Posted by Ralphy ™ at cache-dl03.proxy.aol.com on November 09, 2003 at 18:40:10:
In Reply to: Welp... posted by Mixed Nuts Man on November 09, 2003 at 18:30:54:
Listen, I respect your opinion because unlike some people, you've gone a little furhter than "it just sucks." I'd like to share why I disagree with your points.
: First off, I wouldn't have shown any of Zion....The first Matrix shows us with these small group of characters that we fell in love with...and then they suddenly threw about 600 new characters into the mix that were nothing more than extraneous time fillers (ie: the Twins)
--If they were gonna do sequels, they kind of had to show Zion. So it was Zion or no trilogy...and you've made it clear that you prefer to just leave the first film on it's own. That's fine.
: Neo's character 100% changed...but not in development, just laziness...what made Neo work as a character was the simple fact that he had self doubt...that he was vulnerable...that he was learning...he all the sudden became all powerful invincible without any motivation
--It's been years since the first Matrix, and his powers have grown considerably. Like Luke in "Jedi," he has become something more powerful, so there is not much room left for extraneous self-doubt.
But then in Reloaded, they took everything he thought he knew about himself and tossed it out the window, filling him with...ba dum...self-doubt about what the Matrix really is and who he is.
: The love story was nothing more than something they threw in because it is almost "required"
--Well, that's been there since the first film. Nothing new.
: Each and every action sequence begged the audience to like it...instead of letting us chose for ourselves...
--I disagree. I watch the action, and all I could think was "this is like watching my worst imaginary nightmare unfold on screen." And after watching Animatrix, you already know how much the machines can kick the people's asses, so I was afraid for the humans.
And visually, it was great. Come on...don't be mad at them because they didn't pull any punches.
: The second two Matrix films became so pompous, self absorbed, and pretencious that everything that was once loved with the original was thrown out the door...
--I really really feel that the first one was just as self absorbed. No one was prepared for it when it came out. That's the only difference.
All right, nothing I can say will make you change your mind. We'll just have to agree to disagree. My final thought is just that I tried to go in with little expectations (like I did way back for the first film), and personally, I enjoyed the hell out of it.
Whew.