A Pre-Review of The Matrix Revolutions

How am I supposed to review a movie that hasn't come out yet? No, I didn't get a sneak preview, instead I'm going to review The Matrix Reloaded since the next one is coming out. It's been a while since I saw it (been several months) so you'll have to excuse me if I'm a little fuzzy on the details. I thought the movie as a whole was very good, though not as good as the original. I felt that many things in the movie were not paced very well. Parts of the beginning moved a little too slowly. I also think I'm one of the few people who thought that the highway chase scene (15 minutes long) was actually too long. On the other hand, some parts of the movie felt rushed. Towards the end of the movie where they break into the high security facility (shortly before Neo meets the now famous Architect) I felt was rushed and needed more time. Also, Neo's conversation with the Architect was also quite brief, though some may argue that was the point (leaves people scratching their heads). As expected by everyone, the fight scenes were well done. Reviewers focused on the so called "Burly Brawl" when Neo fights 100 Agent Smiths. But that was not my favourite fight scene. My favourite is when Neo battles the henchmen of Merovingian, picking weapons off the wall as needed. It reminded me a lot of the fight scene in the dojo from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. That is not surprising, since I have read that the fight choreographer was used for both movies. The movie opened up so many possibilities of interpretation, especially with the short scene with the Architect. As many have guessed, the conversation implies that the world outside the Matrix is also not real, but a simulation (since Zion had been destroyed and the Matrix reloaded six times already). This simulation I have dubbed the "Meta Matrix". If that is the case, then it leaves everyone guessing what is beyond that simulation. I had a hard time grasping at the role of Neo in all of this. If the Meta Matrix is a simulation, then that means that people who die in the Meta Matrix die in the world beyond that. Thus, the current population of Zion could be new individuals. But, the Architect mentioned Neo came to him six times already in the previous incarnations of the Matrix. But if Zion was destroyed, wasn't Neo destroyed also, meaning he died? But if Neo wasn't destroyed the first six times, then how come he doesn't remember? Of course, there could be other possibilities. It could be that the people of Zion are computer simulations themselves. But based on what we've seen, the evidence seems to imply that they were not. Maybe Neo himself is a computer program? That would explain his separate existence six times but the Architect clearly states he is human, and subject to choice. There is another interesting side issue. Mr. Smith has managed to occupy the body of someone outside the Matrix. Did he manage to do that the last six times? Maybe he did. Then again, he seems to be infected with the power of choice (which he attributes to Neo) leading to his unwillingness to be deleted. That could possibly lead to something totally unforeseen from the Architect's point of view. On another note, I liked the brief encounter with Seraph. For those that don't know, "seraph" is Hebrew for "fiery angel". The root of the word is the Hebrew, "to burn". When Neo sees him for the first time through his "Matrix perspective" (green characters of code), instead of the usual green he sees what literally looks like a fiery angelic figure. Nice touch. What is the Matrix? Indeed.