The Matrix Trilogy

[ex carrabba fan]

Yeaaah, so I thought I really understood the series, well at least the main point of them, but after seeing it on A&E, I wasn't so sure anymore. So I Wiki'd the trilogy and low and behold I actually had a very minimal grasp on the plot. Mods, are spoiler tags needed to have a discussion on this topic?

Here's some main points about the films from http://www.thematrix101.com/revolutions/meaning.php

Spoiler

So what's changed? If we look at the situation just before the first movie

* Humans are held as batteries against their will
* Zion is a temporary refuge for those who reject the Matrix
* The resistance 'secretly' frees minds that reject the Matrix
* There is an ongoing war with the machines to save Zion
* Unbeknownst to Zionists, Zion is also a form of control by the machines
* Zion is repeatedly destroyed and re-built with total loss of life
* The One is repeatedly located, trained, and given an ultimately meaningless mission
* The Oracle devotes a lot of energy to this mission
* Etc.

Now, after Revolutions

* Humans are held as batteries, but all minds who reject the Matrix are automatically freed
* Zion is a permanent refuge for those who reject the Matrix
* There is peace between humanity and the machines
* More and more people will end up free outside the Matrix, likely leading to some re-building of civilization
* Zion will not be destroyed
* The Oracle has more time to bake cookies
* Etc.

So Zion was actually a form of "control"?? It was continually destroyed and rebuilt? And there were OTHER "ones"?? These things I'm having a hard time understanding. Please someone explain.

After truly gaining perspective on the storyline, I've in turn gained an entirely new appreciation for it.

[vinny]

Re: The Matrix Trilogy

Spoiler

So what's changed? If we look at the situation just before the first movie

* Humans are held as batteries against their will
* Zion is a temporary refuge for those who reject the Matrix
* The resistance 'secretly' frees minds that reject the Matrix
* There is an ongoing war with the machines to save Zion
* Unbeknownst to Zionists, Zion is also a form of control by the machines
* Zion is repeatedly destroyed and re-built with total loss of life
* The One is repeatedly located, trained, and given an ultimately meaningless mission
* The Oracle devotes a lot of energy to this mission
* Etc.

Now, after Revolutions

* Humans are held as batteries, but all minds who reject the Matrix are automatically freed
* Zion is a permanent refuge for those who reject the Matrix
* There is peace between humanity and the machines
* More and more people will end up free outside the Matrix, likely leading to some re-building of civilization
* Zion will not be destroyed
* The Oracle has more time to bake cookies
* Etc.

So Zion was actually a form of "control"?? It was continually destroyed and rebuilt? And there were OTHER "ones"?? These things I'm having a hard time understanding. Please someone explain.

Spoiler

I'll do my best at explaining my understanding of it.

If I remember correctly the architect describes the Matrix like a math equation. In the equation/program there is periodically an anomaly, "the one" Since the machines can't delete the anomaly without building an entirely new program they compensate by setting up controls so "the one" has no choice but to follow the directions given by the architect once he makes it to the room the architect is in. Once he does this, the cycle starts over again.

Zion is just a means to getting "the one" to that room with the architect. It provided a base for the humans, who believe that "the one" will end the war, to help "the one" to get him to that meeting with the architect. Once that meeting is complete, the machines would wipe out all the humans, and then place a few new ones in the city to start the cycle over. The oracle is also just another form of control, prophesying that their would one day be someone born in the Matrix who could win the war. This was the control that sparked the human resistance.

Hopefully that helps and is more or less correct.

[Blzer]

Re: The Matrix Trilogy

There is a lot more than just Biblical references in Reloaded and Revolutions that people should probably be looking for and find greater meaning to these movies than that crap rave scene in Reloaded. This trilogy is fantastic, and aside from less Neo and Matrix action in Revolutions, I think people should give more appreciation to the series as a whole than just the first movie as a standalone.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Matrix Trilogy

I love the Matrix Trilogy. Deep stuff. They make you think. It's a good one because for some you can just watch it and be interested and for others you try to interpret what the producers were really trying to say.

[sven]

Re: The Matrix Trilogy

This thread has done nothing to change my mind about the ****ty second and thrid movies. As far as I'm concerned the original is the one that exists.

[SportsTop]

Re: The Matrix Trilogy

This thread has done nothing to change my mind about the ****ty second and thrid movies. As far as I'm concerned the original is the one that exists.

I felt the same way after seeing Reloaded and Revolutions the first time but after watching them again and appreciating them for their place in the entire story I've actually grown to like them as much as the original. In fact, Reloaded is my favorite of the three.

One question I did have that I don't think was ever properly explained:

Spoiler

I'm assuming the machines/Architect didn't know that Agent Smith's "tranformation" was going to happen because it never did the previous five times that same scenario had occurred. What differed the sixth time from the previous five that caused that program (Agent Smith) to be corrupt and basically become a virus?

It's interesting that Smith told Morpheus that humans were a virus in The Matrix only to see that he, himself, became one as well.

[luv_mist]

Re: The Matrix Trilogy

Spoiler

It seemed like the start of Neo's enlightenment really sparked the corruption of Agent Smith. Neo basically decided not to follow the normal path and die. Agent Smith said that he made the same decision. I think that decision was the key point for the whole movie. Deciding to believe or not to believe.

Love the Matrix trilogy. It's one of those movies that if you go for entertainment, you'll only appreciate it for so long. It's one of those movies you have to sit down and analyze seriously in order to get a deeper appreciation. That's what it feels like.

[MachoMyers]

Re: The Matrix Trilogy

I thought the trilogy was great with the first one being one of the best movies ever. My biggest beef is leaving the Matrix in 3 and centering on the "real existence" on Zion. Zion is dirty and ugly to look at. The Matrix is incredible. I know the big point of 3 was defending Zion but I just hated the way the real world looked.