The problems with the film are easy enough to pinpoint. It's pretentious (this was true, at least to a degree, of its predecessors) - we're expected to approach this film with the same solemnity that the Wachowski Brothers do. The action is hackneyed - the slo-mo martial arts stuff was neat the first time, but it was already getting old by the time it was re-used in The Matrix Reloaded. Now, it's past the expiration date, and the Wachowskis fail to come up with anything genuinely new or innovative to enhance or improve upon it. The pacing is uneven - the first hour is bogged down with talking and unnecessary exposition; not until the half-way point does the energy level shoot up. And the payoff is weak. Had this been a stand-alone popcorn science fiction adventure, it might have been enjoyable, but this is a poor way to end a trilogy. Expectations built up by the first two films are not fulfilled. One could be forgiven for anticipating something more momentous than a long shoot-'em-up followed by a glorified fistfight. And the "twist," if it can be called that, is hardly earthshaking.
In recent years, the line between special effects-focused blockbusters and computer games has been shrinking, and The Matrix Revolutions further narrows the gap. All that's missing is a joystick on the theater seat arm rest. The battle for Zion should be tense and suspenseful, but the obviousness of the computer generated animation during these sequences damages the ability to suspend disbelief. I didn't ever believe that I was watching humanity's last stand. Instead, I felt like I was watching a non-playable demo for a Matrix Revolutions videogame - shoot down as many sentinels as possible before being overwhelmed. The human element is limited to a few familiar faces rather than legitimate characters we actually care about.
When The Matrix Revolutions works, it does so as eye candy. Although the first hour drags because of the pontificating about choice and fate (none of the speeches offer anything new), the second hour zips by. The battle sequences may not be as involving as those in, say, Star Wars, but they are done with enough technical savvy to retain the attention of most viewers. And those who are on hand just to see a big-budget special effects extravaganza will be satisfied. Anyone hoping to experience the blend of science fiction, philosophy, and edgy action that characterized the previous two movies will be disappointed. Nevertheless, for completists who need to find out how it ends, The Matrix Revolutions provides answers (although not necessarily to all questions) and doesn't cop out when it comes to the final resolution.