‘Revolutions’ fails as final installment

“For every beginning there comes an ending,” the Oracle said in “The Matrix Revolutions”. However, she never mentioned there being a satisfying end.

“The Matrix Revolutions” seamlessly begins almost where “The Matrix Reloaded” left off, with Keanu Reeves’, Neo, caught in a coma-like state in between the real world and the Matrix.

Trinity played by Carrie Anne Moss and Morpheus played by Laurence Fishburne set out to find the Oracle, the future foreseeing computer program played this time by Gloria Lee, to get some answers about Neo’s present state and to ultimately attempt to rescue him from this limbo.

After these opening scenes, the movie quickly veers into the various subplots left open in “The Matrix Reloaded.” Most of the side stories find a solid conclusion, unlike the film’s main plot that has had three opportunities to do so.

However, these conclusions do come off a bit forced as the archetypal movie storylines are exhausted.

The young kid wanting to be like his hero: check.

The soldier off to war promising to return: check.

The woman fighting enemies at home until the soldier returns: check.

The former lovers bonding in the face of danger: check.

And of course, the power of love and its drawn out dialogues: check.

Unlike its predecessors, “The Matrix Revolutions” spends most of its time grounded in the real world, rather than that of the Matrix. This places severe limits on the effects that can be and are utilized in the movie.º

Rather than upping the special effects ante, the Wachowski Brothers only manage to get Warner Brothers to up the budget to create massive computer graphic imaging elements.

But this is not the best approach.

The Wachowski’s signature time-lapse photography is officially a dead dog when it is used to highlight a punch in an almost comedic fashion during the final climactic battle scene of “The Matrix Revolutions”.

After four years and two sequels to attempt to resolve the conflicts set forth in the original Matrix film, it may be time to wonder if this is a series that would be better if the viewer had been left alone to figure out the answers to the nagging questions that lingered after “The Matrix”.

Because ultimately the Oracle is for once wrong, there is no ending because there are more questions now than ever.

Grade: D