Matrix Revolutions

Just thought I'd put some feelers out there on if there was interest in going as a group to see Matrix Revolutions. It comes out Nov. 5. I think there was about eight of us that went to the last one. It seems like from the people I've talked to, whether they liked the last one or not they want to see how they are going to wrap this thing up.

 

My brother is counting down the days and he isnt even in the group. Count me in....

UNLESS this interferes with Clone Wars. They arent on the same day are they?

 

I could be wrong, but I don't think Clone Wars starts until at least the 10th

As I still haven't seen the 2nd one, probably won't do me much good to see the 3rd one.

Doug

 

According to the Official Site, Clone Wars airs on Nov. 7, it is also available to download for Hyperspace members that day.
The Matrix Revolutions does come out on a Wednesday, so I?m not sure how many people are up for that on a weeknight. I know I will be though! Except, I have classes those nights so I wouldn?t be able to go until a later show. I bet they announce show times in the next week or so.
Matrix Reloaded comes out on DVD Tuesday if anyone is interested.

 

I just saw this movie, and man is it something special. I believe this makes the other two movies better and it offers some of the most mindblowing visuals you ever saw. What is really great about this movie is all the kid gloves are off, no one is invincible and the stakes are really high. I'm rambling but if you are interested see it soon.

 

I saw it as well, and I have to say:::

For an "on the other hand" opinion...

After the first movie we all wondered what else the brothers had up their sleeve. Now we can all see...
That there is no sleeve.

I am afraid I walked out disappointed. I ceased to be impressed by visuals long ago, and for every question this movie answered, an equal number are still languishing. The "Oh by the way, Agent Smith is going to take over the whole machine world", came way too late to be a credible threat, and the truce between the humans and machines was too fast, too easy, and not explained to my satisfaction.

Since when could Agent Smith fly anyway?

If anyone has access to inside info, I really would like to know if Neo is alive or dead.

 

I can see how the film is frustrating. I loved it and I've been wrestling with since I saw it. I never believed the Wachowskis would really answer all the questions and I decided after seeing the third one the big point of the film is that there are somethings we have to figure out for oneself. In the films, the oracle has been pretty cryptic, telling people only what she felt what they needed to here. When it got right down it in the third, she told Neo there wasn't much more she could say and it was up to him to figure out what do, and she points to the sign that says "Know Thyself"
The thing we really can't know if the W Bros. are full of crap, that there is nothing to figure out and its a trick. On the other hand , they may be asking questions there isn't an answer to
I'll admit that things about Agent Smith don't make alot of sense. My thinking is since he says that when Neo destroyed him in the first movie part of Neo was imprinted on him, he may have had to decelop the ability, also he may have become stronger because he has absorbed pretty much everybody and may have accumulated all sorts of knowledge on how to manipulate the matrix. The thing about it is is that Agent Smith doesn't really seem to have a real good clue as to what happened to him.
As far as the peace thing goes I'm not sure how sudden that really was. There are lot of references in the films about how man and machine need each other. I'm not sure there really was away around that ending. As far as Neo dead, I can't really say, Its possible he is dead physically but that his consciousness exists somewhere in the matrix. I kind of like open ended movies but I can totally understand someone's frustration especially after the way fans have stuck with this for 4.5 years.

 

Leaving the movie unexplained because unexplained is a theme of the movie is real dangerous business. Star Trek DS9 tried something similiar a decade back and got raked over the coals for its trouble, with the writer admitting "we screwed up." This concept works in the written part of the genre, but not in live action.

I have been reading some more and believe that Neo is dead and that is his funeral pyre at the end, so now all we have left is one little minor question:::::::::

WHAT ABOUT THE MILLION PEOPLE STILL PRISONERS INSIDE THE MATRIX? Matrix I was allegedly about freeing them. It is permissible to dump that goal only if a higher goal for a higher purpose is presented, and killing Agent Smith doesnt cut it.
Oh well, maybe the DVD will give us some more goodies.

 

Here's my two cents...

Why do we have to have everything explained to us? Why do all the loose ends have to be tied up? Are we really that lazy? If everything in a film is completely explained, then all you've got to talk about after the credits roll is how cool the explosions were.

Even the Star Wars flicks didn't tie everything up with a neat little ribbon. After Jedi, the Empire was still around, so there was still a threat. If you didn't read the books, you'd have to imagine the conflicts that took place after that. In my humble opinion, most great films leave the audience with things to ponder after they've left the theater. That's one way how great movies stay with you for so long.

If you were paying attention to Reloaded, you could see Smith gathering power and becoming a threat right from the start. He didn't just show up all bada** and stuff. Evolution was a theme played with in the Matrix movies and you could see how Smith evolved over the course of the series. So, any complaint about Smith suddenly having inexplicable powers seems senseless.

And whether Neo is alive or dead really doesn't matter. There isn't gonna be a Matrix 4.

Looks like my two cent turned into a buck fifty. Oh, well.

 

As far as people being freed from the Matrix, at the end of the third movie the Architect agrees to free the people who want to be freed. At least that is how I took it.
The only way anyone can be freed from the matrix is whether or not they choose to be. If you started unplugging people there would be mass insanity. Not, many people could handle the truth. In the first movie Neo puked his guts out after learning the truth and Cypher wanted to get plugged back into it. Morpheus tells Neo that the usually don't unplugged someone as old as him because the older you get the harder it is to get adjusted to the real world when you get unplugged.

