May 21, 2003
The Return of the Labored Intro!
After weathering a number of outside distractions, problems, and breakdowns, whether technical (some major computer issues) or psychological, I am back in action. There's no time for (more) dilly-dallying, so let's get this show on the road, shall we?
In Need of a Creative Reload
With all of Warner Bros.' "Year of THE MATRIX" hype extending beyond the movie screens to video games, Web- and DVD-released animated shorts, and cheesy product tie-in TV spots, there's no doubt THE MATRIX RELOADED will be one of the year's, let alone the summer's, most financially successful films. All of the ballyhoo aside, however, there's no question that RELOADED offers some of the most phenomenal action set pieces to hit the screen in years--sequences that more than deliver on the jaw-dropping promise shown on the trailers. Based on that alone, RELOADED purely satisfies on that summer blockbuster entertainment level. But the question remains, does it satisfy as far as the legacy of the landmark original film? The answer, quite simply, is no.
In the years since its spring 1999 release, THE MATRIX proved to be one of the most important and influential films of all time, not just in terms of the action genre. Much was justly made of the revolutionary visual effects work, which was aped by many a sub-par would-be thrill ride and lampooned by many a half-witted comedy, but with all that amazing gee-wizardry and kick-ass action on display it was easy to forget about what gave the film true resonance: a complex and imaginative story driven by one enticing mystery--"What is the Matrix?"
It's been four long years since writers-directors Larry and Andy Wachowski answered that question (for the uninitiated: it is a virtual reality construct that machines have used to enslave mankind) and the other central question of that film: is computer programmer Neo (Keanu Reeves) the One prophesied to lead mankind in its war for liberation? (Yes.) And so going into RELOADED, there is a huge level of anticipation and excitement over what the Wachowski brothers have come up with next--and the duo certainly cannot be accused of not sparing the complexity and imagination this time; this sequel expands the universe of the first film on a grand scale, from the characters to the locations to the core mythology. Whether or not the pre-release excitement will be sustained by the logy, murky first hour is another story, though, as the film takes its sweet time in introducing the new material, specifically the underground city of Zion, the last remaining human city on the planet. Some time has passed since the conclusion of the last film, during which Neo (Keanu Reeves) realized he was the One, and a number of people have since been freed and joined the fight for liberation. But while spiritual guru Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) is optimistic about the ongoing war effort, Neo is far less so, troubled by recurring nightmares of his love Trinity's (Carrie-Anne Moss) death. That's not all that happens in this first hour, but it's about all that sticks. Seedlings are planted for subplots that obviously (hopefully?) will have a payoff in the third film, REVOLUTIONS, such as a love triangle between Morpheus, ship captain and ex-love Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Commander Lock (Harry Lennix); and then there are the off-hand, jargon-heavy references to the expanded mythology and philosophy that too often just whiz by before they can really be grasped.
When the action finally moves from real, multiethnic world of Zion to the lily white faux reality of the Matrix, where Neo and his crew continue their ass-kicking war effort against the machines--"personified" by the omnipresent (in every sense) Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving)--one would think that the film would finally kick into gear. In the most literal sense, it does; a visit with the Oracle (the late Gloria Foster) is sandwiched between two fight scenes, the second being a show-stopping throwdown between Neo and a veritable army of Agent Smiths (or should that be "Agents Smith"?). That electrifying scene, called the "Burly Brawl" by the cast and crew, is a jaw dropper; seamlessly employing martial arts wirework, practical stunts, and CGI enhancements, the lengthy sequence makes the famed "bullet time" effect of the first film look like child's play.
These two action scenes actually point up one of the key faults of RELOADED. Taken for the bursts of action that they are, they do their job; even the brief fight between Neo and a gatekeeper for the Oracle showcases some rather intricate martial arts choreography. But they don't really register much in the grand scheme of the film; ultimately these scenes seem there less to serve the story than to just provide a token action beat. Granted, action over story is the norm for action films, but THE MATRIX was something different, a classic example of how the money scenes could deliver thrilling spectacle while completely advancing and enhancing the narrative vision. In RELOADED, only a pair of set pieces--one in a building, the other being the much-discussed highway sequence that lives up to the advanced hype--really fall under the original's mode.
