The Matrix Who acutally likes it?

fred · 16 November, 2003, 06:42:14 AM

Waahey! I won a pair of tickets on XFM to see Matrix III at the IMAX!

Eat my shorts losers!

fred

Agrivar · 16 November, 2003, 06:53:13 AM

haven't actually read this thread have you fred

Bony Fella · 16 November, 2003, 07:20:28 AM

Bringing it back to topic slightly.... I loved the first, thought the second was pretty weak with some ok setpieces but stretched out, and the third was pretty great, but still felt stretched out... There. Simple and easy.

IndigoPrime · 16 November, 2003, 11:29:28 PM

I agree. The original was excellent (9/10), while the sequel was, quite frankly, boring as shit (3/10). I expected the very worst from 3, and was very pleasantly surprised. In fact, I'd go as far as to say it was a _good_ film, and for me, it didn't feel particularly stretched out (7/10).

Also, in my understanding of the film's events, everything now makes perfect sense after seeing the third film. Most disagree with my interpretation of it though (which is largely that we've never seen the "real" world, and that Neo is essentially another program, designed to save the Matrix when things fuck up - Norton Utilities, if you will).

Agrivar · 16 November, 2003, 11:42:31 PM

Norton Utilites - lmfao

more like a windows update

Art · 22 November, 2003, 06:21:30 AM

I kind of sort of almost like it, with a few rservations, but it has to be seen from the point of view of being a religious movie about Superman/Jesus rather than science fiction. Also I worry that it might actually be a front for scientologists or christrian doomsday cultists or something

Woolly · 22 November, 2003, 02:28:53 PM

Things i cant work out....(includes spoilers for part 3....)

1. What is the point of the frenchman? He deletes programmes? So why is he keeping the keymaker alive?

2. How can Neo 'see' machinery in the real world when he's been blinded? Doesnt that suggest that he's in the matrix all along?

3. Come to mention it, how can he control the machines in the real world? Doesnt that also suggest he's in the matrix?

4. If 'the one' is part of a perfectly balanced mathematical equation, then why is Neo the only 'one' to have an equal adversary (Smith)who is also threatening the existence of the matrix?

5. Who was that train driver bloke? What is his purpose again?

6. How exactly can a program be downloaded into a persons conciousness, as Smith does?

7. Why do i like such silly films?

paulvonscott · 22 November, 2003, 07:09:37 PM

I really wish I could be bothered, but I can't, Matrix Fatigue...

Bony Fella · 22 November, 2003, 07:15:37 PM

1 - The Frenchman is a corrupt program. He is greedy and wantd to possess everything, dominate everyone like a mafia boss of some kind. He wants to be all powerful, and so he kept the keymaker alive. The other reason is that the 'keymaker' was a setup, part of the machine plan to make humans believe they have free-will through a bogus 'prophecy'

2 - Neo is totally attuned to the machines - it's arguable that his brain is similar to a program. Therefore he can remotely interface with the 'core' of the machine world, and he knows where machines are. Plus he picks up signals that they give off, being the one an all

3 - Same reason - he has the ability to remotely touch the core and shut down machines. However, this is a great strain as he's still 'only human' so it's very hard for him to do

4 - Because Neo is the only 'one' to have a mind of his own, the equation went awry. There is no way the architect could have predicted this, as he thinks only in linear 'perfect' terms, and can't understand love on a personal level. Therefore, when Smith was killed, he came back instead of being deleted by utilising Neo's abilities as The One, which were imprinted onto him during his destruction, and take to form of... well, a virus I guess

5 - As we said, the frenchman wants to control everything. He has a nice sideline in making machines feel insignificant, and selling services to them. He can bring programs in from the machine 'core' (in the city Neo went to) and into the Matrix. The train driver runs and operates the secret passageways he built.

