Whoa. After four years, and nearly $400 million, the Wachowski
brothers have finally offered the red pill to long-suffering
audiences eager for some resolutions from Revolutions. And
what conclusions they are. Be prepared, The Matrix
Revolutions is a jaw-dropping, head-spinning finale to the
greatest sci-fi series of our generation.

Unlike its predecessor, Revolutions avoids the
metaphysical quagmire that so deeply entrenched Reloaded.
Gone are the self-indulgent monologues that the brothers scripted
into Reloaded to flex their philosophical prowess.
Revolutions is a return to the character-driven action that
captured the world’s imagination in The Matrix, and a more
than sincere apology for the less-than-stellar aspects of
Reloaded.

What began in 1999 as a small band of rebels struggling against
the sinister Agents has now evolved into a cinematic Armageddon
between man and machine. The city of Zion lies under siege by the
vast machine army, while the renegade Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving)
continues his reign of terror within the Matrix. Exhausted from his
real-world power trip, Neo (Keanu Reeves) lies dormant in a sort of
purgatory between the two worlds, and things look desperate for
humanity.

Revolutions makes a clear departure from the previous two
films, taking place almost exclusively in the real world. The
green-tinged cinematography now iconic to the series is replaced
with the grimy earth tones of Zion.

Likewise, Revolutions largely avoids the “bullet time”
effects in favor of realistic violence. Compared to previous
efforts, Revolutions is clearly the goriest of the series. The
inevitable real-world confrontation between Neo and Bane (possessed
by Agent Smith) is grisly enough to fit right in with Kill
Bill.

Thankfully, the slow-motion gunfights and martial arts action
found solely within the Matrix hasn’t disappeared entirely.
Morpheus (Laurence Fishbourne) and Trinity’s (Carrie-Anne Moss)
search for their missing friend leads them into an S. and M. club
run by none other than that dastardly Frenchman, the Merovingian
(Lambert Wilson).

Alongside the enigmatic Seraph (Collin Chou), they instigate a
massive firefight in the club’s lobby with an elite group of
bodyguards who can walk on the ceiling. The shootout recalls The
Matrix’s legendary lobby scene, complete with the requisite
nifty camera tricks and slick gunplay.

The film’s scope is also much more sweeping than its
predecessors. Revolutions is very much an ensemble piece as
opposed to the usual Neo-Trinity-Morpheus dynamic. Seemingly
pointless characters introduced in Reloaded suddenly become
three-dimensional, and each gets their own moment in the spotlight
during the final assault on Zion.

This climactic battle is worth the price of admission by
itself.

Hopelessly outnumbered, humanity rallies to make a last stand in
the face of insurmountable odds, and the ensuing carnage and
heroics infuse Revolutions with the required sense of
emotion that was lacking in Reloaded’s occasionally bland
presentation.

Zion’s last stand is surpassed only by the final confrontation
between Neo and Agent Smith. While their earlier confrontation in
Reloaded was an abomination of poor special effects and shoddy
choreography, their ultimate struggle for control of the Matrix is
awe-inspiring in its scale.

Scored to a majestically operatic theme, the rain-drenched,
super-powered slugfest may be the greatest mano-a-mano showdown yet
put to film.

When Neo’s fist smashes Smith’s face in all its “bullet time”
glory, even this jaded reviewer was moved to whisper joyous
expletives at the silver screen–it’s that good.

Hugo Weaving owns this movie in his malicious portrayal of Agent
Smith. His raspy beckoning to “Mr. Anderson” exudes bad-guy chic
unseen since Darth Vader hung up his lightsaber 20 years ago. While
the rest of the cast shines in their respective roles, Weaving
truly elevates his craft by transforming Smith into the very
embodiment of death and destruction.

Although Revolutions answers many long-standing
questions, its controversial finish will undoubtedly fuel the fires
of debate once again.

But as tempting as the traditional Hollywood ending may have
been, the Wachowski brothers should be commended for refusing to
deliver easy answers gift-wrapped to their audience.

Modern mythology at its finest, the incredible visuals and
stunning plot developments featured in Revolutions are a
fitting conclusion to this landmark series.

The red pill of understanding has at last presented itself, but
what a fantastic journey down the rabbit hole it has been.