Matrix Revolutions

What's the Plot?

After taking his powers from the Matrix into the real world, Neo (Keanu Reeves) lies in a coma-like state between the 2 worlds. Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) are dealing with the revelation that Neo - The One - is just another clever system of control by the architects of the Matrix. However, as the Machine Army grows ever nearer to breaching the walls of the last remaining city of the human race - Zion - Trinity and Morpheus are told by The Oracle (Mary Alice) that the only hope for the end of the war still lies with Neo. But their finding him may not be so easy as the rouge program Smith (Hugo Weaving) has also crossed the gap between the Matrix and the real world. Growing all the more stronger, Smith now threatens not only Neo, but the entire human race and the machines that they fight. As Morpheus and Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) pilot her ship back to Zion to help the city in it's outnumbered defence, Trinity and Neo must travel to the heart of Machine City where he must bargain for the lives of both man and machine and face Smith for the last time. The war will end tonight, one way or another !

The Review

This is VERY important. Do not attempt to see the final chapter of The Matrix trilogy without refreshing your memory of how the second one ended otherwise you may find yourself playing "catch-up" for it's initial 10 minutes. Revolutions starts straight off where Reloaded abruptly finished and if you've forgotten it's supposed "cliffhanger" ending, you'll find yourself in real trouble. After that, the film settles back and the Wachowski Brothers (Writers / Directors) have appeared to try and right the wrongs that were levelled at the middle chapter. The speeches that gave the impression that the Brothers had crept up their own backsides and believed their own hype in Reloaded have been thankfully removed - Keanu stuck in a loop at a train station simply says "shit" to being unable to escape - but worringly is the fact that all the heart and soul that shocked and stunned the senses from the first film have also been removed.

Despite the ropy CGI graphics of the 2nd's "1000's of Mr. Smith's fight" and the "Freeway sequence", at least it tried to deliver set pieces that would take the breath away. With their pride dented by the nonplussed attitude to the effects, Revolutions appears to be a victim of damage control with only one true breath-taking set piece evident in the entire film. When Zion's main dock begins to fall foul of the 1000's of machine Sentinels, it's then that you remember what the first film made you feel when the bullet time sequences arrived on your virginal senses.

With such a strong initial film, it's not entirely surprising that the law of diminishing returns rears it's ugly head and leaves Revolutions - upon the first viewing anyway - a much flatter flick than it's predecessor. Audiences who have watched the previous 2 films deserved a much better ending to the story and a much bigger and better battle between Neo and Smith. I mean, afterall, it's for the fate of the entire world ! We could have had some action for god's sake. Yet again, a shame.

STEVE'S SCORE