Uppity-Negro.com

It was the philosophy of the Matrix that I loved in the first place. I just wish that it would have remained consistent through all the films. And frankly, I was rather disappointed in Trinity this time around. She seemed to become more and more an accessory to Neo and less and less the strong character that made me like her the first time around. Can you honestly see Revolution's Trinity telling Neo, "And if you don't like it, I believe you can go to hell?"

I can't, and I think that's what bothers me so much. I feel like she became a convenient Warm Place and accessory.

Now, most of the other female characters? Hell yes. Trinity, however, disappointed the hell out of me for the most part.

Oddly enough, it was a lot of the effects-end stuff that I did NOT enjoy this time around. The makeup was wince-worthy at points.

Eh. I think my problem with it is maybe I set my bar too high this time around. I expected so much that almost anything would have disappointed.

I'll second that emotion. There was no consistency. And fuck all those sfx! It distracted me often. And that ending is such a set-up for more Matrix movies. I'm betting there'll be some animated shit based on characters and situations from the trilogy.

I reserve the right to totally change my mind once I see it IMAX-style. I was lukewarm about the 2nd installment till I saw it on an IMAX screen (my very first).

What about the philosophy did both of you find inconsistent?

Actually, for me, the style was inconsistent. Too much attention to fighting and a look in part II, and especially the last part. The Bros. W were too conscious of their filmmaking, IMHO. This part was almost like a patchwork of scenes, sometimes making me forget the previous one.

Then again, I was in a bit of a rage about not being able to see the IMAX version with advance purchased tickets. Especially after traveling all the way from Brooklyn at 10am on a Monday without breakfast/coffee. Again, once I see it a second time, especially on IMAX, my opinion(s) may change.

Ronn, did you see Alien Nation? In the theater? Without even knowing they were making a tv series, that's the only movie I ever walked out of saying, "Damn, I just paid x dollars to watch a fucking pilot."

I didn't get that vibe from Revolutions, but it does leave the door open for more stories/comics/games in that fictional universe. Not sure how they could have tied things up so it didn't, short of killing everyone and blowing up the planet. And, let's face it, even that won't stop the truly sequel-minded.

Basically, I'm comparing this one and Reloaded to Terminator 2 and Aliens, which people seemed to love unconditionally, and which left me thinking, "You know, I bet I'd enjoy this a lot more if I was white."

Again, the Matrix films didn't give me that vibe.

I'm not actually addressing anything you said, am I?

Coffee. I shall get more coffee.

VASpider, Trinity did save Neo's ass, what, twice in Revolutions? More, if you count the piloting? Which isn't to say she didn't seem more, I dunno, passive in her scenes with him.

Yes. Coffee.

[homer simpson voice] heh heh. r o b o t
b a t t l e s .

or: [beavis and butthead voice] huh huh, huh huh. r o b o t b a t t l e s .

you had some opinion left of humanity that could get lower? i didn't. infinite capacity for good, infinite capacity for evil...can't remember whether that's a shakespeare or a milton concept. or a tolkien concept.

i'm like you, though. while others were looking at their watches during the long exposition scene at the end of "reloaded", i was bouncing in my seat with glee. who doesn't like baudrillard in pleather trenchcoats with guns? lots of guns?

try explaining time bandits to these people.

hate: people who claim to be arbiters of pop culture without actually having immersed themselves in it. as someone who has never been paid to criticize anything, i get irritated when paid critics know less about comic books, punk rock and movies than i do. </geek>

See, I love the inconsistency in style of the films.

And, yeah, I totally dug the final scenes. I definitely wanted more, I want to know more about The Merovingian and the world of exiles. I want to know more about the relationship between The Architect and The Oracle.

And I now want to watch the films completely differently, looking at it from the perspective of the programs.

That there was a real sunrise and a real rainbow inside The Matrix and that the freed programs were delighted to see it was amazing. That The Architect was prepared to free those minds of the humans that wanted to be freed was such an interesting revelation...that the problem of choice still existed for everyone after things had been decided was just such a miraculous continuation of the theme of all three films.

And that the Wachowski Brothers didn't write a story that makes it's concepts so obvious that there's nothing to think about afterwards is a testament to how good of storytellers they really are.

And, I can't say it enough, all the heroes were brown people.

I refuse to not feel wonderful about that. Black people, Brown people, Yellow people and some token Whites saved the day.

Rainbow Coalition, motherfuckers!

Aaron, et al: When I see this for a second time, hopefully on an IMAX screen, I'll make sure it's not early in the morning, that the ticket people won't piss me the fuck off and that I'll have plenty of coffee. The absence or inclusion of all three caused me to not really pay attention. Or maybe too much attention.

Ronn, no worries. Sorry for being even more rude and strident than normal here. I forgot Michele's rule about not posting when outraged. Or I'm just being an asshole, and have no excuse.

Jason, see, this is what I was trying to say. Only, you know, with less swearing, and focusing on the positive. Thanks, Martin.

r@d@r, you spelled battel wrong. And the only reason I know I still have some faith in humanity is because things happen to chip what little remains off into the breeze.

I agree with you completely on REVOLUTIONS. With this film and the previous half (they're really just one movie in two parts), the Wachowski Bros. made a movie that confounded expectations. This led many, if not most, audience members to conclude that the films were bad. "Hey. this isn't panning out the way I wanted! This sucks!"

I went to see REVOLUTIONS three times because I was so engaged with the intellectual subtext of the picture. I grokked it completely from the first viewing, but I'll never forget the comment of the guy behind me that time: "Okay, what the fuck just happened?"

People need to learn that just because a film does something unexpected, that doesn't make it a failure.