Is anyone looking forward to Matrix Revolutions DVD? (1 Viewer)

[JustinCleveland]

DVD Town review

 

[Clay D. Major]

A few thoughts on the whole MATRIX saga...

My favorite novel of all time is William Gibson's Triple-Crown (Hugo, Nebula, Philip K Dick) Award-Winning NEUROMANCER; a book which, despite the cliche', really did change my life. Gibson coined the term 'cyberspace' in his original Sprawl Trilogy of short stories (Johnny Mnemonic, New Rose Hotel, and Burning Chrome) and in all of the above also referred to his virtual world as 'the matrix'. (For years I've even driven around with NROMNCR license plates on my car, both signed by (a rather bemused) Gibson; that's how nutso I am about this book. Go read it if you haven't already.) So obviously, when the film version of Johnny Mnemonic came out -- screenplay by Gibson himself, but starring the Always Horrible Keanu Reeves -- I was less than enthused. That movie, though I prayed for it night and day not to suck, sucked.

So years later here comes this virtual reality flick called THE MATRIX and once again, there's Keanu Reeves. I was wholly prepared for this thing to suck as woefully as JM did; Reeves had nearly ruined BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA for me (no small feat, as I adored nearly every frame of that film that he wasn't in) so I wasn't looking forward to Yet Another Decent Film getting stunk up by Bill or Ted or whichever stoner moron Keanu was.

Boy was I surprised. THE MATRIX blew me away. I mean literally overwhelmed and amazed me like I hadn't been transformed by film since 1977 and the original STAR WARS. Here was a filmmaking revolution of visual storytelling (even though the Brothers W. filched the plot and visuals from countless other mediums, my beloved NEUROMANCER not the least of them) and narrative style that simply knocked me on my ass and BEGGED for repeat viewings. My wife makes me shamefacedly admit this as proof of my obsessive nature, but it's true: I saw the first MATRIX ten times in the theater. Ten. And loved it more with every screening.

A few months before the DVD release I decided the home theater needed a complete overhaul to honor its arrival. Out went the 36" Sony Trinitron for a 65" Mitsubishi; 86'ed the H/K AVRSomethingorother for a brand new Yamaha powerplant with DTS/DD 5.1; mothballed the tried and true Pioneer laserdisc player for a 5-disc Yamaha DVD changer, the best piece of video hardware my local Upscale A/V Store could unload on me. Trick it all out with Canton handcrafted cherrywood speakers and a 1200-watt Velodyne powered sub and I was MATRIX-ready. I started counting down the days til its arrival.

The Yamaha changer was one of 6 DVD players on the market that couldn't play THE MATRIX dvd. That's how my life treats me. Like a diaper. With all the lights out, the Yamaha cranked up high and the Mitsubishi finely calibrated for the richest blacks (to better showcase Trinity's leather-clad bottom), I sat back and watched the DVD come to a grinding halt just shy of Trinity's monkey-stomping-the-cops scene. Less than 5 minutes into the film and my MATRIX experience was kaput.

(Strangely enough, the exact same Yamaha DVD player sans 5-disc changer -- same optics, same specs, as far as I could tell -- worked with the film just fine. But boy did the clerk hear an earful during THAT exchange.)

Cut to nearly 5 years later. But for the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy I had never awaited a film so eagerly as I had the MATRIX sequel. I jokingly told friends that if RELOADED sucked I'd burn the theater down. The media blitz began; Superbowl commercials looked promising; there was even a PS2 video game, a brilliant cross-platform storytelling concept that would have gone far if it wasn't one of the worst games since Pong. Things weren't looking very good.

So I'm at work one day and jokingly tell my boss -- whose best friend from high school and the godfather of his son is the Editor-in-Chief of Hollywood's premiere trade rag VARIETY -- that to reward me for all my hard work he should give The Godfather a ring and get us tickets to the L.A. premiere of RELOADED, ha-ha. Wouldn't that be a hoot, I laughed.

