I'd been debating it for the last week or so, but decided that since I had the day off yesterday I'd take in a movie. While there are several out there that I have an interest in catching I settled on MATRIX: REVOLUTIONS. Despite the mixed reviews of fans and critics, and my own disappointment in the second film I still had enough interest in actually seeing the final installment up on the big screen. Besides it was only a $6.00 matinee, so I wasn't going to be out all that much.

Anyway, my initial reaction even halfway through the movie was that this was way better than the second film, which really took itself way too seriously. It dragged endlessly at points with long, dull scenes,where characters took turns talking about the meaning of life and the differences between men & machines. While there were a few such scenes in REVOLUTIONS they were few and certainly offset by the most incredible action sequences I've ever seen.

As at least one reviewer I've read has correctly said, if/when the next Superman movie is made the filmmakers will be hard pressed to create a scene anywhere near as exciting at the ultimate battle between Agent Smith and Neo. Hugo Weaving, as the all but indestructible former agent of the machines, steal each and every scene in which he appears. His Smith is one of the scariest screen villians that you've ever seen. Weaving doesn't neet makeup to convey the evil within, just his looks and mannerism send chills up your spine. Smith is such a classic screen villian, that it makes you forget that Weaving also brought to life Elrond in the three LORD OF THE RINGS films. THe two characters could not be further apart in terms of compassion and heroism, but both are equally vivid roles for this actor.

Keanu Reeves is THERE, if you know what I mean. At this point I can't think of another actor who would have been right in the role of the hacker turned savior, but unlike Weaving the only reason Reeves stands out is when the camera focuses on him. Only in a few scenes, and this thanks to camera angles and lighting, does Reeves have a presense beyond the characters around him.

Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss are good in solid supporting roles. Frankly, it is Fishburne's Morpheus who gives the triology any real passion, except in those scenes where Weaving totally dominates. Moss, on the other hand, is only good in the action scenes where Trinity takes over, sadly the actress almost disappears into the background when she's not dressed in leather and kicking ass.

While I haven't seen the third TERMINATOR film, the scenes of the machine dominated future never had the feel of total subjugation that you see when Neo and Trinity finally come upon the 'machine city'. It is completely alien and inhuman in the way it looks, the complete domination of anything human or natural is marvelously portrayed in those scenes.

Sadly, the film ends (and the Wachowski's say it IS the end) leaving as many questions unanswered as there were in the beginning. What did happen to Morpheus? What became of the Merovingian and the Trainman, among others? Are they still 'out there', or did they suffer the fate of Agent Smith?

Did I enjoy the movie? Yes, I did. Very much so, but I wasn't satisfied and left the theatre wondering just what had happened and if I'd ultimately been suckered into spending more $20 and close to eight hours over the past few years watching a lot of flash with no substance.

Among the half dozen trailers I sat through I saw three that caught my interest. The new, longer trailer for RETURN OF THE KING gets me even more psyched for the final installment in Peter Jackson's brilliant realization of THE LORD OF THE RINGS triology. We all know how this film is going to end, at least I assume that everyone watching the movies has read the books by this point (or at least had somebody tell them the story), so the surprises will be in how the filmmakers and actors bring to life the world we have come to know. Again, it is amazing to see Gollum and realize that this poor, sad creation is nothing more then pixels in a computer. I'm really looking forward to this film and the only drawback is that on the day it opens I'll have to be here at the university since we'll be updating out entire computer system. Believe me, my original intention was to call in sick that day. :-(

THE PUNISHER actually looks like it might be a good film and will certainly make the original Dolph Lundgren feature fade from memory, even more than it has. I doubt that most folks will even know that there was a previous incarnation. No doubt, prioir to the premier of this new version the Lundgren film will start reappearing on cable. John Travolta once again plays the bad guy in a movie, with Thomas Jane in the lead.

Caught the trailer for TROY on ET the other night, and felt it works even better on the large screen. While not a huge Brad Pitt fan, I'm looking forward to seeing the classic (in all senses of the word) story of Hellen, Achielles and Paris brought to life. Sadly, Ray Harryhausen doesn't appear involved so I don't know if the Greek gods will be making an appearance.