Official Matrix Revolutions Plot Speculation Thread (Spoilers for Reloaded. Duh.)

Cafe Society
#1

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Official Matrix Revolutions Plot Speculation Thread. The final chapter of the trilogy debuts November 5, and since the full theatrical trailer has been released, I figure it’s prudent to begin fervent and unchecked argument about what will happen.

Review
If you don’t remember the central arguments regarding the plot of the second movie, please take a week or so to review the six thousand page thread Matrix Reloaded plot discussion (Spoilers Galore, NO spoiler boxes!!)
Ground Rules:
This thread will have spoilers a-plenty from the first two movies. No need to box them, because, a) I hate spoiler boxes, and b) If you haven’t seen the first two movies there’s really no point in your being here.

If you have some actual inside knowledge of what really happens in M3, please refrain from posting here, or if you must, use the dreaded spoiler box.

Now, then. On to the good stuff.

  1. Is the “real world” another Matrix?
    We get a clue that it might* be at the end of Reloaded; Neo is able to affect the machines out in the real world. Further, it would help to explain Smith’s jumping into Bane’s head. If the real world is another Matrix, is are the two Matrices nested, or paralell in nature?

  2. We see from the trailer a shot of a rather pristine looking subway station, which is completely opposite the subway station that Neo and Smith had their fight in in the first movie. I am guessing that Smith has gotten so powerful, he has begun to clean up the Matrix of all its narsty biological organisms and their assorted refuse.

  3. Is Neo a program? This didn’t get much discussion in the Reloaded thread; but I think it’s a genuine possibility. Of course, it would require that the “real world” would be another Matrix. It would certainly explain his super-abilities.

  4. What happens to the Oracle? We don’t see her in the trailer, and from what I’ve heard, Gloria Foster died before her scenes were filmed for the third movie.

  5. Who are the people in the subway station with Neo? (Trailer at 0:44)

  6. Is Neo going to have to fight SmithBane? We have never seen Neo fight anyone or do anything spectacular in the “real” world. Do his special abilities, in the real world, if he has them, match those he has in the Matrix?

  7. Why does Smith laugh maniacally in the Oracle’s grandma-like apartment? DID HE KILL GRANDMA?!?!

  8. What’s with Neo walking down the weird path of flame-like light at 1:58?

#2

I believe that Zion is the real world, and that Neo is human. However, I don’t think these issues will even be raised in the film, much less given an obvious answer. But if the real world is another simulation, I guess that the fire-image of Smith that we see is its “code”.

After the original Matrix, I thought for sure that the objectives were to defeat the machines, destroy the Matrix, and free the humans. Now I’m thinking that at most one of these three things will be accomplished.

Here’s one thing I’m very unclear on from the trailer. The Oracle says Neo’s in a place “between this world and the machine world”. My guess is that “this world” is the Matrix (because that’s where the Oracle lives) and “the machine world” is the real world (because the machines dominate there). But maybe “the machine world” is the Matrix, because the machines built it. So what would “this world” be?

#3

  1. No, but the Zion scenario was “designed”: Humans would only accept the program if there was a subconcious choice available to stop accepting the Matrix. So, the Matrix gives humans that choice, but even if they escape, if everything goes according to plan they’re doomed. Neo screws with this process, however, by not taking the “Rebuild Zion” choice. As for Neo stopping the sentinels, I believe that when he “absorbed” Smith near the end of the first movie, he somehow attained some of the abilities, and the knowledge of a program, such the knowledge of how to communicate with a Sentinel. Using such knowledge, he could signal them to self-destruct.

  2. The Subway seems to me to be a sort of container program, designed by the Merovingian. A construct. Think about it. Screenshots of the station show signs saying “Mobil”, an anagram for “Limbo.” Also, how else would he trap Neo?

  3. No, I don’t think so.

  4. Your guess is as good as mine.

  5. My guess would be that they’re other programs or free minds that the Merovingian wanted to keep out of the way (see question 2).

  6. Yup. At 1:41 in the trailer, we see Neo and Bane struggling over one of those gigantic cannons.

  7. I don’t know. Perhaps Smith could have gone mad, as a result of glitches in his program.

  8. It appears that he’s blind, or partially blind, but has some sort of connection with the machine world from “Absorbing” Smith (see question 1), as evidenced by him seeing the image of Smith in Bane. Blindfolding himself could be an easier way for him to “Look past the flesh.” Perhaps he’s navigating his way towards the machine core with this connection to the machines. This is reinforced by the fact that the two images (Smith and the strange tunnel) are very similar.

#4

If Zion is actually a second Matrix (or a second part of the Matrix) then who’s to say it stops there? Of all the people in the Matrix-Matrix, a small fraction recognize that something is wrong and feel the need to escape. So the machines build a second Matrix to hold them: the Zion-Matrix. But of all those in Zion, an even smaller fraction (maybe just Neo) realize that the “real world” is no more real than the Matrix. So maybe the machines make a third Matrix. And then (maybe) Neo still doesn’t buy it, so they make a fourth one, etc.

Now, there are some possibilities:

  1. The Matrix doesn’t end, so the whole concept of escaping from it is completely an illusion. Humanity is stuck in this virtual prison forever.
  2. Neo finally gets to the top level, the real world. But how does he know it’s real? By this time, he’s learned that things are not what they seem, so why will he (or the audience) really believe he’s free?
  3. Either of the two above possiblities has occurred but it is impossible to tell which one. People argue about it in the M3 plot discussion thread for months, but will never be certain whether Neo finally escaped.
#5

Okay, the looping Matrix thing is a possibility… But it’s just silly. Also, if Neo can “see beyond” the Matrix, why does he strike a deal with the “Core Program” to get rid of Smith? I mean, there’s nothing he could want out of the Core Program, since it’s not actually real, right?

