Matrix Revolutions

[ralphmelton]

I saw Matrix Revolutions yesterday with Apple folks.

About ten years ago, when I was in college and having a really emphatic feminist phase, Robert Bly's book Iron John came out. I bought it, but failed to read much of it. My father borrowed it and read it, though. After reading it, he said in his most scathing tone, "I am unable to write a short paragraph summarizing what that book is about."

I mention this because I want to use that denigration against the Matrix trilogy. It certainly seems to have a lot of mystical allusions, but I haven't been able to put them together into any whole.

Today, I've been reading articles about Matrix Revolutions:

Roger Ebert more or less shares my opinion of the matrix, as does Chad Underkoffler (with spoilers).

I read this essay on Matrix Reloaded (with spoilers) today, and it gave me some interesting thoughts and insights. I'm glad I read it.

Then I read this exegesis of Matrix Reloaded (also with spoilers), and found it almost but not quite completely different. This let me return to the comfort of my smug denigration of the trilogy as incoherent.

By the way, the first essay scores between 4 and 7 out of 9 on predictions for Matrix Revolutions, depending on how you count. The second essay wrote 17 questions under the category 'things to be wrapped up in the third movie' (of which one was a joke); of those, I count about six or seven things that actually did get wrapped up.

Comments

[echoweaver.livejournal.com]

I'm actually at a bit at a loss, since Matrix Reloaded was the Incredible Disappearing Movie in Abq -- it lasted about a month in first-run theaters, with no time in second-run at all. By the time we were ready to go see it, it was gone. I think there were still places playing Star Wars 2 at that point.

Since the movie wasn't released on DVD until recently either, we still haven't seen it. I'm inclined to rent quickly, so we can get to the theater quickly, in case this one is gone just as fast.

Though I do get the feeling it was treated that way for a reason....

[wtimmins.livejournal.com]

I suspect the problem is simply that of 'middle movies.' Critics panned the last LotR movie for a sense of being disconnected.

A movie geared at being 2 of 3 is, I think, doomed to a certain lull of interest.

[indigodove.livejournal.com]

On the Two Towers critics, that kind of surprises me, because I found it drawing me in more.

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

I would say that you shouldn't watch Reloaded unless you intend to watch Revolutions. On the other hand, you probably shouldn't watch Revolutions without watching Reloaded first.

If you think that you'd enjoy watching the two sequels, you probably will. But watching them is not not a clear win over just watching the first one.