Two days later he had the tickets. We were on our way to L.A.

We stayed at the W Hotel, just blocks from the premiere, and while knocking back a couple of pre-show double Maker's Marks who should sidle into the bar but Agent Smith/Lord Elrond himself, Hugo Weaving. I suddenly regretted very much my choice of wardrobe for the evening: Shin-legnth leather jacket, black shirt, green silk tie, black chinos and a brand new pair of very MATRIXy looking sunglasses. I knew if I approached him he'd read MONSTER FAN GIMP all over me and duck out before I could vomit on him. As it was, he was passing through the bar on the way out to the back patio to have a smoke, and it was there I was able to offer him a light and tell him, very casually, that I loved his work in a small Australian film called THE INTERVIEW (this is a FANTASTIC movie, find it if you can; Weaving is hypnotic). He seemed to appreciate this more than "Dude, you RULE as Elrond" or "Would you say 'Mr. Anderson' for me, please?" and we had a pleasant little chat before I decided I'd wasted enough of his time.

When I got back to my barstool, the entire cast had assembled at the end of the bar. Everyone. Keanu, Lawrence Fishburne, Carrie-Ann Moss (pregnant at the time, and radiant), Jada Pinkett-Smith (with hubby Will in tow, looking every bit as cool in real life), the absolutely stunning Monica Bellucci (and I mean: Holy MOLY), and finally Mr. Weaving. All having a bottle of bubbly before the show, which I offered to pay for but was kiboshed by some Warner Brothers handler gimp with a real attitude. When I flashed my VARIETY-emblazoned premiere tickets, his attitude changed quite a bit, but he still wouldn't let me pick up the tab.

Finally it was time to head down to the theater and I fell in step with the gang just a pace or two behind Ms. Bellucci to my left and Mr. Smith to my right; the plan was to just blend in as part of the entourage (hey, I had the leather and the shades, right?) all the way up the red carpet. That plan made it about as far as the bottom of the W's front steps; the stars were all filing into a FLEET of black Cadillac Escalade SUVs (a few of which show up in RELOADED's interminable car chase) and I wasn't on the seating chart. So I basically escorted the procession on foot, keeping pace with the lead (Keanu/Carrie/Lawrence) car like some motorcade Secret Service agent and making a real ass out of myself. (One of the cops controlling traffic around the theater when we arrived called me "Leather Boy" and told me to get the hell out of the road. This is how Hollywood treats its loyal fans.)

Turns out I could have done a LOT more hobknobbing with the stars had I NOT had a ticket to the show; the red carpet chowderheads got to shake hands with the cast as they made their way from the SUV fleet into the theater, while us ticketholders were hastily shunted off the red carpet and into the theater to make room for more glam. Turns out, too, that VARIETY doesn't score the best seats in the house; the premiere was actually divided into two theaters, both right next door to each other: one screening for The Stars and one for The Gimps With Free Screening Tickets. So I was about as special that night as Melvin The Jackass That Was Caller 100 on Z102's Monday Matrix Premiere Giveaway Day. That was a bitter pill, let me tell you. I was also the only one in the auditorium dressed like it was Halloween. Sigh.

So, anyway. The movie sucked. Full of Sound and Fury, signifying nothing. S-u-c-k-e-d. My only hope was that the trilogy would could to some massively satisfying conclusion in the third act, but of this I had little hope; as soon as I'd heard, years before, that Volume 3 would take place almost entirely in "the real world" I despaired of the entire project. Huh?? The Real World?? Where's the fun in THAT? Neo has become SUPERMAN inside the Matrix, why on earth would we want to see him do anything in the Real World? Why, for that matter, do I even CARE about Zion, when I'm left plugged into the pod being used to power some excel spreadsheet somewhere?? At the end of the first film, Neo made a phonecall to the machines promising an end to their world; that he was going to show people the truth now that he had the power to do anything inside the Matrix. WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT PROMISE!?! We never SEE Neo liberate a single coppertop, and that should have been the whole point of the 2nd and 3rd films.

