Reviews

REVIEW - FILM

Pomp and ceremony

The Matrix Reloaded (15)

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett-Smith
Directed by: Andy & Larry Wachowski

Film Number Two in the Matrix trilogy catches up with Neo (Reeves) and the other rebels six months after the end of Episode One. More people have been rescued from the Matrix and restored into the real world, and Neo – the reluctant messiah figure – is still coming to terms with his new status.

Morpheus the zealot (Fishburne) believes that long-held prophecies are about to be fulfilled. The machines, meanwhile, are planning one final assault on Zion. And the evil Agent Smith has taken a leaf out of the late Dolly the Sheep’s book in his attempts to subdue the rebels.

The majestic martial arts sequences, three-dimensional slow-motion effects, surreal locations and mental mangling that made the first Matrix a classic are all here – along with pompous dialogue and biblical character names (in addition to Trinity and Zion from last time, Keanu and his mates travel about in ships called Nebuchadnezzar and Logos).

I’m going to buck the anti-Matrix backlash that seems to be brewing (on the Net, at least) and say Reloaded is a good film. Not as good as its predecessor, but certainly not as bad as most critics would have you believe. Having said that, it did feel like it was just a warm-up for the third film, out later this year.

A lot, for instance, has been said about all the continuity errors in the film. The moviemistakes.com website (no, I haven’t made that up) has catalogued 57 so far. These nitpickers are missing the point. The Matrix films’ central premise is that none of the action is really happening. So if a car windscreen or park bench gets smashed up and is then miraculously repaired seconds later, surely that’s par for the course!

Similarly, a backlash of sorts seems to have started in some Christian circles, regarding the film’s supposed spiritual significance. Again, nobody said it was overtly Christian – and although Reloaded might not have as many biblical parallels as its predecessor, it still gives Christian viewers plenty of food for thought.

It contains themes of self-sacrifice motivated by love (and that’s all I can say on that one without giving away a major bit of the plot), and highlights the conflict between reason (Neo, still trying to figure things out) and blind faith (Morpheus, who says “comprehension is not a prerequisite for co-operation”).

And Agent Smith’s insistence on calling Neo by his old name reminded me of the devil’s favourite strategy of discouraging Christians by constantly reminding them of their past.
Now bring on the Revolutions!

George Luke

You’ll find more interesting discussion of The Matrix Reloaded at www.damaris.org

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		REVIEW - FILM Pomp and ceremony The Matrix Reloaded (15) Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett-Smith Directed by: Andy & Larry Wachowski Film Number Two in the Matrix trilogy catches up with Neo (Reeves) and the other rebels six months after the end of Episode One. More people have been rescued from the Matrix and restored into the real world, and Neo – the reluctant messiah figure – is still coming to terms with his new status. Morpheus the zealot (Fishburne) believes that long-held prophecies are about to be fulfilled. The machines, meanwhile, are planning one final assault on Zion. And the evil Agent Smith has taken a leaf out of the late Dolly the Sheep’s book in his attempts to subdue the rebels. The majestic martial arts sequences, three-dimensional slow-motion effects, surreal locations and mental mangling that made the first Matrix a classic are all here – along with pompous dialogue and biblical character names (in addition to Trinity and Zion from last time, Keanu and his mates travel about in ships called Nebuchadnezzar and Logos). I’m going to buck the anti-Matrix backlash that seems to be brewing (on the Net, at least) and say Reloaded is a good film. Not as good as its predecessor, but certainly not as bad as most critics would have you believe. Having said that, it did feel like it was just a warm-up for the third film, out later this year. A lot, for instance, has been said about all the continuity errors in the film. The moviemistakes.com website (no, I haven’t made that up) has catalogued 57 so far. These nitpickers are missing the point. The Matrix films’ central premise is that none of the action is really happening. So if a car windscreen or park bench gets smashed up and is then miraculously repaired seconds later, surely that’s par for the course! Similarly, a backlash of sorts seems to have started in some Christian circles, regarding the film’s supposed spiritual significance. Again, nobody said it was overtly Christian – and although Reloaded might not have as many biblical parallels as its predecessor, it still gives Christian viewers plenty of food for thought. It contains themes of self-sacrifice motivated by love (and that’s all I can say on that one without giving away a major bit of the plot), and highlights the conflict between reason (Neo, still trying to figure things out) and blind faith (Morpheus, who says “comprehension is not a prerequisite for co-operation”). And Agent Smith’s insistence on calling Neo by his old name reminded me of the devil’s favourite strategy of discouraging Christians by constantly reminding them of their past. Now bring on the Revolutions! George Luke You’ll find more interesting discussion of The Matrix Reloaded at www.damaris.org © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.