But then there's the question of what exactly RELOADED's narrative vision is. Due to its cliffhanging ending, producer Joel Silver has repeatedly called RELOADED "half of a movie," and he speaks a lot more truth than I think he is aware. Open-ended middle chapters to trilogies are nothing new, but even films such as THE TWO TOWERS, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, ATTACK OF THE CLONES or even BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (which is perhaps the closest analogue, due to the mid-scene ending, post-film trailer and six-month gap between installments) had a certain self-contained arc that made the film able to stand on its own. With its emphasis on numerous character introductions and extensive added wrinkles to the mythology, and virtual abandonment of any degree of resolution, explanation, or basic follow-through, RELOADED truly is half of a movie, a non-self-sustaining part of a larger whole. That being part of the design, it seems almost unfair to criticize it now, with REVOLUTIONS--and, presumably, resolutions--still to come.
The truth, however, remains that RELOADED is all there is at the moment, and so one must content onself with what pleasures this installment has to offer--and, indeed, there are plenty. As mentioned, the action scenes are superbly done on a technical level and downright kick ass in terms of visceral stimulation, particularly that climactic highway sequence, which somehow marries car chases, motorcycle chases, martial arts, explosions, a pair of dreadlocked twins and Morpheus's badass samurai sword into a seamless, exhilarating whole. The effects and production design are expectedly first-rate across the board; that said, the technology does not prevent some personality peeking through, primarily through some new additions to the cast: the devious, French-obsessed Merovingian (Lambert Wilson); his temptress of a wife, Persephone (Monica Bellucci); the aptly-named Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim); and a mystery authority figure known as the Architect (Helmut Bakaitis).
By the end of RELOADED, one not exactly be sure of the significance of some of these aforementioned characters (or, in the case of the Architect, what exactly the hell he is saying), and the film's many unanswered questions--and the accompanying frustrations--linger far more strongly once it's over than its more short-term virtues. But as one watches THE MATRIX RELOADED, the strong points about the film do succeed in captivating the viewer as it goes along, and as such it is definitely worth a look. It's just that the film's true worth will only become clear when THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS finally sees release in November.
The Next Evolution
Back in the summer of 2000, I walked out of my screening of Bryan Singer's original screen take on the venerable Marvel Comics franchise X-MEN with a certain sense of fanboy satisfaction but also the nagging suspicion that the real X-MEN movie had yet to be made. Nearly three years later, that suspicion has been proven correct with Singer's far-superior follow-up, X2-- which also happens to be a smarter, sleeker, more all-around satisfying blockbuster sequel than THE MATRIX RELOADED.
Singer has repeatedly gone on record as saying that X2 is not so much a "sequel" than the continuation of an ongoing saga, and however pretentious that statement may sound, it is that very approach that makes this film a more faithful and satisfying adaptation of the comic. Part of the enduring appeal of the X-books (particularly in the mid-'70s to early-'90s heyday that was written almost exclusively by Chris Claremont) has always been its unusually less-than-self-contained nature, with its tapestry of interwoven characters and subplots driven by decades of established history and mythology that is, more or less, treated as an understood given. To call the ongoing mutant saga a soap with superpowers wouldn't be too far off the mark at all, and while the first X-MEN film did a commendable job of introducing and establishing the basic plot and character foundation of the X-universe, the fanboy within couldn't help but miss the "joining in progress" excitement endemic to the experience of picking up an X comic for the first time.
