# Should I watch the Matrix Reloaded? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2013, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328 "2013-03-30T04:45:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/21 "2013-03-30T13:52:27Z")
Take the red pill. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/22 "2013-03-30T14:07:52Z")
I didn’t like either the second or third. Sure, the second is better than the third and has some good action, but it’s no better and much less groundbreaking than the first movie. In fact, I’d say this is a case where the second and particularly the third actually made the first movie worse. I know that seems impossible, but a lot can happen in the Matrix. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/23 "2013-03-30T15:46:54Z")
The second one had Monica Bellucci. Worth seeing. I fell asleep during the third one. ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/24 "2013-03-30T16:07:08Z")
You should watch it the same way I did: put it on, then make out with a hot dude the whole time. I have no idea what happened in the movie, but I do have fond memories of it. Plus I married the hot dude, so win-win. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/25 "2013-03-30T16:49:53Z")
Yes, the second and third ones had thin plot and poor story. What people forget is that the first one did, too. It was never anything other than eye candy, and I think if you recognize that, you can enjoy all three. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/26 "2013-03-30T17:30:37Z")
What also bothers me: the first film was essentially cyberpunk, and more importantly cyberpunk done well. There were the “real world” scenes which we maybe more straight SF. The sequels dispensed with all of that, in favor of space squids, raveorgies, and a fantastical matrix world. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/27 "2013-03-30T18:26:11Z")
Watch the second one. Imagine the third. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/28 "2013-03-30T18:27:55Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > I used to ask the question: “If you merged together the second and third Matrix movies into one, cut out the crap, would that make a good movie?”. > > I don’t think anyone has ever answered: “Yes.” I would say so. The whole bit, about Zion, fighting squiddies, was meant to plug the computer game. When I TiVo’ed it, I just fast forwarded. You don’t lose anything. I think subby should see the third, even if its the lesser of a lesser of a movie. You want to know how the mythology of the story ends. You knew the One Ring ended up destroyed, right, but you wanted to know how, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/29 "2013-03-30T18:36:49Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Just rewatch the Matrix again. Or watch any one of the hundreds of other better movies out there. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/30 "2013-03-30T20:10:24Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > The second one had Monica Bellucci. Worth seeing. > > I fell asleep during the third one. Word. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/31 "2013-03-30T20:30:15Z")
I have not rewatched either of the sequels since they were first released, but I distinctly remember liking the third much better than the second. Unanimous opinion here counter to my own, I may have to rewatch them now. I don’t really remember them well enough to say why I liked the third better than the second. I do remember the moment with Neo and Trinity in the ship when they first break out over the clouds in the real world. This is the fist time sunlight is ever seen in the trilogy and it was the one genuine awe moment for me from the entire series. Also, I liked the million quintillion Smiths. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/32 "2013-03-30T20:51:35Z")
I’m not attempting to be dramatic, but it was so bad that I didn’t go back to the cinema for several YEARS after seeing it! The storyline was incomprehensible to me and all I remember about it was: a) gunfire, gunfire, gunfire and more gunfire. I swear, this movie was like pulling up a lawn chair beside the local shooting range. b) CGI, CGI, CGI and more CGI. I couldn’t help imagining the army of computer programmers required to create every scene. c) Ugly greenish filters. d) the movie is long. An utterly painful experience and modern cinema at its worst. ICK. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/33 "2013-03-30T21:04:00Z")
> [@grude](#): > > You know what bugged me about the Matrix sequels besides them sucking? > > In Reloaded we see two things that should be physically impossible. > > 1.Neo is able to kill machines in “the real world” using his messiah powers. > > 2.Software from the Matrix crosses over into a human body in “the real world”. > > Now in the original The Matrix film they were very, very careful to never have a scene of action film physics in “the real world” they left all that weightless kung fu nonsense for inside the Matrix which was neat, just like the original Total Recall it became a self conscious action flick.🙂 > > Now in Reloaded characters even comment that those two events are impossible! But in Revolutions nothing comes of it, there is no point to what we saw. The suggestion to me was clearly that the rabbit hole went even deeper than one layer. > > I don’t consider these spoilers because they have no plot significance. These two abandoned plot points did seem ripe for in-depth treatment, and would have made a more compelling finale if it turned out it was Matrixes all the way down (or…up). ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/34 "2013-03-30T21:22:05Z")
I could sort-of buy the “software crossing over” aspect - it’s evident (indeed, a major plot point) that a human brain plugged into the Matrix can be “rewired” to learn complex skills - the idea of Smith doing a far more extensive rewiring to essentially put a copy of his own personality over that of the human is basically the same, albeit on a far larger scale. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/35 "2013-03-30T21:44:46Z")
_Reloaded_ was worth watching. It didn’t equal the first, but that’s hardly surprising. I really liked the first half hour of _Revolutions_ and then it plummeted deep down into dreckville. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/36 "2013-03-30T21:58:35Z")
Choice. The problem is choice. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/37 "2013-03-30T22:24:50Z")
The OP has already decided whether or not to watch the movie. Now he must understand _why_. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/38 "2013-03-30T22:49:46Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > b) CGI, CGI, CGI and more CGI. I couldn’t help imagining the army of computer programmers required to create every scene. Perhaps. [But not always](http://www.cracked.com/article_20320_7-amazing-movie-special-effects-you-wont-believe-arent-cgi_p2.html). If the first movie never existed, I don’t know if 2+3 would be better regarded, but they would get less hate (or be forgotten, both for $0.50 at a garage sale). ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/39 "2013-03-31T00:55:51Z")
I thought the first movie was kind of “okay” but not great. Still, I took the plunge and went to see _Reloaded_ at the movies. It was seriously the worst movie-going experience of my life. To summarise: inane and long-winded philosophical musings alternating with protracted, lifeless action sequences that lack any kind of tension or excitement. I’ve seen worse movies but nothing that so completely misses the mark when it comes to making a smart-but-fun sci-fi/action movie–it’s neither smart nor fun, but clearly that was the aim. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328/40 "2013-03-31T06:23:55Z")
I thought **Anamatrix** was pretty good, if your looking for more Matrix but want to avoid the train-wreck that is the sequels. I know fan-edits of the Star Wars prequels are popular, has anyone tried that with the Matrix sequels? I always thought there might be one good movie in there, mixed in with a movie worth of dreck. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-watch-the-matrix-reloaded/654328.md?page=3)