*spasms*
Long day today.
I began by going to Matrix Reloaded. Thus, I feel obliged to review it.
What the fuck?
All right, something more constructive.
Music: I liked the soundtrack to Reloaded. Sometimes the music didn't quite fit the scenes, but I liked the songs. The exception would be the ending, during the credits, which was loud and tacky. In my opinion, anyway. I was disappointed not to hear more variations on some of the songs from Matrix in Reloaded, as I feel they were wonderful for the structure of the film.
SFX: VERY GOOD. I had some issues with the pyrotechnics in places, but overall I enjoyed seeing what could be done with cameras and computers. The only part I really didn't like was all the random stop shots they did of Neo fighting. His coat (dress?) looks like a plastic model.
"His Superman thing": While I can appreciate that this movie does indeed take place six months after Matrix, I don't like how drastically Neo's powers have increased. Instead of being able to stop a couple clips of bullets, he can now stop ever round fired from an automatic weapon. At the end of Matrix, we saw him launch himself into the air. I believe this may have been a bit premature as well, but for him to go zooming 500 miles at "speeds I've never seen before," is a bit much to ask after only half a year, the One or no. I also found it a bit much to swallow when Neo was able to essentially create his own EMP wave OUTSIDE the Matrix.
Dialogue: I love how the characters sound all philosophical without really saying anything deep. However, sometimes the dialogue got too repetative, and a bit dry. It had its humourous bits, but those didn't quite make up for all the other parts. And Morpheus as the Zion-ic equivalent of a TV evangelist (the kind with white hair and a brown suit, and maybe a blonde wife who takes phone calls), was a bit overdone. It's sort of like a pep rally for death.
Also, toward the end, the dialog got a bit thick for those who aren't into computer science and mathematics. This could be a major downfall, as this is probably supposed to be the most climactic moment of the film, when Neo has to make his choice: his girlfriend, or the human race. (Though with all the action scenes, it's hard to tell.) It's sort of like building a hilarious joke up to a punchline that only you understand.
However, overall I rather enjoyed it.
Characters: Overall, much the same as the first movie. I was a bit disappointed that Tank supposedly died in that six months, with no clue as to what happened to him. I feel, however, that Persephone was an unwarranted addition, and simply another attractive woman for Neo to kiss, leading Trinity into petty jealousy, which leads me to...
I did, however, like the elaboration on the Oracle, and the Keymaker as well. And the Twins were awesome. It was nice to have characters that found in ways other than the commonplace Matrix fighting (hovering the the air, etc). I want my own set of the Twins.
SEX: More is not always better. I think Reloaded was entirely too sexual, becoming more like a standard action movie where the hero has some airheaded wife or girlfriend he has sex with, and then has that sex scene intersperced in clips between action clips. Seeing Trinity and Neo doing the deed in such vivid detail was NOT necessary for the movie. In fact, it is the one biggest feature putting me off from seeing it in theatres again. The dancing was also a bit too erotic. This is supposed to be some sort of temple they're in, it seems, and there are half-naked women, people practically having sex in the middle of the dance, etc. etc. I also didn't appreciate having so many scenes that culminate in rounds of tonsil hockey for no apparent reason.
Sex does not belong in a movie like Matrix! The story isn't about sex. It's about a rebellion for freedom. We all know Neo and Trinity are madly in love. We knew that through most of Matrix 1. Windows into their private life aren't exactly necessary.
The sex in Reloaded is more for the benefit of getting horny teenage boys and loners to watch it over and over again, I think, rather than add any real depth to the movie. Indeed, to me at least, it only made it seem more shallow, like so many other movie sequels that use sex to draw people in. (Two Towers, for example.)
And please remember, you should NOT roughly pick up and start snogging a woman who has just received an abdominal injury, whether your superhuman powers allow you to remove the bullet or not.
Remember, MORE DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN BETTER, except perhaps in the case of...
Agent Smith: Yes, I am a bit biased about the whole Hugo thing, but I really do like how they allowed Smith to develop more as a character. In Matrix, when he was "plugged in," he basically followed orders. However, now that he's "unplugged," he takes on more of a personality. Actually, a somewhat witty one. Admittedly, the scenes with the copies of Smith pouncing on each other and Neo, and getting swatted through the air, were a bit silly. But at least Smith is getting to be his own character, not simply an accessory of the Matrix. In his own way, he, too, is rebelling against it.
It makes you wonder how far he'll go, in Revolutions.
Plot: Unfortunately, this ever important factor slid downhill quite a bit. It went from being an engaging store to series after series of fight scenes, whether zooming down a freeway at speeds no sane person would go, to a jumping medieval weapons ballet on a grand staircase.
And, most importantly...
OVERALL: All in all, it was a decent movie, though the sort you only watch once. It wasn't as great as the hype proclaimed, and I'm just glad I went to an early showing and got a discount for it. ($6.00 instead of $7.50) It's worth seeing once in big theatres, if you can afford it, simply for the effect of the thing. However, if you don't have much available cash, it won't kill you to wait until it reaches one of the discount theatres. Unfortunately, like so many others, Reloaded became a commonplace sequel to a successful movie, like so many others...
