The Matrix is Reloading

smoondog writes "The Matrix Reloaded is the highly anticipated sequel to Wachowski's geek epic. Time.com has opened a new preview site with pics and interviews. Make sure you check out the pics on The Matrix homepage. Too bad 2003 is so far away...."

Comments

The Matrix was a Groundbreaking movie.

[Kombat]

This article and all the Matrix comments here prove just how powerful a film "The Matrix" really is. Peruse the comments here and notice the huge amount of people spouting off their opinions about the movie, completely ignoring the fact that nobody asked.

Why would people feel such a strong urge to offer up their opinions on a movie if they really, truly felt that it was mediocre? Lots of movies I'm sure they hate just as much are mentioned every day, and these people don't succumb to the temptation to compose a huge commentary on all the borrowed cliches in "Notting Hill." And yet, one need only mention "The Matrix", and even now, 3 years later, and people come out of the woodwork, trying to show off what little they know about classical mythology and contemporary filmmaking. I guess "Intro Filmmaking 101" makes experts out of you all, eh?

I particularly love the poseurs who say they think people are being modded down just because people resent those who rip on popular things. And yet, here on Slashdot, I see far more negative comments about "The Matrix" than positive ones. This little subculture does rip on popular things. The little teeny-bopper geeks-in-waiting have only been around a little over a decade, but they already (claim to) know more about programming than Microsoft, and more about filmmaking than the Wachowskis. They see a couple 60's kung-fu movies at a friend's sleepover and think that makes them film connoisseurs.

Face it - a lot of the kids on this site have been bred to hate popular things. And they don't even consider that it's because they're not popular, so one way to feel good about themselves is to embrace a culture that preaches "popular things are bad." Linux fits that bill nicely. And thus, you have your target audience for Slashdot. Unfortunately, you then have a truly groundbreaking movie like "The Matrix", and it gets shunned by people who think the makers were going for Shakespeare.

The Wachoswkis weren't trying to re-invent the world. Read some interviews with them. All along, all they wanted was to make a cool sci-fi, kung-fu movie. They're just a couple of kids who got their dream come true and were granted a budget by a major studio. Like children in a candy store, they made the movie they wanted to make, and it worked. The editing was bang-on, the effects were groundbreaking, and it was a box-office sleeper hit. They succeeded.

But, unfortunately, in the eyes of their target demographic (Slashdotters), they had crossed over to the dark side. They were (shudder) popular.

Oh well. You can't please everybody. There are so many movies out there that are content with working on just one level. They follow the standard formula of plausible plot, one or too big-name actors, maybe a couple effects, rush it through the grinder and get it up on the screen. I really liked that the Wachowskis bothered to put in so many clever references, even if they didn't rival Freud's greatest works. It's just something fun, something new to discover each time you watch the movie. I think that's all they were going for, and I think it's sad that so many people think they are the final authority on what the film should have been, or was trying to be, when the Wachowskis have clearly articulated their vision already.