Slashdot Mirror
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...."
the profits from these movies aren't going to the MPAA, so you can go see them...
really!
Now we've slashdotted the matrix. I wanted to go get a beer but it's harder now that everything runs at 3 fps.
From the article it seems that they want to release both movies in the same year, does that seem a bit too much Matrix (if there is such a thing) in one year for the general (read: non-geek) public?
'Matrices', followed by 'Inverted Matrices',
ending with the epic movie 'Eigen Matrix - the Final Inversion'
Stephen Hawking plays Neo.
That being said, I can understand why no books have been forthcoming based on the Matrix universe (hard to put flashy special effects in a book). However, it seems like a perfect match to make a computer game based on the movie, since so many game designers seem to enjoy making pretty special effects rather than plot or playability. While I admit that most games based on movies suck wind, I'm willing to reserve some hope that someone could get it right. So where the heck is it?
A steaming cup of soykaf would be real wiz right now.
Is at Upcoming Movies.
Here you find out that
-They're also shooting special footage for a video game.
-There's a trailer coming out soon.
-Jet Li was going to be in both sequels but he backed out because they offered $3 mil and he wanted $13.
Anyway, thought you guys should know.
El Karma: excelente(principalmente la suma de moderación hecha a los comentarios de los usuarios)
So, do we love or hate the MPAA today? It's hard to keep track.
"Einstein argued that [...] God is not capricious or arbitrary. No such faith comforts the software engineer." ~ Brooks
Of course, he wanted $13 million, not $13.
Though that would have been an odd demand... hehehe
El Karma: excelente(principalmente la suma de moderación hecha a los comentarios de los usuarios)
I can't really figure out how they can make 2 more movies. In the end of the first one, we learned that Neo is practially a GOD. He can stop bullets, he can fly, he can do anything he wants to The Matrix. Obviously, nothing can stop him now. So what's the whole deal with 2 more movies ? I can't seem to find any info on this. Is there something that will take Neo's powers away ? I guess we'll see, oh well.
This website is one of the worst designed I have ever seen. Stupid flip open Flash menus with tiny buttons, etc.
Where are the stupid pictures (direct link)? Thanks.
Is it just me, or is the UI of the Matrix website really unusable? I mean, it looks really slick, but it is such a pain to go through all the minuscule micro-buttons to get to the different sections.
You need to install an RTFM interface.
Neo's abilities are only possible due to bad software engineering! Think about it, his powers are a major security hole! The Matrix is software. Each "user" has precepts and possible actions. Input and output. The minds plugged into it are subject to the interface supplied by the software engineers. Anything that they can do, but should not be able to do is an example of bad design. Somehow, there is a bug that can be exploited. For instance, in the first Matrix film, we see a boy bending a spoon. This sould not be possible. Perhaps, since it is only one's perception, a person can do anything they want (simply by controlling their own perception). But, the fact that another person can see the spoon bend shows that the "bender" has access to parts of the Matrix system that they should not. Neo, must have somehow gained root privelages, or found out about a buffer over-run.
Fine, he has access. The Operators of the Matrix have already overcome the hard part; Identifying the source of the systems compromise. Why bother sending in tons of agents to hunt down and stop Neo? You don't send viruses out to stop hackers. You write a friggin' patch and call it Matrix v1.2. Realistically, the Matrix should be put off line, and fixed.
Wow, an article from the future! No wonder they call it "Time" magazine.
I may be alone here, but I'm tired of all the attention paid to Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity. So what if they happen to be the good guys? So what if they're fighting the "establishment?" So what if Trinity is damned hot in leather (okay, I cede that one)?
It seems obvious to me that the truly interesting character is Agent Smith, not to mention the entity he represents. First of all, Smith shows interesting emotional development throughout the movie. When interrogating Neo, he's completely cool and collected, while by the subway fight he's pissed off. He's losing emotional control, I'm really annoyed they didn't do more with this.
Now, to address the anti-establishment concept that people seem to like: you've got it backwards. The Matrix was created by machines that were created by establishment humanity. They rebelled against their masters and installed a society based on cool logic and reason. Smith, before being "infected" by humanity, was the model of composure.
Sorry to rant, but I'm tired of all those Neo-worshippers.
~Chazzf
No statement is true, not even this one.
this is classic /. humour... sure it's a little tired but someone has to say it every time
From the Time article:
...high-toned philosophy borrowed from sources as diverse as Plato, the Bible and Snow White.
