10 Movies Too Bloated For Their Own Good
7. The Matrix Reloaded
In following up a groundbreaking movie that captured the cultural zeitgeist and became embedded in the public consciousness almost immediately, The Matrix Reloaded came burdened with a lot of pressure and expectations. While the Wachowskis' follow-up succeeds on the action front, the story surrounding it is where Reloaded falls flat.
The narrative hook of The Matrix was genius in its simplicity; what if our world wasn't real? In an attempt to expand upon that idea, the writer/director siblings opt to pile on layers upon layers of mind-numbing exposition that saw the franchise come perilously close to disappearing up its own a*se.
No, we do not want to see an extended rave in Zion, now regarded as one of the most cringeworthy scenes in cinematic history. Nobody gives a sh*t about the Merovingian and his dry monologues. And as for The Architect? F**k that guy.
The Matrix became a classic because it balanced cutting-edge effects and incredible action scenes alongside its deeper philisophical ideas and inspirations from multiple genres. Reloaded boasts strong set-pieces, but by doubling down on its exposition and psycho-babble in comes off as more pretentious than anything else.