TheMatrixRevolutions

TheMatrixRevolutions

Directed

by

TheWachowskibrothers

Produced

by

JoelSilver,TheWachowskibrothers

Written

by

TheWachowskibrothers

Starring

KeanuReeves,LaurenceFishburne,

Carrie-AnneMoss,HugoWeaving

Distributed

by

WarnerBros,VillageRoadshowPictures

Release

date(s)

November52003

Runningtime

129min.

Language

English

Budget

$150,000,000(estimated)

Preceded

by

TheMatrixReloaded

TheMatrixRevolutionsisthethirdandlastfilmintheMatrixtrilogy.Thefilm,acombinationofphilosophyandactionlikeitspredecessors,soughttoconcludethequestionsraisedinthepreviousfilm,TheMatrixReloaded.

Background

ThefilmwaswrittenanddirectedbytheWachowskibrothers.ItwasreleasedsimultaneouslyinsixtycountriesonNovember5,2003.ThiswasthefirsttimeaHollywoodfilmopenedinIndiaatthesametimeastherestoftheworld.Itwasalsothefirstlive-actionfilmtobereleasedsimultaneouslyinregularandIMAXtheaters.

TheWachowskibrotherswerepresentinTokyoattheopeningofthemovie,aswerestarsKeanuReevesandJadaPinkettSmith.InMoscow,thefilm'spremierewasaccompaniedbyademonstrationorganizedbytheyouthwingoftheRussianCommunistPartywhowelcomedthefilmasanallegoryforCommunism.

TheMatrixRevolutionsultimatelygrossed$140millionattheUSboxofficealtogetherand$456millionworldwide,roughlyonlyhalfofTheMatrixReloadedbox-officetotal.RevolutionsdidextremelywellinDVDandVHSrentalsandsaleswhenitwasreleasedinAprilof2004.

Plot

Thefilm'seventsimmediatelyfollowthoseofTheMatrixReloadedandassumefamiliaritywiththestoryofthelasttwofilms.

BaneandNeoarebothcomatose.MorpheusisnowdepressedanddispiritedafterthedestructionoftheNebuchadnezzarandafterdiscoveringthetruenatureoftheProphecyattheendofthelastfilm.HestartsasearchforNeo,whohebelievescouldbepresentintheMatrixwhilenotbeing"jackedin."Neoisinfacttrappedinlimbo:asubwaystationnamed"MobilAvenue"thatisatransitionzonebetweentheMatrixandtheSource.Atthestation,Neomeetsa'family'ofprograms,whotellhimthatMobilAvenueiscontrolledbytheTrainman,aprogramwhoisinturnloyalonlytotheMerovingian.

SeraphcontactsMorpheusonbehalfoftheOracle,nowresidentinadifferent"shell"(inreality,actressGloriaFoster,whoplayedtheOracleinthefirsttwofilms,diedbeforethecompletionofthethirdandwasreplacedbyactressMaryAlice).TheOracleinformsMorpheusandTrinityofNeo'scaptivity.Seraph,MorpheusandTrinitypursuetheTrainman,butheevadesthem.ThetrioentersClubHeltoconfronttheMerovingianinanefforttosecureNeo'srelease.AftertheMerovingiandemands"theeyesoftheOracle"inexchangeforNeo'srelease,TrinityprovokesaMexicanstandoff,forcingtheMerovingiantoreleaseNeo.