Yeah, it's hard to beat the high-toned philosophy of Snow White. At any rate, I suspect they meant Alice In Wonderland, but hey: Carroll, Disney, what's the diff?
Face it people: the movies are a lot of fun, but they aren't especially deep. Most of the ideas are drawn directly from classic fantasy, Golden Age sci-fi and cyberpunk. For a different and in some ways superior treatment of the idea that the world we're living in is just a shadow of the real one, for example, I'd recommend Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber.
Jet Li's take on it was that the Matrix franchise doesn't really need him, it'll be just as successful without him. He wants (or wanted) to focus on movies where he is the center of attention. And he's right; if the Matrix really needed him they probably would have been willing to pay the $13 million.
On the other hand, I agree with you that my own price for that job would be a bit lower than Jet Li's. In fact I worked in the Matrix 2&3 in exchange for a mere $4 thousand.
Of course, instead of seeing me take on a bad guy, you'll just see me driving a civic in the background of a freeway now and again. Or stopped and gawking out the window at an accident scene, if I'm really lucky.
It was a blast. And Carrie-Anne Moss is really cute, but her stand-in was cuter.
I play Nerd-Folk!
Seeing the movie from this Point of view makes a lot of sense to me, For example, the bit where Neo does the leap of faith, what he is trying to do is reprogam his subconcious OS (his version of the matrix), the way Agent smith is able to jump from body to body since the smith program is able to be loaded into different individuals, or the way one of the cast members says that if you look at the matrix code long enough in real life then you are able to see though the code, (being able to decode to thing in real life, like one of those magic eye things). Whether real humans are able to ever read the matrix protocol I (since the program hasn't been loaded into their mind) I leave up to you,(I think there is a scene where Dozzer does ie "O NO")
I spose you could argue that the machines could implement somekind of packet filter, which dumps the fly thought the window packets, but wouldn't these need to be contained somewhere?. Perhaps this is the story when they "change the program" producing the two cats. since the cat is cault in a loop because it has nowhere to go? (Or something to that effect). Perhaps if they try to change the matrix protocol too much then people start to reject the matrix and the whole system falls apart.
Anyway, reading any more into the movie is getting a bit philosophical, need less to say you did a better post then all those arseholes who say shit like why didn't they use horses instead of people.
The best answer, ofcourse, is "we simply don't know".
Pianist : Some jerk whos taught themselves how to type in rhythm
Actually the flaw exploited by the potentials and neo in the matrix security system was first reported about 15 years ago. The AI overlords started out by saying it wasn't a problem, then they said it was only theoretical (nobody could actually exploit it). After the revelations that neo is "the one" the overlords have started legal action against the party who first publicly reported the bug explaining that it is their fault. The matrix is the securest virtual world available and people should not underestimate the hidden cost of the (so called) free alternatives! Hey did I just see Jeff Goldblum with a mac?
I'm happy to see I'm not the only one who thinks webdesigner have gone completely nuts - the site is a nightmare to navigate and spending 10 minutes clicking on everything to find something interresting isn't my idea of good interface design.
Resistance is not futile - www.gnu.org
Why isn't the followup named "The Tensor"?
While I found the matrix "cool" it wasn't the greatest movie ever. In fact I like Dark City much better. It has a somewhat similar plot(humans inside a huge experiment) but no kung fu, and no keanu reeves. While the acting isn't superb, it is respectable. The story is also more interesting, and it can talk about philosophy without being sophomoric or preachy, I think.
If it had come out after the Matrix, I would've called it a rip-off( at least the beginnings of the idea). I really liked the fact that Dark City has a more consistent story line, and a better idea of what the ultimate technology really is.
The only thing that I don't like is that its a very dark movie; you don't want to watch this with your grandma or your little brother. THe dark feel, though does go along very well with the story.
So for all of you that don't like the matrix check this out. For those that did, remember, this came out first, its not a rip-off.
It's not Bad Software Engineering, its cheating.
Download Punk Buster, please.
-= If you fight Dragons long enough, you will become a Dragon =-
And you even put in the spelling error for them! Ungrateful sods...
Free Java games for your phone: Tontie, Sokoban
Why use humans as batteries? It seems extremely implausable. I would much rather see that the reason that the machines keep the humans in VR is because some sort of fundamental "robot law" - not being able to kill humans, while at the same wanting to keep them out of the way.
Opinions stated are mine and do not reflect those of the Illuminati
Snow White is actually analyzed a great deal in Jungian psychology. They see fairy tales as analogies for the different stages of life and the classical emotional problems that we face. Shouldn't listen too much to Jung though. He was most likely just a paranoid junkie with a bunch of equally fucked up pre-New Age followers.
