The Matrix Reloaded

It's not easy creating a beloved movie and turning it into an equally beloved trilogy/franchise, and the Wachowski brothers might want to ask George Lucas about how easy it is to fuck it up when you try to expand on great achievements. Building on their initial unexpected blockbuster The Matrix, Reloaded again sees Neo, Trinity and Morpheus hacking into the Matrix (a computer simulation designed to keep humanity enslaved by machines) in an attempt to save the last human city of Zion (buried near the Earth's core) while an army of sentinels burrows towards it. But while the first was a taut story where we followed Neo through his understanding of the world(s) around him and his place in it, the second is convoluted and fraught with problems. Reloaded follows a god-like Neo as he grapples with what he's supposed to do, his fear of losing Trinity and who created the Matrix, all the while the semi-philosophical dialogue sounds far too much like semi-philosophical dialogue and the questions raised are obtuse at best. However, what saves Reloaded is that it is an awesome visual spectacle that in terms of achievement surpasses its progenitor —the complex carnage of the freeway chase, the "Burly Brawl" or any number of the fight scenes. Granted, all will be forgiven if Revolutions addresses Reloaded's issues, but Wachowskis, you got some explaining to do. Fans hoping for some insight into the inexplicable questions or plot twists of Reloaded, or some sort of commentary by the notoriously interview-shy Wachowskis, will be sadly disappointed, because as Reloaded fails to live up to The Matrix, its DVD fails in comparison to its predecessor. We get a lot of self-congratulatory featurettes (about the advertising, about The Matrix "phenomenon," about the freeway chase, etc.) but nothing is as revealing as the "Follow The White Rabbit" feature of the first. Tellingly, while we watch the Animatrix and Enter The Matrix videogame featurettes, all of Reloaded's problems may be due to the Wachowskis trying to do too much across too many mediums, losing the focus for Reloaded while trying to expand their empire. Like they say, it's easier to become the champ than stay the champ. Arguably, the best extra is the MTV Reloaded spoof, which humorously illustrates some of the movies problems. Plus: "Preload" featurette; web links; more. (Warner)