly so). But now that the dust has finally settled on the ridiculously-hyped "The Matrix Reloaded," which came out 5 months ago and grossed more than $735 million worldwide, we can finally see the sequel for what it really is – an overloaded, pretentious schmorgasboard of techno-babble that made absolutely no sense. Yes, the special effects were cool, but that’s about it.

The tagline for "The Matrix Revolutions," the third and final installment of the "Matrix" trilogy, reads "everything that has a beginning has an end," and to that extent, thank God it’s over. After the optimistic, I-hope-that-part-three-will-explain-everything attitude I had after watching "Reloaded," I’m sorry to say that the third time is definitely not the charm. Yes, the special effects are spectacular (though no longer inspired), and the film will surely make a gazillion dollars at the box office, but considering that the series started out by breaking all sorts of cinematic boundaries, it ultimately ends up being convoluted and confined by them.

When we last saw our heroes, Neo (Keanu Reeves) was trapped in the middle ground between the Matrix and the real world, which has less than 20 hours to go until the machines take over once and for all. Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) still believe that Neo is the One who will save humanity from extinction, but now an even bigger threat is looming. The rogue program Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) has grown more powerful then ever and threatens to destroy not only the humans, but also the machines who programmed "him." Time is running out, and the fate of the future lies in the hands of Neo, who will finally have to prove that he is the all-knowing, all-powerful One.

If you didn’t see "The Matrix Reloaded," then don’t even bother with "The Matrix Revolutions." Not only does it pick up where the last mess of confusion left off (and I don’t just mean with moviegoers scratching their heads), but those wacky Wachowski Brothers – taking themselves way too seriously once again – don’t even bother answering the questions raised by its predecessor. The first hour is downright boring, with Neo and Trinity going MIA for a large period of time, and the climactic machine battle is saturated by an over-abundance of special effects that rival even "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones."

At least "The Matrix Reloaded" had two standout scenes, specifically the big car chase and the battle between Neo and 100 Agent Smiths, but by the time "Revolutions" kicks into gear, we’ve pretty much seen it all. Beyond the final conflict between man and machine, there is also yet another showdown between Neo and Agent Smith that lacks imagination or originality. In addition, Neo even has a strange confrontation with the machine leader, which resembles (of all things) the CPU that threatened Jeff Bridges at the end of 1982’s "Tron." The performances have never been front and center in the "Matrix" movies, and to that extent, "Revolutions" does not disappoint. The dark, passive nature of the first film may have fit the range of Keanu Reeves like a glove, but at least moviegoers were able to experience the techno-tronic rabbit hole through his eyes. For his third go-round, he’s seen it all (and so have we), and his emotional presence barely registers. In addition, Hugo Weaving is even more cartoonish than he was the last time around, Laurence Fishburne feels like a guest star in his own film, and Carrie-Anne Moss lacks the emotional support that would have given the movie a pulse.

Boy, talk about a downer. I don’t mean the dark nature of the "Matrix" series in general, but the fact that something that started off so fresh and innovative could come to a close feeling so generic and stale. I guess I was hoping that, if anything, "Revolutions" would make "Reloaded" a much better movie (since, put together, they’re both one really long movie), but it doesn’t. So, with that, ladies and gentlemen, the "Matrix" trilogy is finally over – petering out with a relatively standard climax that’s just not very inspiring.

Then again, who knows? Maybe I’ll feel differently when I sit down a few months from now to watch all three "Matrix" movies back-to-back on the inevitable DVD boxed set. To that extent, maybe I shouldn’t put those red pills away anytime soon.

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