I finally saw Matrix: Reloaded last night. In short, it was full of excessive fight scenes (why didn't Neo just jump when the dozens of Agent Smiths attacked him?), unnecessary plothole filling sex, and bad acting (could Keanu flinch just once when he's attacked? Perhaps it's just careless directing).

This movie made it painfully obvious that it is a narrow roadway to the third installment. Now it wasn't all bad, mind you. I did like the fact that Agent Smith's role has evolved into a sort of Matrix virus (I won't speak to the ending in order to avoid spoilers). Also, the scene where Neo confronts the source was a fascinating way to explain the theology behind "the One."

However, what little is learned in Reloaded could've easily been tacked on to the next movie in fifteen minutes. That being said, I realize that a conference room full of consultants at Warner Bros wouldn't have been able to settle for that since they're aiming to live up to the legacies of Star Wars, LOTR, Back to the Future, and Aliens among other hit trilogies.

Critics are saying 2003 is going to be the year of the blockbuster again, but if Hollywood continues to churn out tripe like this and what's sure to be a pathetic adaption of the Hulk, it'll be a sad year for the moviegoing public. Perhaps the Return of the King will save us from this glut by year's end.