(aka "The Matrix 2" )
directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski
USA 2003
The Matrix was a huge success both cinematically and
commercially, and The Matrix Reloaded did even better... only
commercially. Everything that made the first film so brilliant and
original, the plot, the cultural and smart philosophical references, all
of that is swept away by an absolute overkill of pointless, endless action
scenes (the 100 Smiths fight and the highway chase have no narrative use
whatsoever, feature crappy CGI and just keep going and going and going and
going and going and going...) and pretentious, almost incomprehensible,
pseudo-philosophical dialogues.
"A propos", these dialogues are even more pointless when you realize that
what it refers to (reason, cause, effect) is the very thing that this
movie's story is lacking. "Ergo", the movie looks like a bad beat'em all
videogame : a very basic, even simplistic story with stereotyped
characters (Link, the "funny" black guy, is a very clichéd, almost racist
kind of character that the Wachowski really should be ashamed of) whose
only reason to exist is to put big action sequences together. And let's
not talk about the so-called big surprise ending that we were supposed to
expect, it only takes the film even deeper in dumbness.
As Neo said in the end of the Matrix, the possibilities for The Matrix 2
had "no borders nor boundaries". There was so much to say about the
metaphor of the Matrix that in the end, the Wachowskis may have been
confused and chose to do what they thought they were supposed to do : a
big action movie with some philosophical dialogues. The first film's
themes or ideas are not developed at all, and the dialogues are pompous
and in contradiction "vis-a-vis" the action scenes. With all these flaws,
The Matrix Reloaded is a boring, stupid and simplistic action film, the
exact opposite of the first film. Did you say disappointment ? Even that
would be an understatement.
Posters
Theatrical Release: 15 May 2003
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
Warner Home Video (2-Disc Edition (France)) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Warner Home Video (The Ultimate Matrix Collection Disc 3) - Region 1,4 - NTSC
(Warner Home Video (2-Disc Edition (France)) - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT vs. Warner Home Video (The Ultimate Matrix Collection Disc 3) - Region 1,4 - NTSC - RIGHT)
Comments |
Well
this is a lot tougher than the comparison for the first film : the
2-disc version is only a year older than the UMC edition, so it's very
likely that the same source material (probably a HD transfer) was used
for both editions. Therefore, if there's any difference between these
two editions, it's very slight. I might say that in the scenes inside the Matrix, the UMC is a little greener than the original release (see the sky on comparison 1 and the floor on comparison 5), but for the scenes taking place in the real world, it's the same thing. It could simply be a matter of PAL vs. NTSC, so it’s hard to say if there’s been any modification between the 2-disc version and the UMC version. All in all, both images have excellent definition, contrasts and a very well handled compression (a bit visible in comparison 1). There's a slight hint of cropping on the UMC, but it's very minor (see comparison 2 and 5 in particular). I read somewhere that the CGI in the "Superman thing" scene were improved for the UMC ; after seeing comparison 1, I seriously doubt it. I haven't compared the DVDs' sound mixes, but judging by the bitrates I'd say that again the UMC has the edge. Anyway, both mixes are pretty destructive and very well crafted, demo material for sure. As for extras, the ones on the 2-disc edition are quite good but they can't match up with the UMC's discs 4 and 8, only because disc 4 includes all the movie material from the Enter the Matrix videogame, featuring the sequels' actors and probably directed by the Wachowski brothers themselves. Bottom line : if you don't give a damn about extras or the trilogy's two other films, go for the 2-disc edition. Otherwise, the UMC is still a no-brainer. |
DVD
Menus
(Warner Home Video (2-Disc Edition
(France)) - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT vs. Warner Home Video (The
Ultimate Matrix Collection Disc 3) - Region 1,4 - NTSC - RIGHT)
|
|
|
|
|
Screen Captures
(Warner Home Video (2-Disc Edition (France)) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Warner Home Video (The Ultimate Matrix Collection Disc 3) - Region 1,4 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
(Warner Home Video (2-Disc Edition (France)) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Warner Home Video (The Ultimate Matrix Collection Disc 3) - Region 1,4 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
(Warner Home Video (2-Disc Edition (France)) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Warner Home Video (The Ultimate Matrix Collection Disc 3) - Region 1,4 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
(Warner Home Video (2-Disc Edition (France)) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Warner Home Video (The Ultimate Matrix Collection Disc 3) - Region 1,4 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
(Warner Home Video (2-Disc Edition (France)) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Warner Home Video (The Ultimate Matrix Collection Disc 3) - Region 1,4 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
Report Card: