Philosophy comes to forefront of "The Matrix"

The Wachowski Brothers have returned four years after the immeasurable success amassed by "The Matrix," with a sequel, "The Matrix Reloaded." While the results are astounding, they pale in comparison to the earth-shattering cool exuded by the original.\n"Reloaded" opens with Neo (Keanu Reeves), Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and newly anointed Nebuchadnezzar operator, Link (Harold Perrineau Jr.), landing the aforementioned ship upon the oft-discussed underground city of Zion. While there, viewers are introduced to a host of new characters: Niobe (Jada Pinkett-Smith) a fellow fighter and former flame of Morpheus', her current beau and superior, Commander Lock (Harry Lennix), Link's overprotective wife, Zee (Marvin Gaye's daughter, Nona) and the paternal figurehead of Zion, Councilor Hamann ('70s schlock actor, Anthony Zerbe).\nCritics and viewers alike have complained about the Zion-centered introduction and more extensively about a concurrent "rave"/sex scene. Personally, I feel that seeing people dancing with abandon or making love lends the fantastical world of "The Matrix" a sense of gravitas. Much of the other criticism is justified. Characters philosophize and pontificate endlessly to bookend mesmerizing action sequences. The worst offender is Fishburne's Morpheus—his bloated address to the people of Zion is laughably bad and serves as the bar none worst moment in either "Matrix" flick.\nThe best moments of "Reloaded" occur within the Matrix, much like its predecessor. Here, we're introduced to a cavalcade of interesting new villains; the Euro-trash power duo of the Merovingian and Persephone (a smarmy Lambert Wilson and a stunning Monica Bellucci), a pair of ghostly, dreadlocked, albino twins (Adrian and Neil Rayment) and an amusing onslaught of Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) clones. A new hero also emerges in the form of the Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim), an elderly Asian man who appropriately enough holds the key to mankind's survival.\nVisual delights are also aplenty -- from an astonishing 14-minute freeway chase to a stair-based sword skirmish to the much ballyhooed, and rightfully so, "Burly Brawl," in which Neo battles the hundreds of Agent Smith incarnations. The film's greatest ideologies are also gleaned in the Matrix. Neo has a subsequent encounter with the Oracle (the late, great Gloria Foster) that's quite the humdinger and a later meeting with the self-described Architect (Helmut Bakaitis) that's just too mind-blowingly intriguing to spoil.\nAesthetically, much has improved with this installment. Major kudos go to Moss, who's created the silver screen's toughest, sexiest action heroine to date, and Weaving whose Agent Smith persona is funnier, fresher and more furious than before. Reeves remains the perfect savior -- a take-charge badass when needed, but more often than not just a blank slate. The fights, as choreographed by Hong Kong legend Yuen Woo-Ping, raise the bar on karate cool, as do the stunning special effects supervised by visionary effectsman John Gaeta. \nAnd that's part of the problem. "Reloaded" is like that cheerleader you wanted to date in high school. Sure, it looks great, but ultimately doesn't have much to say. While perhaps "Reloaded" does, it goes about doing it in a rather convoluted manner. Structurally, the movie suffers from its repetitive philosophy-fight-philosophy-fight narrative -- smoother transitions between the two would have done wonders. As is, "The Matrix Reloaded" is an entertaining afternoon at the movies, a semi-intriguing second chapter in what's sure to be a revolutionary trilogy and really, not much more.