2. Introduction To Zion - The Matrix Reloaded
It seems kind of silly to suggest that it was a mistake to take us deeper into the world of
The Matrix, given that that was the point of having any sequels in the first place, but I don't think there was any moment in this franchise quite as disappointing as when we were taken into Zion, the last living refuge and city for remaining human life. Thing is, Zion is rendered just about as well as any apocalyptic future city, and there are impressive details to be had. But as a testament to the imagination, stepping inside felt like a shattering of expectations. The great thing about the first
Matrix movie, of course, was in how little was shown about the "real world," but how much was implied. We only got to navigate the filthy tunnels of a world in fallout, and Morpheus' mere mention of a last city where human beings still dwelled turned out to be far better than actually getting to see it rendered - in a lot of ways, seeing Zion in all its excess shifted our perceptions of the franchise at large. There are of course lots of other problems with
The Matrix sequels, but the introduction to Zion works as a neat metaphor for how these movies failed to meet expectations, and transformed a franchise out from under us.