Plus, there aren't many resources left on earth to really support all those people.
The problem with basing the success of the films on what was trying to be accomplished by the characters in the first movie is that many characters really had no idea things were as complicated as they were in the machine world.
It's like Luke trying to take out Vader in ESB and then in ROTJ trying to find the good in Vader. It wasn't that he gave up trying to take him out it is that new information led him to change his goals.
Plus I'm not sure how much sense it would make for the Oracle to help Neo destroy her world.
That's just my two bits again. After the movie I went home and gave the toaster a hug.

 

<<<As far as people being freed from the Matrix, at the end of the third movie the Architect agrees to free the people who want to be freed. At least that is how I took it. >>>>

WHOA! That came out of left field. The architect only had about 4 lines of dialogue with the Oracle, and nowhere did I hear anything that said that.

NOW
DO we need everything explained to us?
In a word ...

YES!!!!!!!!
Of course we do. Either the movie is finished or not. Especially on its stated goal. Unfinished business is properly left to philosophical questions such as the nature of freedom and choice, the soul of a machine and nonsuch. However I consider it a huge unforgivable slap in the face to leave unfinished the whole point of the series. Matrix 1 said that the point was to free the humans from bondage. Not only was that not done, but it wasnt even attempted. Leave Neos death up in the air if you wish, but what was the use of sitting around these four years if they took the primary goal and jsut flushed it? There is a time and a place for unfinished ideas, and that was definately not one of them.

 

I pulled this off the quote section at imdb for Matrix Revolutions:

the Oracle: What about the others?
the Architect: What others?
the Oracle: Those others that want out.
the Architect: They shall be freed, of course.
the Oracle: I have your word?
the Architect: What do you think I am? A human?


This is also pretty much how I remembered this conversation in the theater. I'd really like to see the movie again, So I can be sure. As far as I can tell they were talking about the people plugged into the matrix. So I would say mission accomplished.

 

You know, I'm just tired of hearing about it. People keep talking to me about it like I care, and you know what? I don't. Maybe I'm just too old, but I don't like the Matrix. No really, I don't. Here's why.

(disclaimer: Most of you know that I haven't seen films 2 and 3, so take all this with a HUGE dose of salt. I did however read a full synopsis of 3 last week.)

Matrix 1 was COOL. Very nifty film. It was groundbreaking, trendy, and made black clothing cool again. And being a computer geek, was right up my alley.

But with 2 and 3, I get the feeling that the Wachowski brothers just want to be "mysterious" and "cryptic". Heck, they won't even do a freaking interview. Now THAT's pretentious. And with "The Matrix" series, they have given the average film-goer material that makes them feel "intelligent" and allows them to be pretentious as well. To borrow a line from one of Bosskone's scripts: "We're film experts. I've seen the Matrix 12 times".
It's trendy, hip, and intellectual to be into the Matrix.

Here's my deal. Why do big Matrix fans insist that it's a huge intellectual, philosphical movie nearing a religious experience? I actually have the same problem with SW fans that take it to far. IT'S JUST A MOVIE!

Are the Wachowski brothers talented? Yes. Could I make something like "The Matrix"...probably not. But are they really the great story tellers they're being made out to be, or is "The Matrix" just one big trip (acid, mind, or ego, you decide).

Let's do some algebra:
TRON + 20(years) + CGI + $$Millions + guns + R-Rating - Bruce/Boxleitner - DISNEY + The Terminator + Dragonball Z + GAP commercial + kungfu + computer virus + Superman + Lawnmower Man + Ted "Theodore" Logan = MATRIX

And really guys, considering how dark the films are, did you really expect them to end any other way?

But I do realize that I am in the minority, and that I will never convince those who love "The Matrix" that it's kinda lame.

That's the beauty of our wonderful country...even if everyone else loves it, I can still hate it.

I guess it makes me mad that because I'm a computer tech and like Star Wars and some other sci-fi that people assume I'm a big Matrix fan. Nope. HATE is probably too strong, but I strongly dislike it....

Sorry, I had to vent....

 

I still don't agree everything needed to be completely wrapped up. I guess that's because I felt the ending was satisfactory and cleared up enough of the questions that I had. Part of it I guess is the fact that I'm not the smartest person in the world, so I figure what I see in a film, meaning and theme-wise, anyone else can see.

And as for what Doug said, I can't say that I blame him. Matrix has basically taken up a lot of peoples' attention the whole year, and actually took the focus off more deserving films (X2, School of Rock, ect.). Well it's over now and we can turn our focus to more important films (like Looney Tunes: Back in Action).

 

Here is my take on all of this. I'm not sure these movies are anything to get bent out of shape about. I looked at the whole Matrix thing as a fun diversion this year. I liked the first film but wasn't a huge fan. Alot of things going on with the sequels and the Animatrix really excited me though and I had fun playing with all the pieces. Now that its over I think I had a fun ride. I didn't expect the meaning of life out of them or anything like that and really I don't think these films are that hard to figure out if someone pays attention to what is going and what people are saying. In my experience with film if you have to work at it, it often makes what you get out of it more enjoyable and meaningful.
I don't know how many people I've talked to that hated the Phantom Menace, that when you sat down and talked to them about it it was clear that didn't even understand what the movie was about.

Whether or not the Wachowski Brothers are full of themselves or they just value privacy is not for any of us to know or say. I think whatever someone gets out of these films is what they put into it. If someone finds some kind of message that improves their life out of it, that is great, if someone liked the effects, cool, and if you don't like it that's cool too. I just don't believe that every movie should be made for everybody and follow a neat and tidy set of conventions. If that was the case we'd get the same movie all the time.