Ahem. Apparently while I was in the movie, having my eardrums blown out and my eyeballs seared, I missed a huge hailstorm. This was fine by me, as I hate storms. However, afterward I had to go to the post office.
By this point, it was the beginning of rush hour, in a drizzle, on wet roads with several traffic lights out. Believe it or not, this isn't that uncommon a scene in Lexington, so I didn't worry. People here can't drive anyway, so I'm always extra alert.
I finally got to the post office to buy a money order for some doujinshi I'm having sent from Japan. After being assured that I could pay with my debit card, halfway through I realized that this was indeed my new card, and my old PIN would not work with it. I was told that I could simply go to the bank around the corner and make a huge-ass withdrawl, and come back and pay with cash.
Instead, I pulled out the Holy Cellphone and called my mother.
She looked up my PIN for me, and I went back inside, fortunately getting to skip the huge line. I keyed the purchase in, ready to part with $80. (X_x) My card was declined. TWICE. This was odd, as I knew I had more than sufficient funds. I could have paid for the order twice over.
Only THEN did the guy go, "OH! This is a Fifth-Third debit card. Yeah, we can't take those, they never work here." Why did he not tell me this when he first took the card? He did look a bit stoned upon reflection, but STILL...
Anyway, imagine this. It is now rush hour, with 20 minutes until the post office closes. I have to turn left just after a 4-way stop, with heavy oncoming traffic from both directions. After having a good swear, I seize an opening and make the turn. Go me! I turn left at the stop, and head toward the bank.
I don't know how much people know about drivers in Lexington, but they're BAD. BAD, BAD, BAD. Anyway, I've never been to this bank, and I realize I need to be in the left turn lane. (The bank is barely noticable, so I barely have enough time.) Just as I'm pulling into the lane, a bunch of cars decide they won't let me make my turn, and cut me off. I'm forced to go through the light, and turn around to come BACK to the bank.
Long story short, I get my money, and then discover that there is an error. I keep religious withdrawl and deposit records. And there is less money in my account than my records show. I now must call the bank during business hours and ask what the hell is going on.
Finally make it back to the bank, and get my MO. Send it to Japan. Fight rush hour traffic home. Pull car into the garage, go inside, sit down to take a breather.
Realize I forgot to go to the library. X_x
My fate for school was decided today, as well. Should get a letter sometime next week, probably. Hope it's good, otherwise I'm fucked. X_x
I began by going to Matrix Reloaded. Thus, I feel obliged to review it.
What the fuck?
All right, something more constructive.
Music: I liked the soundtrack to Reloaded. Sometimes the music didn't quite fit the scenes, but I liked the songs. The exception would be the ending, during the credits, which was loud and tacky. In my opinion, anyway. I was disappointed not to hear more variations on some of the songs from Matrix in Reloaded, as I feel they were wonderful for the structure of the film.
SFX: VERY GOOD. I had some issues with the pyrotechnics in places, but overall I enjoyed seeing what could be done with cameras and computers. The only part I really didn't like was all the random stop shots they did of Neo fighting. His coat (dress?) looks like a plastic model.
"His Superman thing": While I can appreciate that this movie does indeed take place six months after Matrix, I don't like how drastically Neo's powers have increased. Instead of being able to stop a couple clips of bullets, he can now stop ever round fired from an automatic weapon. At the end of Matrix, we saw him launch himself into the air. I believe this may have been a bit premature as well, but for him to go zooming 500 miles at "speeds I've never seen before," is a bit much to ask after only half a year, the One or no. I also found it a bit much to swallow when Neo was able to essentially create his own EMP wave OUTSIDE the Matrix.
Dialogue: I love how the characters sound all philosophical without really saying anything deep. However, sometimes the dialogue got too repetative, and a bit dry. It had its humourous bits, but those didn't quite make up for all the other parts. And Morpheus as the Zion-ic equivalent of a TV evangelist (the kind with white hair and a brown suit, and maybe a blonde wife who takes phone calls), was a bit overdone. It's sort of like a pep rally for death.
Also, toward the end, the dialog got a bit thick for those who aren't into computer science and mathematics. This could be a major downfall, as this is probably supposed to be the most climactic moment of the film, when Neo has to make his choice: his girlfriend, or the human race. (Though with all the action scenes, it's hard to tell.) It's sort of like building a hilarious joke up to a punchline that only you understand.
However, overall I rather enjoyed it.
Characters: Overall, much the same as the first movie. I was a bit disappointed that Tank supposedly died in that six months, with no clue as to what happened to him. I feel, however, that Persephone was an unwarranted addition, and simply another attractive woman for Neo to kiss, leading Trinity into petty jealousy, which leads me to...
I did, however, like the elaboration on the Oracle, and the Keymaker as well. And the Twins were awesome. It was nice to have characters that found in ways other than the commonplace Matrix fighting (hovering the the air, etc). I want my own set of the Twins.
