The Matrix Reloaded

Neo, Morpheus, Trinity, and the denizens of Zion brace for the machines' attempt to find and destroy the last human stronghold. Neo also discovers more about his destiny as he deals with the ubiquitous and even more powerful Agent Smith. The Wachowski brothers have gone all-out to top the original, and at least visually, they have succeeded. But this one suffers from the attempt to mix navel-gazing ponderings on such topics as choice, destiny, and fate with the visceral thrills, all while trying to move the story forward. A daunting task, which "Reloaded" almost fulfills, providing a complicated twist on the story created in the original, but not mixing it as smoothly with the action set-pieces that, out of necessity, had to be (and definitely are) show-stopping. By no means a failure, it's just not the overwhelming success many hoped it would be.