REVOLUTIONS disappointed so thoroughly that I can't even speak of it with calm fingers here; the Brothers W. utterly failed to replicate the sheer awe and wonder of the first film, which will always be one of my all-time favorites, the same way Lucas dumped on us Old School Star Wars fans with the clankering crap-fests that are Episodes 1 and 2.

Oh, and I'll never attend another Hollywood premiere in a heavy leather coat again.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[Michael Martin]

Count me in with the apparent minority of folks who really liked Revolutions, and is eager for its home video release. I'm actually hoping to block off a good part of the weekend following Revolutions' release to watch all three back-to-back.:b

Also good to know that at least one or two others really liked Reloaded; I'm pretty sure it's my favorite of the 3 films. The action is even more intense than the first film, and the story and ideas get quite a bit deeper.

I also agree that we need to view Reloaded and Revolutions as one long movie split apart by release date. Can make a big difference in how you view them.

However, I will probably hold off purchasing Revolutions, for the same reason I didn't buy Reloaded: I know a boxed set is coming, and while I'll double dip for the LotR films, that's where I draw the line.

And someone mentioned the music from these two films: Fluke's "Zion" from Reloaded and Juno Reactor vs Don Davis' "Navras" from Revolutions get HEAVY play on my car CD player. Especially "Navras" - incredible combination of choral, classical and electronica elements.

 

[RobertR]

I enjoyed it.

 

[Lars_J]

I actually enjoyed Revolutions much more than Reloaded... But I'll probably hold off until the trilogy box-set somes out.

 

[Brendon]

I enjoyed it too! I had much the same reaction to the first film after seeing it: someone had taken all of my favourite cyberpunk concepts and made an awesome film out of them. The concepts of Gibson, Effinger etc and the visual impact of Blade Runner.

I didn't mind Reloaded so much and picked up the DVD regardless, figuring the concerns I had about the film would be addressed in the third. They weren't. I'd like Revolutions solely for the Sentinel attack sequence (nop notch eye and ear candy). Knowing the standard of the extras on the Reloaded set, I'll pass on the Revolutions DVD until the box set with the first film retransfered in it.

The reviews I've seen so far of the Revolutions DVD indicate that the transfer of the film is outstanding. I'll probaby pony up for a rental (especially as my partner didn't see it at the cinema and I didn't exactly urge her to go and see it when I got back from the flicks myself).

Brendon

 

[John Mansor]

I agree exactly. I really liked that questions were asked in reloaded just assuming that the would be answered in the third. Man, I was so wrong!

 

[Patrick Soucy]

Well,

I loved the Reloaded and Revolutions movies, the animatrix and the game!

Sure, they're not like the first one, but they're entertainingand very great. Matrix was also an action movie...

I just have to get the comic books and I'll be happy!

 

[ThomasC]

I see that you live in Dayton, so you and others that live in the area just might be ecstatic to know that the Miami University Collegiate Chorale, which I'm a part of, is planning to perform "Navras" in the fall. I was addicted to that track when I got the soundtrack, so I asked my choir director to listen to it. He thought it was awesome, so he contacted Don Davis's agent/Warner Music and it seems like everything is going to work out.

I think Fluke's "Zion" saved the rave and sex scenes for me.

As for the DVD, I'll be waiting for the super ultimate trilogy box set. Warner said in the chat two weeks ago that they were in preliminary discussions and they couldn't say anything else at the moment.

 

[EricW]

i like Reloaded more than M1; Reloaded was one of the few sci-fi/action movies where the exposition was as interesting to sit though as the action (well, some of the the Zion scenes did drag on, but everytyhing in the actual matrix world was cool). Revolutions just wasn't interesting so sit through. i appreciate all the craftsmanship that went into the movie, but it just didn't engage me at all. i wish there was alot more matrix stuff in it and alot less real-world stuff in it between the beignning (subway station/club hell) and the end (superbrawl).