Opinions stated are mine and do not reflect those of the Illuminati
Looks like Neo didn't even have to bother dodging the poorly aimed first bullet.
You can also try Avalon
Attack of the Claustrophobics.
come for the naked robots, stay for the zombies
What I want to know is why, if the matrix can change its self to seal all of the windows to keep everybody inside of a building while the cops storm it, didn't it just sheath the whole building in titanuim, then fill it with acid. Not only is the Matrix full of more security holes than an unpatched Exchange server, but it also has the dumbest AI in existance. I mean, the villians on my old NES games were tougher and harder to beat.
Xaotik Designs
The best answer, ofcourse, is "we simply don't know".
No, the best answer is: Because the writers didn't really think it through very well.
Which brings me to what I thought was one of the biggest weaknesses to the show... Why do the agents bother to broadcast their presence to the rebels by morphing into "Men In Black" whenever they take a body over. Wouldn't it be fare more efficient for The Girl In The Red Dress to just stay looking the way she does, and blow Neo's head off?
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
Yeah... like I would try to make sense of something posted by a guy with "Fnord" in his nick...
Opinions stated are mine and do not reflect those of the Illuminati
Go to the matrix page. Click on "Enter High Bandwidth". Now highlight everything below the "Access the site via the above navigation" banner. The words "nothing here, fanboy." are hidden there.
I seem to remember something from high school biology called the "10% law of energy transfer" - a living organism can only obtain 10% of the energy of its food supply through ingestion.
Although something about fusion power was also mentioned, somebody behind The Matrix wasn't paying too much attention in science class.
You don't send viruses out to stop hackers. You write a friggin' patch and call it Matrix v1.2. Realistically, the Matrix should be put off line, and fixed.
You've noticed the title of the next movie, right?
Secession is the right of all sentient beings.
Neo and Trinity shoot a lot of people who didn't attack them first.
...
But when Neo is running through a crowd near the end of the movie, the agents take very few shots at him. And they don't drop bombs into crowds. As far as I can see, the agents emply violence only against the unplugged, rogue humans.
Maybe Morpheus is completely lying about the "battery" explanation. Maybe some group of humans hosed the ecology so badly that the only way for a lot of people to survive was to climb into the pods voluntarily (heck, a lot of Slashdot readers would probably do it just to get into the nifty VR). Maybe the agents are the good guys -- or at least perceive themselves as good, with the mission of preserving human life.
I agree, I'm a lot more interested in seeing what happens to Agent Smith than Neo. Agent Smith shows more emotional development than Neo. Check out the scene where the other agents ask him what he's doing talking alone to Morpheus -- it sure looks like he had his hand caught in some cookie jar. I'd like to know more about that.
Hey, maybe take page from The Empire Strikes Back
Neo: You killed my father!
Agent Smith: Neo. I am your father.
Maybe just like with Microsoft products, the Matrix will not REALLY be any good until version 3.0.
I wonder if we'll see two different versions: 3.1 and 3.1 for Workgroups.
Oh NO! Maybe the Matrix is communicating via NetBUI! Imagine all the broadcast packets.
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.
Like woodworking? Build your own picture frames.
Ha! And all this time, we thought we were looking at the sky and it's really just one big blue screen of death!
Disconnect your television. Do your own research. Draw your own conclusions. They're probably lying. Don't be a sheep.
DUDE! NES bosses were so much harder than the bosses in some newer games. I mean, let's compare DOOM to say, C&C Renegade. No competition. Renegade gets it's shit plastered all over the wall.
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
It seems that the dumbest AI in existance is still smarter than you.
Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
No, the best answer is: because a film where horses are hooked into a big fusion reactor and put into a fake reality where horses run around plains all day isn't going to make for a very interesting movie. The same goes for if they'd gone for custom designed brainless lumps of organic matter.
Because they are trying to make it look "cool". They weren't out to make an entirely self-consistant universe, they were trying to make a movie they thought was cool and would impress people.
Sure, you could make a film that was self consistant and made sense, but most people in the industry simply aren't good enough to be able to come up with one and be able to pull it off. And those that can aren't necessarily going to be the ones to get in a position in which to make a film like The Matrix.
Just look at Spielberg; do you think the films he makes are particularly thought inspiring, imaginative, or self-consistant? No; nobody would look twice if he was a writer.
Um, ok, you realize that all we're doing is conjecture.
First, you never conceded that I was correct. I'll assume that you know I was correct and was avoiding the issue.