#6

Neo doesn’t blind himself. In the trailer when he’s in the hovercraft you can see gore around the blindfold, so it’s obvious that Bane has scarred his face with the zap gun.

I posted this in the other Matrix thread currently up, but it bears repeating:

As far as the ending, it is clear that the Matrix is not destroyed because The Matrix Online, a forthcoming online game, takes place after the third film and the matrix is still around with its gunfights and agents. This has been confirmed by the developers. I hope that the third film doesn’t leave the storyline wide open so that the Brothers can make a huge Star Wars-like franchaise out of it.

UnuMondo

#7

Neo is not in a Smith zone in that scene, he’s trapped there because the Merovingian has kidnapped him. The Train Man is a servant of the Merovingian. I’m not sure who Rama and his daughter are supposed to be, though.

Neo is a person, but the program of the One has been binded to him, a process that the Architect says has altered his conscious, though he remains human.

They showed the new Oracle in the TV spots. It’s another African American actress who looks similar to the old one. I believe the same new actress appeared in the “Enter The Matrix” game.

Rama and his daughter.

Apparently his abilities in the real world aren’t so hot, 'cause Bane manages to cut up his face and blind him.

Neo has the ability to see the “code” of the real world. He can see Smith as flame-like light within Bane, for example.

UnuMondo

#8

Interestingly enough, the opening of “Matrix Reloaded” showed ‘letters within letters’ of the green ‘code’ of the Matrix, implying that there are nested matrices. In addition, for a brief moment, an outline of the city of Zion is seen in the green code, further supporting the possibility that Zion and the real world are merely part of a larger Matrix.

#9

Note: Look at the trailer. When Neo and Smith are flying through the air, look at the windows behind them. It helps if you’re freeze-framing. Wow.

:eek:

#10

Wowza, all the windows are full of Smiths. Talk about attention to detail. :eek:

Hugo Weaving said in an interview that by the end of the third film Smith will have taken over every single person in the Matrix.

I wonder if this is somehow related to the systemic crash that the Architect mentioned. In each cycle when the One arises, he ends up corrupting an agent. The One must then reinsert his code into the Matrix to stop the malicious agent. If the agent is not stopped, he ends up taking over the entire Matrix.

I also wonder what’s up with Neo’s new clothes. During the time he’s imprisoned by the Merovingian, he’s wearing a fancy suit like the Merovingian (but not with the flamboyant colours). Afterwards he reverts to the kung-fu master outfit of Reloaded.

UnuMondo, still amazed at the Smiths detail

#11

You know, if all they can do is stand around and watch, I kind of have to wonder what the point of commandeering more than a couple hundred bodies is.

Step 1: Infect everyone in the Matrix.
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Profit!

#12

As I said in the other thread, that’s what I think is going to happen.

#13

Did you notice at the end of the trailer, there’s a blue sky? Perhaps the machines and humans join forces to repair the atmosphere and the machines can go back to using solar power.

#14

It looked to me like perhaps the Neb was flying above dark clouds, ricksummon. But obviously that shot was put in the trailer for a reason.

#15

There’s really no need to speculate. The entire plot has been leaked to the internet with screenshots of important sequences. Of course, it could be fake, but since I see no mention of it in this thread, it might be interesting to read it (it was quite long, and I did not want the plot ruined anyways).

#16

I noticed the blue sky as well. Personally, I am not driven to try to piece together all the clues we’ve been given to solve the myriad questions which exist. I am content knowing that there will be more scenes involving Carrie Ann in tight leather. Everything else is gravy. :slight_smile:

#17

Gorsnak,
“Everything else is gravy”???

Heck, man…Carrie Ann in tight leather is like getting to eat dessert before the main course!

:smiley:

#18

I had a thought a couple of weeks after seeing Matrix: Reloaded. Everyone has been focused on this being a two-sided struggle between the humans and the computer programs. But I was thinking there might be a third set of players; the sentient machines.

They’re obviously not humans. But they’re not programs like Smith or the Merovingian either. The machines operate in Zion not inside the Matrix and so they must have some degree of independance from the Matrix. Maybe they have plans that conflict with the Matrix’s plans.

Obviously all this is based on the assumption that Zion or some other plane does have an existence outside of the Matrix and that the machines we’ve seen are sophisticated enough to be sentient. And the assumption that the Wachowski brothers decided that their current plotlines aren’t complicated enough.

#19

Even after seeing Reloaded I didn’t think Smith would become such a major character. In the trailer he seems to be portrayed as some type of ‘Destroyer of Worlds’. They also seem to play up the whole ‘Neo is the mythical one’ angle.

UnaMondo, I had interpreted this the complete opposite way from you. This cycle is different from all previous cycles in two regards. One is Neo choosing the right door and the other is Smith gaining these abilities and threatening the Matrix itself. Perhaps that’s why the head honcho machine decides to work with Neo.

#20

It’s cheating to find out what really happens, the fun is in the speculation :smiley:

My guesses: it would make sense for zion to be another matrix, but I think it would look too much like a cop out - we’ll never care if all films end up with them escaping another onion layer of matrix. But they might be in a matrix at the end of the second film, being tricked into thinking they’ve escaped.