TroubledbynewvisionsoftheMachineCity,NeodecidestovisittheOraclebeforereturningtotherealworld.Asheenters,theOracleexpressesthatshehadhopedthatthebatchofcookiesthatshewasbakinghadbeenfinishedbeforeNeoarrived,perhapsahintthatwithhermetamorphosisshecannolongerpredictthefutureaseasily.SheinformshimthatastheOne,hisabilitiesareactuallyrootedinaconnectionwiththeSource,andbecausetheMatrixisderivedfromtheSource,hehaspoweroutsidetheMatrixtoo.ThisishowNeowasabletostopthemachinesattackinghisshipinMatrixReloaded.ShecharacterizesAgentSmith,alsogrowinginpower,ashisexactopposite,hisnegativeandelaboratesontherelationshipbetweenherselfandtheArchitect(Tellingly,eachofthemejectsanexasperated"Please!"whenNeoasksthemabouttheother).ShealsotellsNeocrypticallythat"everythingthathasabeginninghasanend",andwarnsthatSmith'spowerthreatensnotonlytheMatrixbutalsotheSourceandeventuallytheMachineCity.TheOraclestatesthatthewarisabouttoend"onewayortheother".

Ziondefendsitselffromthemachineinvasion.

AfterNeotakesleaveoftheOracle,anarmyofSmithsarrive,whosuccessfullyassimilatestheunresistingOracle,givingSmithherpowersofprecognition.

Intherealworld,meanwhile,theremainingcrewoftheNebuchadnezzarandtheMjolnir(referredtobythecharactersas"theHammer")encounterNiobe'sship,theLogos,anditscrew.TheysuccessfullyreactivatethedeactivatedshipandbegintointerrogatethenowawakenedBane,whoclaimshehasnomemoryoftheeventsoftheearlierbattle.

Aftercontemplatinghisvisions,NeoannouncesthatheneedsashiptotraveltotheMachineCity,althoughhecannotexplainwhyatthemoment.Roland,theMjolnir'scaptain,refuseshim,butNiobewhowastoldbytheOraclethatshe'dhavetomakeachoicehelpingNeoornot,letshimtaketheLogos.TrinitydecidestoaccompanyNeo.

ThetworemainingcrewsplantoreturntoZionandavoidtheSentinelarmybypilotingtheMjolnirthroughaseriesofservicetunnelsthroughwhichitisnearlyimpossibletonavigate.Shortlyafterdeparting,theMjolnir'screwdiscoverthatBanehasmurderedacrewmemberandhashiddenaboardtheLogos,buttheyareunabletoreturntowarnTrinityandNeo.

BeforeNeoandTrinitycandepart,BaneambushesTrinityandtakesherhostage.NeofightswithBane,whorevealshimselfasamanifestationofAgentSmith.Duringthestruggle,Bane/SmithblindsNeobycauterizinghiseyeswithhighvoltageelectricalwires.AsBane/SmithappearstohavetheupperhandheclosesinonNeo-onlytohavehisattackthwartedandreversed.Inspiteofhisinjury,NeocanseeSmith-hisconnectionwiththeSourcemanifestinginhisrecognitionofSmith'sprograminsideofBane.NeothenkillsBane/SmithandreleasesTrinity,whopilotsthemtowardstheMachineCity(presumably01describedinTheSecondRenaissance).

InZion,thedefendersdeployinfantryarmedwithrocketlaunchersandArmoredPersonnelUnitsinordertoprotectthedockfromassault.ThedockisinvadedbyamassivehordeofSentinels,aswellastwogiantdrillingmachines.APU'sfailandthehumansarepushedbackintothetemple.CaptainMifunefailstogetthegateopen,withhislastbreathhetellsKidtoopenthegatefortheMjolnir.Meanwhile,astheMjolnirspeedstowardZionitispursuedbyalargenumberofsentinels.Justastheremaininghumansareabouttobeoverwhelmed,theMjolnirarrivesatZionandbreaksthroughthegates,settingoffanEMPanddisablingallelectronicequipmentinthearea.WhilethisfinishesofftheSentinels,italsodisablestheremainderofZion'sdefenses.Thehumansareforcedtofallbacktothetempleentranceandwaitforthenextswarmthatwillalmostcertainlykillthemall.