6 - What Smith was doing was copying himself onto other programs, or other consciousnesses - like Neo had copied onto Smith, but in a greater way: total self replication, overriding the RSI and everything. What we appear as in the Matrix is a manifestation of the electrical signals in our consciousness, and so Smith copied himself, basically, onto someone's consciousness. There are a couple of things in the film to suggest he wasn't totally in control of the body, but I think he mainly took over the host once he went back to the real world, because it wasn't the guy's mind returning, it was Smith's. In the first one, Morpheus said that our mind was in the Matrix, and as the Matrix is totally electronic, it becomes an electical pattern and therefore vunerable to Smith. If you're killed, your body dies as 'the body cannot live without the mind' but if you are taken over by Smith, a mind returns to your body, in the form of Smith. Also, Smith is technically part human thanks to Neo, so he has easier access (there's a line of thought that says: Smith and Neo are the only two being ever to be part machine/part human. I dunno, but sounds cool)

7 - Because it's such an open ended piece, that as long as you ignore the silly bits, you can draw whatever you want from it, as it uses many, many philosophical, literary, historical and religious influences.
And the fights kick ass

Probably wrong on most of those, but as I say, many interpretations of the events... they're kinda mine, but got a bit away from me, so might be bull.... can't be bothered reading it back! Enjoy!

Queen Firey-Bou · 23 November, 2003, 03:55:32 AM

skipping the 3 spoilers there...

i dunno i really don't maybe i'm the board thickie or something, maybe ive dumbed down too much or don't watch enough filums..

But,

Ive just watched 2 on video & It was GREAT ! yeah sure i could critisise it, & there was bits when i had to stop my brain picking holes or whatever. But really i mean youve got 'legally dumb & dumber dude III' or 'hugh grunt talks posh & another funeral' , then youve got a sci-fi film with actual ideas in it, shit hot Fx & fighting n stuff, whats not to like?

Its like critisising 2K as it doesnt really capture the essence of phenoenological existentialism.

Matrix II, theres explosions & car crashes & philosophy & creepy machines & tight pvc cat suits, & motor bikes & weapons, & martial arts, & ...um well existential issues frankly.. Brilliant.

tho the ending was rushed & I need to watch it another 17 times before facing III.

i appear to be too easily pleased, i shall away & read war & peace now.

Queen Firey-Bou · 23 November, 2003, 03:56:43 AM

Actually i lied, war & peace my eye. I'm going to leap around the living room teaching basic martial arts to the kids, in slow mo' ...wheres my shades?

Bony Fella · 23 November, 2003, 04:01:48 AM

I tried to read War and Peace once.... managed to get 3/4 of the way. Terrible book, far too convoluted. Martial arts r way more fun! Tale of two cities, that was good... but still, not as good as leaping round the living room... a pattern emerges!

I also liked Reloaded Bou, it was far better than the usual tripe, just got far too overthyped. I mean, there was nothing they could really have done that could have met the expectations people built up.

Queen Firey-Bou · 23 November, 2003, 04:16:57 AM

damn, my puter is loosing posts tonight,

what i just said was, maybe the reason i niavely enjoy things is that i am oblivious to hype. don't get exited, so expect nothing & enjoy everything... hmmmm wise tonight i am .

Jim_Campbell · 23 November, 2003, 05:46:33 PM

"Things i cant work out....(includes spoilers for part 3....) "

Why the Wachowskis f*cking bothered, frankly.

Saw Revolutions last night and it's quite possibly the worst film I've ever paid to see.

Don't get me wrong - I didn't go in expecting to hate it ... after all, I really quite liked Reloaded, even with all its pacing problems, but _this_ ...

Absolutely awful. The Sentinel army was quite nice, but plot and dialogue were, at best, hackneyed and, at worst, lazy beyond belief.

By the time [CHARACTER NAME OMITTED TO REMAIN SPOILER-FREE] dies in a supposedly moving scene, I just couldn't give a toss. Really. Not a flying f*ck.

My first words on leaving the cinema were "I want ?5.80 and two hours of my life back, please."

Utter, fatuous, tedious bollocks.

Gaah.

Jim

Bony Fella · 23 November, 2003, 08:40:09 PM

Really? Shame. Oh well, everyone's entitled to their opinion. Even if it's WRONG. Ahem. Actually, the worst film I ever paid to see was David Cronenberg;s Crash. Who's with me?? Probably wins my 'Worst film ever' award, not even so bad it's good!! Even the porn is poor quality!!