SEX: More is not always better. I think Reloaded was entirely too sexual, becoming more like a standard action movie where the hero has some airheaded wife or girlfriend he has sex with, and then has that sex scene intersperced in clips between action clips. Seeing Trinity and Neo doing the deed in such vivid detail was NOT necessary for the movie. In fact, it is the one biggest feature putting me off from seeing it in theatres again. The dancing was also a bit too erotic. This is supposed to be some sort of temple they're in, it seems, and there are half-naked women, people practically having sex in the middle of the dance, etc. etc. I also didn't appreciate having so many scenes that culminate in rounds of tonsil hockey for no apparent reason.
Sex does not belong in a movie like Matrix! The story isn't about sex. It's about a rebellion for freedom. We all know Neo and Trinity are madly in love. We knew that through most of Matrix 1. Windows into their private life aren't exactly necessary.
The sex in Reloaded is more for the benefit of getting horny teenage boys and loners to watch it over and over again, I think, rather than add any real depth to the movie. Indeed, to me at least, it only made it seem more shallow, like so many other movie sequels that use sex to draw people in. (Two Towers, for example.)
And please remember, you should NOT roughly pick up and start snogging a woman who has just received an abdominal injury, whether your superhuman powers allow you to remove the bullet or not.
Remember, MORE DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN BETTER, except perhaps in the case of...
Agent Smith: Yes, I am a bit biased about the whole Hugo thing, but I really do like how they allowed Smith to develop more as a character. In Matrix, when he was "plugged in," he basically followed orders. However, now that he's "unplugged," he takes on more of a personality. Actually, a somewhat witty one. Admittedly, the scenes with the copies of Smith pouncing on each other and Neo, and getting swatted through the air, were a bit silly. But at least Smith is getting to be his own character, not simply an accessory of the Matrix. In his own way, he, too, is rebelling against it.
It makes you wonder how far he'll go, in Revolutions.
Plot: Unfortunately, this ever important factor slid downhill quite a bit. It went from being an engaging store to series after series of fight scenes, whether zooming down a freeway at speeds no sane person would go, to a jumping medieval weapons ballet on a grand staircase.
And, most importantly...
OVERALL: All in all, it was a decent movie, though the sort you only watch once. It wasn't as great as the hype proclaimed, and I'm just glad I went to an early showing and got a discount for it. ($6.00 instead of $7.50) It's worth seeing once in big theatres, if you can afford it, simply for the effect of the thing. However, if you don't have much available cash, it won't kill you to wait until it reaches one of the discount theatres. Unfortunately, like so many others, Reloaded became a commonplace sequel to a successful movie, like so many others...
Ahem. Apparently while I was in the movie, having my eardrums blown out and my eyeballs seared, I missed a huge hailstorm. This was fine by me, as I hate storms. However, afterward I had to go to the post office.
By this point, it was the beginning of rush hour, in a drizzle, on wet roads with several traffic lights out. Believe it or not, this isn't that uncommon a scene in Lexington, so I didn't worry. People here can't drive anyway, so I'm always extra alert.
I finally got to the post office to buy a money order for some doujinshi I'm having sent from Japan. After being assured that I could pay with my debit card, halfway through I realized that this was indeed my new card, and my old PIN would not work with it. I was told that I could simply go to the bank around the corner and make a huge-ass withdrawl, and come back and pay with cash.
Instead, I pulled out the Holy Cellphone and called my mother.
She looked up my PIN for me, and I went back inside, fortunately getting to skip the huge line. I keyed the purchase in, ready to part with $80. (X_x) My card was declined. TWICE. This was odd, as I knew I had more than sufficient funds. I could have paid for the order twice over.
Only THEN did the guy go, "OH! This is a Fifth-Third debit card. Yeah, we can't take those, they never work here." Why did he not tell me this when he first took the card? He did look a bit stoned upon reflection, but STILL...
Anyway, imagine this. It is now rush hour, with 20 minutes until the post office closes. I have to turn left just after a 4-way stop, with heavy oncoming traffic from both directions. After having a good swear, I seize an opening and make the turn. Go me! I turn left at the stop, and head toward the bank.
I don't know how much people know about drivers in Lexington, but they're BAD. BAD, BAD, BAD. Anyway, I've never been to this bank, and I realize I need to be in the left turn lane. (The bank is barely noticable, so I barely have enough time.) Just as I'm pulling into the lane, a bunch of cars decide they won't let me make my turn, and cut me off. I'm forced to go through the light, and turn around to come BACK to the bank.
Long story short, I get my money, and then discover that there is an error. I keep religious withdrawl and deposit records. And there is less money in my account than my records show. I now must call the bank during business hours and ask what the hell is going on.
Finally make it back to the bank, and get my MO. Send it to Japan. Fight rush hour traffic home. Pull car into the garage, go inside, sit down to take a breather.
Realize I forgot to go to the library. X_x
My fate for school was decided today, as well. Should get a letter sometime next week, probably. Hope it's good, otherwise I'm fucked. X_x