NearingtheMachineCity,NeoandTrinityareattackedbythecity'sdefensesystem,hurlingmassivenumbersofmobilebombsandSentinelsattheLogos.Neouseshispowerstodestroytheincomingbombs,buttheSentinelsaretoonumerous.Toevadethem,Trinityfliestheshipabovethepermanentelectricalstorm/cloudcover,disablingtheSentinelsbutalsotheLogos'engines.Afterabriefglimpseofsunlight,theshipplungesintoaspireoftheMachineCity.TheimpactofthecollisionfatallywoundsTrinity,andshedies.

NeopreparestoconfrontSmith.

NeoemergesintotheMachineCitytostrikeabargainwiththemachines,personifiedbytheDeusExMachina.NeowarnsthemachinesthatSmith(whohasbynowassimilatedalmostallofTheMatrix)isbeyondthemachines'control,andwillsoonassaulttheSourcetowhichtheMatrixisconnected.HeofferstostopSmithinexchangeforaceasefireonZion.ThesecondwaveofSentinelsattackingZioninstantlyrespondsbystandingdownwhiletheMachinesprovideaconnectionforNeotojackintotheMatrixandconfrontSmith.

Thecity'spopulationofSmithsstandsbyandwatcheswhileNeoandSmithsquareoff.Smithexplainsthat,possessingtheOracle'sforesight,healreadyknowstheoutcomeofthebattleandiscertainofNeo'sdefeat.Afteranextendedfightscene,adefeatedNeoallowsSmithtoassimilatehim,butnotbeforerepeatingSmith'sfavoriterefraintohim:"Itwasinevitable."(statedbySmithinTheMatrixReloaded)ByassimilatingNeo,however,Smithhimselfisdestroyed.

TheSmithsaredeleted,allprogramsthathavebeenpossessedbySmithreturntonormal,includingtheOracle.TheSentinelsthatwereabouttoattackthehumanswithdrawfromZion;thehumanresistancecheersinvictory,whileNiobeandMorpheusshareamomentofintimatehappinesstogether.Neo,havingsacrificedhimselftosaveboththeMachinesandhumans,isunpluggedfromtheMatrix,andhisbodyisrespectfullycarriedawaybytheMachines.

Smithemergesvictorious.

TheArchitectthenappearsandtellstheOraclethatitwasdangerousofhertoplaythesystematitsowngame.TheOraclerespondsbysayingthatshehasdoneitforthesakeofchange,andaskstheArchitectwhatwillnowbecomeofanyhumanswhowanttobeunpluggedfromtheMatrix.TheArchitectrepliesthattheyshallbefreedassuch.TheProphecyisfinallyfulfilled;thehumanraceisfinallyfreeasthewarbetweenhumansandmachinesisover,andtheMatrixis'destroyed'(itsexistenceforthepurposeofenslavinghumanityisnomore).TheclosingshotofthefilmdepictsanewdawnontheworldoftheMatrix,signifyinganewbeginning(throughoutallthreefilms,everyshotofasceneinsidetheMatrixhasabitofgreentinting,symbolizingthatitisinacomputerprogram;butinthislastscene,thatgreentintisgone).

Reception

Thebudgetofthemoviewasanestimated$110USDmillion,grossingover$139USDmillionintheUnitedStatesandapproximately$412USDmillionworldwide.However,themoviewasmetwithgenerallymixedtonegativereviewsfromcritics.Revolutionsscoredonly36%onmoviereviewaggregationsiteRottenTomatoes.Metacritic'saveragecriticscorewas48/100withauserscoreof10basedon256votes.

TheMatrixRevolutionsgrossed$millioninitsfirstfivedaysofreleaseintheUS.Ithadaweakeropeningthanitspredecessorthatsomehaveattributedtoamoresubduedmarketingcampaignincomparisontothesummerblockbusterevent,TheMatrixReloaded.

Praisesofthemoviegenerallyfocusedonthestrengthofthemovie'sactionsequencesandspecialeffects.Someconsideredit"abettermovie"thanTheMatrixReloaded,whichsomesaid"raisesthebaranotchortwo"sincetheoriginalmovie,TheMatrix.

Commoncriticismsofthefilmwerethatitwasantic