There are some clever touches - reflections ahead of the story of Neo and Trinity engaged me a lot, and the plot did answer my questions in regard to that.
But overall this was very disappointing and, actually, quite a lazy effort.
Fight scenes for example, were badly done. Nothing particularly new about them, and the wow factor of the original is entirely missing - but in several shots you clearly see the fake punching where a hand misses, but the reaction and sound is that it hits. That ruins the suspension of belief and is so easily avoided in post-production.
Add in some randomly peppered ambushes that add nothing to the story and are clearly there for their own sake, and you are left feeling more irritated than enthralled.
It is an hour too long, mostly because the first half is set setting the stage and trying to explain why this movie exists at all. The key points are delivered well enough, but it just takes too damn long. Once the film does actually get going, then the flashbacks and self-references continue and do detract from the pleasure of watching this.
In summary, there still only remains one Matrix film.
But overall this was very disappointing and, actually, quite a lazy effort.
Fight scenes for example, were badly done. Nothing particularly new about them, and the wow factor of the original is entirely missing - but in several shots you clearly see the fake punching where a hand misses, but the reaction and sound is that it hits. That ruins the suspension of belief and is so easily avoided in post-production.
Add in some randomly peppered ambushes that add nothing to the story and are clearly there for their own sake, and you are left feeling more irritated than enthralled.
It is an hour too long, mostly because the first half is set setting the stage and trying to explain why this movie exists at all. The key points are delivered well enough, but it just takes too damn long. Once the film does actually get going, then the flashbacks and self-references continue and do detract from the pleasure of watching this.
In summary, there still only remains one Matrix film.