![[box cover]](../../reviewimgs/m/matrixrevolutions.jpg)
The Matrix Revolutions
What should have been as sure a thing as there ever was, 2003's The Matrix Revolutions turned out to be a turkey at the box office, and pissed off most of the remaining Matrix fans who weren't too burned by The Matrix Reloaded. Just the same, it's a flawed-but-fascinating big-budget production with some impressive eye-candy and interesting moments. Starting just after the conclusion of the last film, Revolutions follows the last stand of Zion and Neo's journey to take on the now-super-powerful and able-to-copy-himself-over-others Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), who is taking over the world with his doppelgangers. For all the impressive effects sequences that happen, it's hard to care because the main characters seem shuffled off and forgotten about. Just the same — as an extravaganza on the lowered expectations tour — it's enjoyable enough. A two-disc set, the film comes on Disc One, which is presented in the stellar anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio we've come to expect from titles of this ilk (a pan-and-scan version is available separately). The first disc comes with trailers for the three films and The Animatrix. Disc Two features the featurette "Revolutions Recalibrated," which is exactly what one would think it is: a puff-piece that has a great deal of enthusiasm but features no input from directors Andy and Larry Wachowski. This is supplemented by four "white rabbits" that offer featurettes covered in the "Operator" section of the disc. "CG Revolution" devotes even more time to the CGI effects, while "Super Burly Brawl" is a multi-angle featurette on the final fight scene. "Future Gamer: The Matrix Online" acts as an ad for The Matrix Online role-playing game, while "Before the Revolution" gives a play-by-play through the films and the new information created by The Animatrix, and "The Evolution" is a still gallery of concept art, storyboards, and final scenes. There's also a weblinks option, with "Operator" containing the four white rabbit mini docs: "Neo Realism," "Super Big Mini Models," "Double Agent Smith," and "Mind over Matter." Dual DVD slimline keep-case.
—DSH