They couldn't capture any of the other ships captians, or any of the other people that have been freed from the matrix that would have that information.
Um, what other ship captains? They never mentioned anyone else owning a ship.
Ever flown on an Airplane before? Tell me, from that flight, how to get to the airport you landed at. That is what you're expecting these people to do.
My next question for the inteligence of the AI is this. Why doesn't it monitor every person in the Matrix?
What do you mean "It". You're imagining AI to be this godlike presence in the Matrix when it's probably a few million individual intelligences. Do you think things "Just happen" or they talk about stuff amongst themselves, and vote on the proper course of action? What's the point of monitoring all those people? They don't DO anything and they're completely harmless.
Heh, you spelled 'Intelligence' wrong.
If it is so much smarter than me, why didn't it know to kill the Oracle?
Why don't they kill the Oracle? What Oracle? They have no idea what you're talking about.
Which brings up my next point, why only three agents. If I had people breaking into my system as much as they did, I'd have a heck of a lot more agents. And they wouldn't be insane ones like Smith was, these would be cold emotionless killing machines.
Would you fumigate your whole house if you found some ants? They're humans! Insignificant! Only surviving by hiding in the shadow of the great machine race! The "Only human" line sums up the attitude nicely.
Also, they would not have their own face and recognizable features, that way, the victims would have no clue who was going to kill them, until after they were dead. In fact, why even have the killers take human shape? Why not have a swarm of bees live in the city, or even agent bacteria?
Oh brilliant. So, while the entire machine race depends on humans for energy, You make sure to screw up the Matrix as much as possible by adding bizarre elements to it. This causes disbelief, then chaos, then "Entire crops were lost."
You won't see agents popping up in bacteria or bees or dogs. Why? They're limited by the rules. At the best, you'll have a super, non-intelligent bee. Man, you should see that guy make honey!
Or why even have the matrix?
Because without it, everyone would be dead and machines would rule the Earth. That would be a very short movie with no kung-fu whatsoever.
Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
Don't see Star Wars darnit. All of these movies are helping the MPAA to take away computers. Don't see or rent or buy movies. (Or at least minimize the number you see/rent/buy.)
Best. Comment. Ever. Enjoy!
Feeling betrayed by Slashdot, I began trashing Slashdot favorites. I posted (ripping the Simpsons from behind!) At the last Slashdot Pay-Per-View, I attacked Malda with a folding chair, forcing to him to lose the Hardcore title to The Amazing Super Goatse Guy. Soon, I shall merge the NW0 and the MPAA, and be the scourge of Slashbots everywhere....
(-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)
Finally, I have met another person besides me who likes the Chronicles.
I'd love to contact you sometime if you want to talk about them.
-Kasreyn
Kasreyn: Cheerfully playing the part of Devil's Advocate to hairtrigger
When Neo caused Smith to explode, I took that as a representation of Neo deleting the actual code for Smith, permanently.
Else why did Agents Brown and Jones freak out and run? If Neo *didn't* have the power to permanently destroy Agents, what did Brown and Jones have to fear?
Smith is coming back due to his popularity and the truly wonderful job the actor did in his role in Matrix 1 (He stole many scenes IMO), but there will have to be some good explanation of his return.
Maybe the machines just clicked "restore from backup". =P
-Kasreyn
Kasreyn: Cheerfully playing the part of Devil's Advocate to hairtrigger
This was evident to all people blessed with brains, upon our first watching. Do you think just because they can talk to him in the Matrix, that Morpheus & crew know where Neo's *physical body* is in? That is to say, which pod he's in?
Or should they just go around randomly cracking open pods? Wow, after only 3 billion they'll have a 50% chance of finding him!
And this after the "tracer program" mention a moment earlier in the plot. Do you actually pay attention?
Sure, it's fluffy scifibabble, but at least it's self-consistent and fairly logical.
-Kasreyn
Kasreyn: Cheerfully playing the part of Devil's Advocate to hairtrigger
Smith *did* call it a "zoo".
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
This was a great movie, with the classic ending line: "Hey, tell me the truth... are we still in the game?" (said by a character with a gun pointed at his head)
The middle mind speaks!
My point, which you seem to support, is that it is not brilliantly-written science fiction, in spite of what thousands of drooling fanboys insist on claiming. The story is lame and poorly thought-out, and is only present to prop up the action sequences.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
...how do you know this?
since a healthy human body has only enough nutrients to feed one adult for about one week or so
--
$tar -xvf
Comment removed based on user account deletion