The Matrix

That which the first two movies did well, the third does well. The philosophy and fight scenes continue to captivate. However, these strengths cannot quite counterbalance the inherent weakness of the Matrix trilogy: lousy acting and unrealistic dialogue.

In the first movie, the acting is easily over looked, but by the time the third has come around, the audience has fought, died and breathed again with the characters several times over. The audience should feel a relationship with them, and in turn the characters should have developed into richer, rounded human beings.

The inability of "Revolutions" to do this makes the grand finale of the Matrix trilogy anticlimactic. In fact, in some theaters, the movie's supposed dramatic death scene actually sent ripples of laughter through the audience. And the screaming during climactic moment at the end of the movie sends not shivers, but shudders.

In the actors' and actresses' defense, the dialogue for many of these dramatic scenes does not give them much to work with. The Wachowski brothers were so concerned with injecting philosophy that they compromised realistic dialogue.

And though the philosophy is interesting, most people go to a movie to be entertained, not lectured. It is difficult to be entertained when common, human conversations are constantly replaced with philosophical insights.

The philosophy of the Matrix has always been one of its strong points. The questions broached by the Matrix present a lot to ponder over, whether one agrees with the insights presented or not. In contrast to most movies, the Matrix trilogy offers something to debate, which keeps the public coming back for more; because despite the acting, watching a truth-seeking movie is still more fun than watching a brainless one, especially for smart Princeton students.

Another reason people watch the movies several times is the philosophy is sometimes unclear and seemingly inconsistent. One point of contention is how Neo supernaturally manipulates the real world.

"The depiction of Neo as a supernatural figure contradicts the distinction created in the first movie between the realm of the Matrix and the real world," said Paul Kingsbery '07. "Making him supernatural diminishes the significance of his powers in the first movie."

The third movie follows up on similar themes as the first two, addressing the interconnected concepts of choice, purpose, freedom, and control. Whereas the first movie dealt primarily with the concepts of reality and illusion, purpose and freedom and the second emphasized choice and control, the third adds to these a religious twist.

After Neo's epic battle, the "Source" says "It is finished . . . ," which is just one of the many biblical references that highlight the Christian symbolism evident more in Revolutions than in the previous two movies. Obviously, Neo, "the savior," represents Jesus and Agent Smith, the devil.

However, some find the parallels lacking. Those versed in Christian theology know that the essential part of Jesus' life is not that He died, but that He rose again. "Revolutions" emphasizes death, but not the crucial resurrection, though the end of the movie does seem to hint at a "second coming."

The fight scenes in "Revolutions" provide necessary mental relief to the sometimes intense chunks philosophy without dominating the movie. Whereas "Reloaded" compromised plot line for special effects, the last incorporates them in a way that enhances the plot.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

The nature of the fight scenes is different than in either of the previous two movies. There are far more "shoot 'em up" sequences of the actual battle between Zion and the machines and less man-to-man Kung Fu.

Even though these scenes are well incorporated, the movie is still plagued with seemingly random aspects that detract from the overall flow of the movie, and the trilogy. The first "Matrix" is still the best in the series because every dialogue, every scene has a purpose and fits into a coherent whole, while still leaving questions for debate.

Though "Revolutions" is not as disjoined as "Reloaded," it still includes many obscure and seemingly random characters, conversations and scenes. Perhaps there is some underlying philosophy we lay people are missing.

Or perhaps, the Wachowski brothers just wanted us to buy another ticket, and try to "follow the white rabbit" one more time . . .