Every generation has its defining cinematic masterpiece. Our parents had the Godfather, Star Wars and Taxi Driver, and their parents had Casablanca, Citizen Kane and Vertigo.
We, in the last seven years, are left with Fight Club, Memento, and Lord of the Rings, and … here you expect me to say The Matrix: Revolutions, but unfortunately, I cannot bring myself to do it.

Revolutions, though commendable in its effort and presence is – tired. The Matrix brought with it a mystical air of philosophical reevaluation, revolutionary special effects, and an epic human drama that would redefine action filmmaking forever, all sorely lacking in Revolutions. The Matrix was about discovery, Reloaded about ideology, and Revolutions an unsatisfying combination of both.
Abandoning the deeply human, metaphysical aspect of the previous two, Revolutions adopts a broader, encompassing sci-fi view of the plot, which is just about as easy to keep up with as the number of biblical references in the movie. Revolutions eschews the painful humanity of Reloaded, and the awe-striking revelations of the original for the grit and inhumanity of war. Any attempt to focus on a plot line is given up in lieu of a hectic, stomach-lurching, mangled mass of metal, tentacles, cliché didacticism of human emotion, and unpleasant plot turns.

We rejoin our hero Neo (Keanu Reeves) in a comatose state somewhere between the Matrix’s dream world and the real world. He wakes in an over-sanitized subway station, greeted by an Indian family waiting for the next train to the Matrix. The childish intercourse between the stone-faced Neo, a seemingly pervasive trend in Revolutions, and the innocent Sati (Tanveer Atwal) and her parents immediately sends the viewer into a spiral of emotional mumbo-jumbo that is reminiscent of Neo’s conversation with the Architect in Reloaded in its philosophical vagaries and questioning of Neo’s devotion to Trinity.

We soon find that the owner of this portal, the Trainman (Bruce Spence), is under the coercion of the francophonic Merovingian (Lambert Wilson). Unfortunately for the viewers of the French persuasion, our good friend and his stunning back-together-ex Persephone (Monica Bellucci) are afforded only sparing lines and are of surprisingly little consequence in Revolutions.

Once our characters are reunited in the hovercraft Mjolnir, the plot fractures into its convoluted plot lines. Neo and the sinewy, anemic Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) leave for the "machine city" to strike a deal with the Deus Ex Machina (God from Machine – a term used in plays to describe the descending of a the "god character" from the rafters via pulleys), the mind behind the machines, in order to stop the ever-growing threat presented by Agent Smith.

All the while, Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) and reunited lover Niobe (Jada Pinkett-Smith) haul ass for Zion before the machine invaders overrun it.

A third line pursues the defense of Zion by its inhabitants using primitive RPGs and mechanical armor units more akin to a mechanical orangutan than a human. A 15-minute long battle scene similar in proportions to the battle for Helm’s Deep in Lord of the Rings: Two Towers, carries the viewer through emotional highs and lows, but cannot revive the soulless husk that is Revolutions.

The last plot line presents probably the most comprehensible one of them all. This will all lead to a climatic duel between Neo and his anti-thesis Smith for the fate of all mankind.

The cast of Revolutionsis stellar, though slightly crippled by the replacement of the late Gloria Foster (the original Oracle) with Mary Alice. A cast of Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, Moss, Ian Bliss, Pinkett-Smith, and Bellucci would leave most producers and directors salivating, but Joel Silver (executive producer) and the Wachowski Brothers (directors and writers of the trilogy) seem to ignore the sheer ability laid before them in favor of succinct lines and curtailed emotion, perhaps an attempt to compensate for the verbose nature of Reloaded.

The only sparks of emotion found in the film belong to Pinkett-Smith’s Niobe, whose natural charm and calculated crudity lend the film an Indiana Jones-ish feel, and Weaving’s Smith, a sensational anti-hero whose delivery and cadence will be terribly mimicked by imitators for years to come.

Also, Ian Bliss, who plays the human form of Agent Smith, does an exceptional job of adopting Smith’s uncanny arrogance and screen presence.

Reeves’ Neo seemingly lost all ability to emote throughout the movie. Even during the death of and after a heartwarming speech by his true love he can barely manage to break his impassivity to mourn for her.

Moss executes her part without flaw. She exemplifies Trin?s weathered and tired frame without restricting her range of emotions, from loving to ruthless.

Fishburne, probably the singular best actor of the trilogy behind Weaving, delivers an above-average performance with a surprising emotion and convincingness.

Though little character development is extended beyond Neo, the expansion and introduction of new characters is admirable. Niobe, Seraph (Collin Chou), Mifune (Nathaniel Lees), Architect (Helmut Bakaitis), and Roland (David Roberts) all enjoy significant development and seem to blossom as characters in Revolutions.

Neo, our Superman of sorts, is so perpetually compared to and referenced as a Christ-like savior that it actually will give an overly potent expectation of him, and Reeves’ acting is comparable to that of a double-stroke victim, at best.

Probably, the most memorable character of the movie is the errie Deus Ex Machina, whose voice makes a viewer feel like being hit with a block of ice, in the face.

As expected, the special effects were without peer. From the self-replicating Smith to the inevitable tide of invading machines, Revolutions changes the face of the special effects world. The amazing accuracy which every Smith had to the original, plus the bonus of independent action, added a totally incomparable backdrop to the epic showdown.

But, the fight scene truly was child’s play when compared to the prodigious feat that was the battle for Zion, between animating the entire backdrop, the invading swarm, the APUs (Armored Personnel Units), the hovercraft, countless ultra-realistic explosions, the fluidity of every aspect, and its unparalleled choreography, nothing but praise can be given to this masterpiece. I can hardly describe the magnificence of the computer animation and special effects. It is worth seeing for those alone.

Another superb feature of the film was its score. The music was perfect at every moment. Illustrating the plight of the humans, the battle of the wills, and the dominance of the machines is no easy feat, but when a viewer can feel the scene in their being upon hearing the soundtrack, that my friends is unbelievable. The highest commendations go to Don Davis for his brilliant work.

Despite the amazing effects, sound, and acting potential, Revolutions just does not make the cut. Regardless, do not lose your faith in trilogies because Lord of the Rings: Return of the King is coming soon and judging from its predecessor I think we are in great hands.