Very experienced poster
Posts: 209
Location: Australia
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OK, I've just come from seeing The Matrix Revolutions and it's still fresh in my mind. I saw both The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded on video earlier in the week, so I have that overall sweep in view as well.
First off, I'd have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the 3rd film. Too often the third film in a series is a bit of a disappointment. I didn't feel that to be the case in this film. It seemed quite "balanced" (unlike the 2nd film, which had a bit too many fight scenes) in the shifting perspective from Zion, the Ships and the matrix itself.
Secondly, there is a good emotional and plot resolution at the end of the film. The story that started in #1 -- that of Neo -- ends in this film. Not all ends are neatly tied up, but the film ends at a logical point.
There were a number of things that I noticed while watching...
The Trainman
The actor who plays this character, Bruce Spence, is a perennial Aussie actor, most notable appearances are "The Aviator" in Mad max 2 and Mad max 3, and recently in The Lord of the Rings films as an elf.
The scene where Morpheous and Trinity are chasing him appears to have been shot (partly) in MUSEUM station, part of the underground system in the Sydney CBD.
The Club
The B&D club was probably modelled on "The Hellfire Club", a monthly fetish club held in Sydney. A friend of mine, Donna, was one of the extras appearing in it (see her website at zipworld.com.au...) though if you blink you'd miss her.
Matrix within a Matrix Theory
I think this has pretty much been put to rest now, as it's been shown that Neo does have extraordinary abilities, which accounts for how he can stop sentinels and see while blind. While Zion could still be another segment of the Matrix, there was no evidence in this film to further support that idea.
Similarities with other Films
I couldn't help think how the start of the 3rd film was similar to the start of Return of the Jedi -- we have a main character rescued before the "real" action begins. Also, Neo beats the "dark side" by seeming to submit to it and refusing to fight, just like Luke does.
The night before I saw #3, I watched a film on TV called A Wrinkle in Time (based on a famous children's book). The last part of the film has the main characters fighting "the dark" on a planet where people are taken over and made the same ('like is not the same as equal') by "IT". On that planet there's perpetual darkness but after "the dark" is finally defeated (by love, what else?) there's a sunrise. Sound familiar?
Video Game References
When the sentinels are attacking Zion, I kept thinking of a giant game of Galaxians, especially with the numbers involved. I'd be very surprised if there wasn't some sort of playstation game in the offing here.
Also, I noticed that Ghost and Niobe are out of action at the start of the film, and later make reference to a visit to the Oracle. This is "tie-in" to ENTER THE MATRIX isn't it?
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