"Hip Hop is never a problem in Harlem only in Boston after it bothered the fathers of daughters starting to blossom." - Eminem, White America (The Eminem Show)
The first thing I thought when I saw The Matrix Reloaded (3rd time) on the IMAX (1st time) was, "Look Becky her butt is so big, it's just so round, it's just like out there..." Trinity's booty was gi-normous as was every effect and every question I have about the story and what's going on. On the IMAX you can see how little time they put into the Agent Smiths standing in the background of the burly brawl. You can also count the number of pores and pock marks on Laurence Fishburne's face (427). I'm pretty sure that Morpheus' fight sequence on top of the truck is the best one in the film followed closely by Neo's battle with The Merovingian's henchmen. Morpheus' fight is the most harrowing. He's the only of our heroes who seems at risk when he's fighting. He's also got the most style when he battles. His moves are the most creative as well as the most desperate. Neo's battle with the weaponry boys is simply stellar filmmaking that takes into account every angle and considers everything that is going on while the camera is focused in one area so that we don't forget what is happening in other areas of the room.
I understand things less and less with each viewing. I find myself mulling over every sentence. Every word. Every look. Every thing. My gut feeling at the end of this one was that the Merovingian and Persephone are Version One of Neo and Trinity. I'm just throwing that out there. Persephone's scenes especially gave me that vibe. The way she considers Trinity so heavily. Why she finds a kiss from Neo so necessary. Something about it made the wheels start to turn.
Agent Smith seems as much an anomaly as Neo at this point. He even notes it himself saying, "It's happening just like before...well, not exactly." His tendency to show up at unexpected moments seems too convenient as well. As if he is planted there for some other purpose. In the same way that Neo's presence in the Matrix causes a problem, Smith's presence in the "real world" might serve to cause the same problems. It's very "Buffy/Faith switching bodies" if you understand that kind of analogy.
I don't need to see it again before Revolutions but, for me, it gets better with each successive viewing.
Enter the Matrix: The Game, however, isn't holding up it's end of the bargain. I'm probably going to play it just to see how that part of the story plays out but the actual game play is rather weak. The character AI is pretty lame, the levels pretty sparse, and it's not nearly as robust as it should be. I don't feel immersed in this world. It is cool getting to play as Niobe (oops, I meant this Niobe), though, and the martial arts animation is pretty darn nice.
It's just no Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.
Other notes: ...I talked with a hip hop icon on the phone yesterday...I also watched Ghost Ship which has 2 really good gruesome scenes and not much else...I'm digging the Panjabi MC album. Hot tracks...Coming in the mail from amazon next week: Harry Potter, Wigfield, and an Interview Magazine subscription...don't you want to help out and buy me Strangers With Candy: Season One on DVD...or you can remember that I'm running 5 miles with no sleep in the morning and donate for a good cause...I was going to say either or but really just donate to the good cause.
