The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 3 (of 5)

Matrix Revolutions

Came without any expectation. Never been too much excited about this "philosophical"side of the flicks, therefore not so disappointed like the guy sitting next to me. Will not see the movie twice, but will buy the DVD later.
Can't wait for the Return of the King though.

Phil Crompton
Thursday, November 6, 2003

I don't know how "Matrix - Revolution" is, but Matrix Reloaded was way better than the original Matrix.

The first movie in the Matrix series was made from very classic science-fiction elements.

I mean, to somebody who doesn't read a lot of sci-fi, it seems like an original idea when in fact it is not.

But the secod one was a lot more original and a lot better.

MX
Thursday, November 6, 2003

MX - did you see a version where the fifteen minutes of talking head was cut? Because I was *so* ready for Neo to just shoot the guy and keep walking.

Philo

Philo
Thursday, November 6, 2003

I didn't like the end of the "Matrix Revolutions"... but i guess i won't say anything about it here, since it would ruin it for some people:)

Though first movie was the best one of the trilogy. Sure 2nd and 3rd had some nice moves and combat scenes, but still the story was the most reasonable one in the "Matrix".

martydud
Thursday, November 6, 2003

LOL!

Matrix - FPS edition :)

(FPS = First Person Shooter)

BTW - the Matrix game SUXX. :-(

MX
Thursday, November 6, 2003

I enjoyed the first Matrix.I thought that the second one was crap: incredibly long, the philosophical side was at primary school level, and the combat scenes were a loong yawn, looking a lot like a commercial for the game (which I have never seen or played by the way). The third one? I doubt that I will spend any money in a ticket.

uncronopio
Thursday, November 6, 2003

Nick
Thursday, November 6, 2003

Please. Have some good special effects doesn't make a good film, it's the story and actors that count. The story was paper-thin pub philosophy at best (>3 pints), and most of the actors couldn't act their way out of a (wet) paper bag.
I've not seen 3, will go and see it next week, for the big screen experience, but from the advert I'm not holding my breath. Here's hoping Agent Smith gets more screen time.

ScottB
Thursday, November 6, 2003

Apologies. Should have be 'Having'. But you knew that.

ScottB
Thursday, November 6, 2003

Actually - add to that:

I've got kids, so I never made to the theaters to see Reloaded. Rented it on DVD when it came out recently and was severely disappointed. They went Hollywood on us. Not since Rocky to Rocky II+ has a film series dropped so far from grace. What the hell was that rave scene? And the orgasmic desert the blonde ate? Generally I'm all for sexxing things up, but this was lame. Jada Pinckett-Smith was completely wooden - like someone trying to act cool, tough, and confident but overdoing it. I'm just afraid she'll have a bigger role in Revolutions and ruin what little hope I have for that flick.

I re-watched the original Matrix the other night on TBS. I was never a big Carrie Ann Moss fan, but after re-watching it I am. Not only does she kick ass with style, but the lady exudes cool, tough, and confident.

Nick
Thursday, November 6, 2003

Give the reviews I have read I can't say I will go and see it. Maybe rent it on video when it comes out.

Thursday, November 6, 2003

Aren't there other boards more suited to this conversation? This IS a board for software development.

Just because some film company over hypes some POS movie doesn't mean you have to discuss it on every goddam board on the Internet.

suckers suck
Thursday, November 6, 2003

"I don't know how "Matrix - Revolution" is, but Matrix Reloaded was way better than the original Matrix."

No way!. No story. 15 minute fight scenes which are stupid because no one really gets hurt. The whole movie was "what can we do with special effects in a fight scene?"

More Hollywood drivel.

Matrix sucks
Thursday, November 6, 2003

> Aren't there other boards more suited to this conversation? This IS a board for software development.

If you can write an auto moderator that moderates threads like this 100% with 0% false positives out I would be very very very very very very interested.

Li-fan Chen
Thursday, November 6, 2003

Most of the posters, whose names you've never seen before, are paid shills for the studio, trolling for suckers in tech oriented newsgroups.

And that's a fact.

Counter-Shill
Thursday, November 6, 2003

Bum, I forgot it was Wednesday yesterday, I could have gone to see it.

Simon Lucy
Thursday, November 6, 2003

Counter-shill:

That's just what They want you to think. Don't you know that software development is the career path for all the rebellious humans? They're just messing with us, dude.

Neo
Thursday, November 6, 2003

"This IS a board for software development."

I thought this is a backup board when /. is down.

Johnny Bravo
Thursday, November 6, 2003

I saw it on IMAX last night. It's really not very good.
The dialogue is bad. Like how-can-they-say-the-lines-with-a-straight-face kind of bad. The action isn't that great either. There really is no internal consistency to what physical feats people can do in the matrix. It's like the characters can do whatever is in the budget. There are regular bad guys in Revolutions who can stand and walk on the ceiling. Why? Because the SFX guys figured out how.
And holy crap is it loud! Loud, bad music.
On the plus side, I didn't think the religious themes were so prominant or heavy-handed in Revolutions.

