Few movies have left such an enduring impression on audiences as the release of The Matrix did in 1999. Whether it was perspective-bending action sequences or digestible philosophical concepts, there was something for mainstream audiences as well as those willing to tumble down the rabbit hole. Warner Bros recently announced that, alongside its theatrical release, the next installment in the Matrix universe would be released on HBO Max. Despite the original’s success, trepidation persists around the latest film thanks to an underwhelming reception for the original’s sequels. However, that reputation feels unearned upon revisiting them and might have more to do with the success of the original than their own perceived weakness. Therefore it’s time for a re-appraisal of The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions ahead of next year’s Matrix 4.
The war rages on between machine and man in Reloaded and Revolutions. Zion’s growth since Neo harnessed his power as ‘the One’ serves to provoke their adversaries. While Neo left the machines with a warning in the original’s final scene, the machines are very much on the offensive. They seek to comprehensively crush the last human city, sending an army of 250,000 sentinels to destroy Zion. One of the most compelling interpretations of the original Matrix was its potential to be read as an allegory for the transgender experience, recently discussed by co-creator Lily Wachowski. The sequels continued that prescient metaphor on their release in 2003 by framing the violent reaction to those challenging the norm. Taking the matrix construct as a representation of the gender-binary, the system inevitably pushes back violently against those rejecting the established status quo who exist outside of that construct.
The Matrix Reloaded was ahead of the curve when it came to deconstructing the 'chosen one' narrative. The Matrix revolved around the prophecy of ‘the One’ who would end the war between humanity and the machines - when the One enters the source of the matrix they will have the power to destroy it. Reloaded reveals that this is a system of control, designed by the machines to perpetuate their rule over the human race. During one of the penultimate scenes, Neo meets the Architect of the matrix, while Trinity struggles to survive against two Agents. The Architect reveals there have been previous versions of the matrix, of the one and of Zion – each of which has been destroyed and then rebuilt for the cycle to begin again, provided ‘the One’ returns to the source.
Neo is presented with a false choice: save all humanity by returning to the source and resetting the cycle, or return to the matrix to save Trinity, dooming humanity. When Neo opts to save Trinity, it represents his first opportunity to exercise free will. Though this appears a selfish and destructive choice, it transgresses the framework set out by the machines which previous versions of ‘the One’ have succumbed to. It serves as an effective critique of the pre-ordained nature of chosen one narratives, allowing Neo to reclaim his autonomy and use his powers to shape a new future – despite what appears to be a selfish decision in saving Trinity and allowing the machine assault on Zion to continue.
Whilst the sequels spend time examining lofty philosophical concepts, critics often cited a perceived emphasis on action and exposition over human connection. However, in Niobe, the sequels introduced one of the trilogy’s best characters. Niobe is one of Zion’s best pilots and Morpheus’ former partner. Though it also spans across the video game Enter The Matrix, her subplot is a compelling example of how to introduce new characters to an established franchise that enrich the story. Her belief in both Morpheus and Neo as people, without being a believer in the prophecy of ‘the One’ itself, plays a pivotal part in ending the war (and is a further example of rejecting the chosen one narrative).
She more than holds her own against what is presented as an overwhelmingly male roster of captains. Jada Pinkett Smith’s convincing performance carries one of the tensest sequences of the trilogy, as she pilots a cumbersome hovercraft down an arterial tunnel whilst pursued by thousands of machine sentinels. The pursuit is predominantly shot in CGI, which makes her reactions all the more laudable. Acting in the early days of green screen and CGI was notoriously inconsistent, yet Pinkett Smith’s physicality grounds the scene in reality. She immerses the audience completely as she barks orders, responding to every tight twist and turn in this riveting race to reach Zion.
Of course, the Wachowskis still placed plenty of emphasis on action sequences. The most breathtaking of which is the freeway chase in Reloaded, as Trinity and Morpheus escape with the Keymaker while Neo holds off the Merovingian’s henchmen. The sequence features Agents using cars as trampolines, the Twins who can phase through solid matter, a tense encounter with a razor blade and a seatbelt, and a slow-motion collision between two trucks - not to mention Morpheus wielding a samurai sword. Removing Neo from the equation creates suspense that would otherwise be lacking.
The sequels are clever in how they use Neo, his abilities are vastly superior to his comrades’ but he often fights separate from them – granting consequence to their struggles. Though it may not be as impressive as the freeway chase, the final battle for Zion in Revolutions is an incredible setpiece. It doesn't feature any of the main characters, but the swarming sentinel attack provides a sense of scale to the overwhelming odds facing the plucky resistance fighters. They tear through the dock relentlessly, to the point that any small victory the humans manage is pyrrhic at best.
Speaking of pyrrhic victories, Agent Smith finally besting Neo during the denouement of Revolutions was a fitting end to the battle between the two. The duality of Neo and Smith’s journeys after their climactic battle in The Matrix produces one of the most entertaining hero vs villain duels of the last twenty years, both as vehicles for ideals and on-screen spectacles. Smith’s evolution from a caged Agent of the system to Neo’s antithesis, spreading across the matrix and into the real world, is as engrossing as it is fun. Much of that owes to the performance of Hugo Weaving, who maintains Smith’s menacing presence, whilst shedding the self-serious nature of his Agent constraints which makes him seem more human.
Interestingly, in The Matrix, Smith had previously described human beings as a disease that multiplied endlessly, consuming every resource as they go – claiming that the machines were the cure to this disease. By the climax of Revolutions Smith himself has done exactly that, as he overwrites every inhabitant of the matrix. This compulsion affords Neo the opportunity to bargain with the machines to achieve peace - saving humanity in the process. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony.
Though Smith is unlikely to return in the latest Matrix sequel, he’s at the heart of many of the trilogy's best scenes. Plenty of those are found in Reloaded and Revolutions. Though the original is an enduring classic, the sequels deserve more respect. As audiences revisit them in anticipation of Matrix 4, their reputation will surely grow stronger.
The Matrix Trilogy is available on Amazon Prime, DVD, and 4K Bluray.