Why People Hate It: Honestly, after the ground-breaking success that was The Matrix, God himself couldn't have written a sequel that would have pleased the fans. Expectations were simply too high. But the arguments we've heard usually center around Neo being too powerful to the point of there being no dramatic tension, and the overuse of giant explosions and car chases so self-indulgent they would make Michael Bay plead for a little bit of restraint. Why People Should Hate It: Because it wasted all the potential of the first Matrix film, which was an imaginative, philosophical story. But as soon as they had to expand on that philosophy, it fell flat on its face. A really solid film is able to ask all of these deep questions, and that's great, but when you go for the trilogy, you're in the unfortunate position of having to answer all those questions you just brought up. No explanation at the end of the third film would have been totally satisfactory for fans. But pretty much anything would have been a damn sight better than the rank stupidity of the Architect's conclusion. Also, from a feminist perspective, they killed the character of Trinity, who went from being a self-sufficient warrior to pretty much just Neo's woman, which was pretty disappointing.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