Accordingly, with all the necessary exposition and basic plot and character foundation taken care of in the first film, in X2 Singer and scripters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris waste no time in continuing the angst-ridden lives of our genetically-mutated heroes and villains from right where the first film ended. Those who have not seen X-MEN, however, needn't worry about being lost, for like any good comic one is able to catch up--and be swept up--relatively quickly. Powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) continues his crusade for mutant tolerance by the rest of society, but his dream continues to be threatened by the proposed Mutant Registration Act. After some vague hints dropped in the first film, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) suffers through certain control issues with her telepathic and telekinetic abilities, worrying fiancé Scott Summers (James Marsden, who painfully proves to be far out of his depth), a.k.a. the optic-blasting goody two-shoes Cyclops. The romance between teens Rogue (Anna Paquin, still speaking in a forced drawl) and Bobby Drake/Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) continues to develop, but Rogue's inability to control her essence-absorbing powers also continues to be an obstacle. Logan/Wolverine (the ever-charismatic Hugh Jackman), heightened senses, healing factor and animalistic rages, continues to be haunted by the missing memories of his past--in particular the mystery of how he received his metal-bonded claws and skeleton. The ongoing trauma, however, doesn't prevent ol' Logan from continuing to pursue his romantic interests in Jean. But, of course, there's also the matter of supervillainy to further complicate our heroes' lives: a man by the name of Stryker (Brian Cox) is cooking up a dastardly scheme that would prove harmful to all of mutantkind, and it may take the added help of Xavier's now-imprisoned old friend and philosophical rival, the human-hating master of magnetism Magneto (Ian McKellen, clearly having a ball) to stop him.
That rather labyrinthian recap underlines why X2 works so well; like the source material, the film is firmly rooted in and driven by the characters--not that Singer and company skimp on any of the usual comic book/blockbuster trimmings. The numerous action scenes are exciting and suspenseful (much credit must go out to John Ottman, once again doing a cracker jack editing/scoring job for Singer after sitting out X1), not to mention refreshingly varied: the film opens with some BAMF!-enhanced brawling with the blue-skinned teleporter Nightcrawler (a perfectly cast Alan Cumming); shapeshifting femme fatale Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) gets to do her martial arts ass-kicking, as does new-to-the-movies villainess Lady Deathstrike (Kelly Hu); hot-headed young fire-controlling mutant Pyro (Aaron Stanford) serves up some literally blazing action; there's some great larger-scale stunts involving the X-Men's Blackbird jet; and--much to delight of fans everywhere--there's some long-awaited, unbridled slice-and-dice from Wolverine.
Giving these sequences an added urgency is how they emerge organically from the story and advance it, never coming off as being action for action's sake. The choreography, explosions, effects and whatnot indeed dazzle, but with fully-drawn characters as participants, there's a greater degree of involvement in the scenes; instead of simply witnessing spectacle, the viewer feels part of it. The script and Singer's experience with ensemble casts gives everyone equal time to have an individual subplot and carve out an individual identity--that is, with one glaring and rather curious exception: the weather-controlling Storm (Halle Berry). Berry's frustration with her part in the X films has been widely reported, and one can't blame her; in the comics, Storm is one of the most fascinating, dynamic personalities and a veritable cornerstone for the entire team. In X2, Storm has more screen time--and Berry sports a much better wig--but she still remains a cipher; only one rather tossed-off line ("Sometimes anger can help you survive") gives any vague hint as to the real Ororo Munroe comic fans have grown to love and admire over the years. Then again, if one's sole familiarity with the X-Men comes through the films, one wouldn't know who Ororo Munroe is, since Storm's real name is never once uttered in this film (not even in her alone scenes with Jean, her best friend).
Hopefully that major misstep will be corrected by the time X3 rolls around, and considering the leaps and bounds that were made between the first and this film, one is optimistic--that is, provided the same creative team returns. The X-Men and their rich history make for great fodder for a film, but it takes a true cinema talent to turn the daunting and rather unwieldy 40 years of material into a coherent yet complex, smart yet incredibly fun entertainment that satisfies both the fanboys and newbie moviegoers alike. Now that Singer has completely found his footing with X2, who knows what untold superhuman heights he can reach in future installments.
Looking Ahead to Next Time...
...reviews of BRUCE ALMIGHTY, more catch-up, the return of the video section and more. As usual, check out my home site, the soon-to-be revamped Mr. Brown's Movie Site, for my longer takes on older releases.
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