Felt like bumping this with some thoughts on the various films:
The Matrix-It's a bit more flawed than people think (Cypher, while entertaining, is such a tool that his valid argument doesn't get much sympathy), but it's still a damn good film. It also proves that Keanu Reeves, when you cast him right, can actually work pretty well acting-wise; one of my favorite moments in the film is post-resurrection Neo's near-effortless blocking Smith's attacks, and Reeves' blank facial expression helps the realization that Neo is so much more powerful now (Hugo Weaving's increasingly furious demeanor helps as well).
The Animatrix-Arguably the best thing to come out of the sequels, mainly because it delivers on the promise of the first film and really explores the world the Wachowskis created. The only short I'm not that fond of is Kid's Story, which despite an interesting art style is tiresome teen angst. The rest are pretty much aces: The Second Renaissance provides a deep, compelling look into the origins of the Matrix. Beyond, perhaps my favorite film out of the bunch, takes a look at how the weirdness of the Matrix can affect daily life. Program is a beautifully animated affair that gives more credence and sympathy to Cypher's argument from the first film. Final Flight of the Osiris is a dazzling display of computer animation and action. World Record delivers on its nifty premise with a unique art style. A Detective Story is a neat spin on how the world of the Matrix can be interpreted story-wise. Finally, Matriculated, while really damn weird (and Peter Chung's character designs continue to baffle me; the only place I think they've completely worked is that animated Riddick film he did), is an interesting perspective flip for the machines.
The Matrix Reloaded-Yeah, it's deeply flawed; there's way too much philosophizing (though some of it is entertaining), and I wish Neo could just use superpowers or something instead of the same kung-fu tricks. Admittedly, said kung-fu tricks are still pretty entertaining, and the two major setpieces (the Burly Brawl, the insane freeway chase) are spectacular. Hugo Weaving and Laurence Fishburne remain the best actors in the films, Keanu is still fun (love his sarcastic "Really?" when he's in the mountains), Monica Bellucci is a mouth-watering beauty, Lambert Wilson is clearly having a blast, and I actually like the Architect scene since we actually get some straight answers as to what the Matrix is and how it works. In short, I dig it.
The Matrix Revolutions-I still like this movie for the spectacle and certain actors (Reeves, Weaving, Fishburne), but God there's lots of padding. We don't need the Kid, we don't need the needless Link subplot, we don't need Asshole Commander Lock, and we sure as hell don't need a death scene that feels like an hour long.... but the awesomeness of the Zion siege and the final battle between Neo and Smith is hard to deny. The latter feels like live-action Dragonball Z done right, and there's a lot more of that wild-and-crazy aesthetic/feel in Speed Racer. I like it with massive reservations.