 

[Brian L D]

I'm going to pass on it (probably rent it though). I'm waiting for special editions of both Reloaded and Revolutions. They both need commentary tracks. I expect that we'll see them within a year (if not by Christmas of this year).

 

[Ron-P]

I waited for the Reloaded dvd and for this as well. Matrix was the only one I saw in the theater. Reloaded was worth the purchase of the dvd as I'm sure Revolutions will be. I'm just happy I saved the $9.50 for each of these by skipping their theatrical runs. I am looking forward to getting it on street day.

I find almost no replay value in Reloaded where as The Matrix has plenty. I hope Revolutions is a bit better.


Peace Out~

 

[ThomasC]

In terms of replay value, I don't think so. I thought it was decent at the least, though.

 

[AlexHL]

Revolutions was definitely better than Reloaded. However I'm not buying the DVD. I'm holding out for the trilogy box-set. Or better yet, I really hope Warner will release the remastered first Matrix seperately.

 

[Nkosi]

I applaud the Wachowski Bros. for their work on the trilogy. Matrix was an undoubted classic. Reloaded and Revolutions were good, but disappointments.

I was cool with the ambiguity in story plots and resolution. I appreciate filmakers who respect creative thinking and smart movie audiences.

The special effects were amazing, especially the Attack on Zion and final Smith/ Neo fight. The Burly Brawl in Reloaded was fake looking, but innovative and pushed the limits of cgi f/x. I respect that.

My biggest problem with the 2 sequels however, came down to movie making issues. I really felt like Revolutions seemed rushed towards the end. I also felt that certain character arcs weren't completely fleshed out. Main characters really faded into the background in Revolutions. The movie lost the personal touch the original had (i.e.- the new Star Wars Prequels). I stopped really caring for our heroes as much as I had in the original. Plus, I felt that certain scenes tended to become drawn out or too condensed, hurting momentum and killing the scene (i.e.- the last scene with Trinity and Neo).

Still, I love the trilogy and am thankful for it. I look forward to the W. Bros. next flick. I will definitely pick up Revolutions upon its DVD release. I hear the audio/ vid on the disc are amazing.

 

[RodneyT]

Having seen the DVD, and having a preview copy thats going to get a screening here in about 3 hours with a bunch of friends, i have to say that the sound quality is simply.....simply ....... astonishing. The film may not be for everybody (which film truly is?) and I certainly didnt enjoy this one as much as i did Reloaded, but just to hear the constant LFE material on offer here is to be in awe of sound mixers for films. Thought the theatrical presentation was crap, to be honest, but on DVD its an ear-splitting ride. Picture aint half bad either.

That said, the film does tend to go on a little too long, with the final scene between Trinity and Neo (after the crash)slowing the film down to a full stop. Still, the Zion battle and the Smith/Neo superbrawl are awesome.

Strap in and hang on.

 

[Frank@N]

After buying an a used copy of Reloaded for $9.99, I was in a quandary about what to do next...

I was really disappointed with Reloaded and felt that the series had degenerated into boring action.

I held onto my copy of Reloading thinking that Revolutions might complete the puzzle.

Started reading the DVD reviews of Revolutions and found that it was more of the same or worse.

Decided my best bet was to sell my copy of Reloaded for $6 and forget the whole thing.

Another sequel that never should have been made.

 

[Shawn_KE]

How about watching the movie for yourself instead of going by what others say?

 

[Magnus T]

Just finished going through both discs for Revolutions. As you already know by now, Revolutions is reference quality transfer. In fact, it's absolutely the best transfer I HAVE EVER SEEN! Anyone want screengrabs just say the word.

The audio however was a disappointment. Where's the "hmpf"? Generally it sounded really good, but during the action scenes I was surprised of how little dynamic there was.

Extras were okay... Better than on the Reloaded DVD, but much of it was pretty much fluff. Doubt I'll give the second disc a spin again.

 

[Chuck Stephens]

Magnus, I'm always up for screenshots so the word has been said