Brian
Thursday, November 6, 2003

A way better experience than Reloaded. Of course, I went into that one wanting it to be awesome, and ended up with the whole *cringe* "Is this scene over yet?" *cringe* "No you have not proven that point, you've just said it a bunch of times and shown something else entirely, and I refuse to believe you actually intend me to take this seriously."

This time I wasn't expecting much. Vaguely hoping it wouldn't slide into even more complete suckitude. It didn't. Still not as good as the first one. But it ended with a sense of resolution rather than a big fat "to be continued" screen. Good enough.

Mikayla
Thursday, November 6, 2003

Next up. Matirx Retarded

Matrix sucks
Thursday, November 6, 2003

"The whole movie was "what can we do with special effects in a fight scene?""

What's wrong with that?

Jim Rankin
Thursday, November 6, 2003

"The whole movie was "what can we do with special effects in a fight scene?""

What's wrong with that?

The problem is that for their huge budget they should make it much awesome and/or interesting than this.

dave feitl
Thursday, November 6, 2003

While all such "art" is highly subjective, it seems that I must be the only one here who liked the series of films. Actually, I *really* enjoyed them.

So I can only figure that if you didn't enjoy it, then you were too stupid to understand the principles, concepts, and philosophy. And you must be getting really old, as your bitter age is shortening your patience as well as mental capacity.

(And the guys walking on ceilings were Vampires you idiot.)

Surrounded by morons
Thursday, November 6, 2003

The first Matrix I think was better. The break-in into the military facility scene was amazing - I think I must have viewed it 20 times in one day (from the CD) just to get my eye candy fix.

yes, I was disappointed by the Reloaded although the 'architect' speech kept me 'processing' for a while :)

Alex
Friday, November 7, 2003

Equilibrium
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0238380/

Guy Incognito
Friday, November 7, 2003

> Just because some film company over hypes some POS movie doesn't mean you have to discuss it on every goddam board on the Internet. <

And if I don't go to other forums? At some point a forum is just that - a place for discussion, and yes there are specific topics that are apropos, we'd never talk about what color to paint the walls or the best way to locate real estate until Joel posted something about his new office. Chill dude, just skip this thread.

As for the movie, I still think the 1st one was best, it was the most internally consistent, and had the best plot. The problem with these two is that nobody told the Wachowski Brothers that you should introduce plot elements early on instead of solving them 15 minutes after introducing them. To make an example from the 2nd movie (since I'm assuming you've all seen that and I won't spoil anything for you) "Oh, there's this guy called the Keymaker and you have to find him." "Okay, how do we do that?" "Well you go to this random address." etc.

In any case, the fight scenes did drag, as did some of the non-fight scenes, but I think Revolutions was much better than Reloaded. It had more plot, less thinking, and there were no 11 herbs and spices scenes... Or at least the ones they had were interpsersed with fighting. "Wait, can it really be Ranch Dressing?" (punch) "No, I hear it's just Salt and Pepper." (kick)

Also, the fight scenes in this movie seemed to make more sense. They weren't "well, let's stick Neo in the mountains so the other characters have something else to do."

If you're going to see it, you might as well go all the way and do the IMAX version. I saw Reloaded in IMAX and wow, I saw Lawrence Fishburn's pores the size of my head, Carrie Ann Moss' ass larger than my apartment, Monica Bellucci's somewhat leathery skin, the bad makeup on Keanu Reeves that changed from scene to scene, etc.

www.MarkTAW.com
Sunday, November 9, 2003

Oh yeah, and when I saw the guys walking on the ceiling I thought to myself "Cool, they thought of a new visual trick to use here rather than it being the same old same old over and over again."

www.MarkTAW.com
Sunday, November 9, 2003

SLIGHT SPOILER -- AVERT YOUR EYES NOW -- THIS WILL BE YOUR LAST WARNING

The key scene in the movie is when Trinity tells the Merovingian "I don't have time for this crap", after the Merovingian has babbled on for a couple minutes about some not-quite-philosophical blather, and puts a gun to his head.

I think that was the Wachowskis' way of saying, "Ok, we're done with the semi-philosophical crap, from here on in we're just going to blow stuff up in ways that require many many millions of dollars worth of special effects."

Revolutions is a throwback to Star Wars Episode IV (yes, that would be the first one), which in turn is a throwback to old B-movie action films. It really has that flavor of the hopeless rebels hopelessly fighting against hopeless odds, but giving the enemy hell, nonetheless.

Jim Rankin
Monday, November 10, 2003

My other thought is that the humans in the Matrix series are really just minor characters. The Matrix series is really about a power struggle between a bunch of computer programs. The fate of humanity rests on the outcome of this battle, but there's really not much the humans can do to affect it. Neo, does, of course, end up playing a role, but it's not clear if it is a major role, or just a necessary bit part.

Jim Rankin
Monday, November 10, 2003

"Monica Bellucci's somewhat leathery skin"

Man, you must be pretty darn picky about women.

Jim Rankin
Monday, November 10, 2003

I was so dissappointed in the Matrix Revolution. These were my favorite movies of all time. Somtimes you don't kill of the best characters like Trinity and possibly Neo. That was such a bad decision of the film makers part. I was hoping for a happy ending for the two of them. For me that just killed the film and the hope of me watching them again.

Todd
Saturday, May 1, 2004