Grade The Film Series: The Matrix

[Mitch Henessey]

Upon its release in 1999, the original Matrix film gave a lot of movie fans hope for a fresh science fiction/action franchise. The special effects were groundbreaking, and we were introduced to a new hero. Keanu Reeves's Neo possessed superpowers, he could fight, and Neo was branded with the "chosen one" tag. Every hero needs an arch-nemesis, and Hugo Weaving's devious and meticulous Agent Smith became the perfect rival.

The Matrix provided some jaw-dropping special effects and stylish action scenes, and most of us had high hopes for the sequel. As far as quality goes, Reloaded was step a down. We finally got a chance to see Neo come into his own as the savoir of Zion. He was more confident and bold. Still, Reloaded couldn't recapture the magic of the first film. But at least we saw a few hard-hitting and stylized fight scenes. Here's my favorite:

[YOUTUBE]x1srznPx1qA[/YOUTUBE]

And then Revolutions had to happen. Yeah, the visual eye candy was great, but unfortunately, Revolutions fell into the same mold as other flashy Hollywood action/sci-fi blockbusters with over the top special effects. Plus, Neo's underwhelming final battle with Agent Smith provided the biggest disappointment at the end.

It's not a tough call for me, and if I had to give The Matrix franchise an overall grade, I would go with a C+.

I enjoyed Reeve's portrayals as Neo, and Hugo Weaving was an entertaining antagonist. Plus, Laurence Fishburne was a believable mentor.

Of course, I can't forget about the bad. Carrie-Anne Moss's dull and dry performances didn't help anything. Lambert Wilson's Merovingian was too comical for my taste, Jada Pinkett-Smith didn't add anything to this franchise, and Monica Bellucci's tight dresses and cleavage shots gain more recognition than her actual performances.

The original Matrix's groundbreaking special effects have become outdated over the years, but it's still a good film. Reloaded didn't live up to the outrageous expectations, but it's a respectable follow-up. Revolutions is indefensible, easily one of the most disappointing finales ever.

So with all that said, what grade would you give The Matrix film series?

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

There's not much more I would add to what's already been said to be honest.

The first was a breath of fresh air as the Wachowski's looked to the East for inspiration and fused elements of traditional Western action cinema with elements of anime in live-action, with both Akira and Ghost in the Shell being cited as inspirations. This arguably contributed to more Western audiences delving deeper into the Eastern influences than vice versa.

Before Reloaded hit the screens, there was a collection of 9 (I think) short films that made up the Animatrix series that either explained how the machines took control, "The Second Renaissance", showed how other characters entered The Matrix, "Kid's Story" or were set just before either The Matrix and Reloaded, "A Detective Story" and "Flight of the Osiris" respectively.

While Star Wars have their incredibly successful "Clone Wars" animation series to bridge some gaps, what I liked about the Animatrix was that as well as bridging some gaps, it also provided a wider idea of the Matrix universe and what was possible within it.

The Animatrix is technically supplementary to the film series but I figured it was worth mentioning all the same as it was a less subtle nod to the inspiration of Anime to the Wachowskis.

...but Revolutions man, fucksake.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

It's a hard series to really pin down a grade on because of how different in quality each movie is.

The first one was a very good movie. It was original, had great effects for it's time and was fun to watch.

The second one I thoroughly enjoy. Might even be my favorite to watch. Not because it's the best of the three, but it's the most fun. As far as story goes, I don't think a thing happened in this movie. It literally didn't add anything more to the trilogy except the exorbitant use of other programs. But it's mostly a nonstop thrill ride with some fun action scenes. My favorite being the one video you posted.

The third one really drags the series down. It's bad when people require an explanation as to what happened in the movie even after watching it. Period.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

I give it a C(probably deserves C+ but let it stay at that when I allready graded). Very good idea and very good implemented to screen but all the hype with the first movie they killed with second and third.

First movie was axcellent. Good story, had debt and action scenes were never seened until then and so fresh, but second and third had too much action for my taste but not nearly enough debt of story or the characters. They could off be done better...