So, a lot of Matrix fans have messaged me saying things like, “The Matrix was snubbed my the Academy” and the like. Well, yes it was. There were many great things about the sequels that the Academy missed the boat on.
The fantastic amount of detail and design that went into the production is something that should not have been overlooked. Geof Darrow and the rest of the design team’s amazingly detailed designs came to life in a way that pulled us into the world of the Matrix, not once, but twice last year.
Sure a lot of people didn’t understand the movie. We hate what we do not understand. Misunderstanding leads to racism and hatred, and discrimination in many places, and the world of film is no different. It seems that most critics slammed the Matrix sequels so hard, that anyone that liked them became an outsider. The Matrix was the butt of too many jokes to be taken seriously by the members of the Academy.
The Matrix Reloaded was an amazing feet, but a few Harry Potter like moments in the Burly Brawl seemed to tear that down, on top of people not understanding the reason for the fight. It was to assess the possibility of Neo just defeating Agent Smith again.
The same thing happened twice during the Super Burly Brawl of Revolutions. When Smith straightens his suit and when he flies around in the building, before the Silhouette fight.
However, aside from those few shots, the amount of detail that went into the work on the special effects was unprecedented! Why wasn’t it nominated then? Beats me. I’d say it was the media backlash, followed by fans agreeing with them, in the majority, without thinking for themselves. Instead, many Matrix fans became drones of the critical mass.
Sometimes the Critics are right though, as is the case with The Lord of the Rings. The level of care and detail that went into that trilogy was enough to shame all other films. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is a masterpiece of SEVEN YEARS of hard work and dedication from thousands of cast and crew members.
The Matrix sequels were four years in the works, with just as much effort, and care, but suffered from a few problems. The nearly inaccessible dialogue of Reloaded, followed by the almost overly too accessible dialogue of Revolutions.
That, and it seemed almost as if they ran out of ideas for Morpheus. Morpheus, so profound, so deep, in the first film. You looked up to the man. He was our introduction to the Matrix, the man that opened our eyes up to the world that we would come to love. The man that we thought was left for dead, but was rescued. In the sequels, he seemed to be the man that everyone ridiculed. No one else believed him. He had nothing more to say. Sure, he gave a speech, but he was just telling Zion what we already knew. He wasn’t revealing anything to us. We needed him to say something that was profound, that reminded us of the Morpheus of the first Matrix, and gave us something to add to our love of his character. Then he spoke of providence. Ahhhh..the Morpheus that we remember. The Matrix Reloaded’s point of glory, where it picks up, and feels like The Matrix. I am speaking of the scene where the Keymaker and Morpheus talk about a plan to reach the Source. This is the stuff The Matrix was made up of.
But alas, this isn’t just about Morpheus, this isn’t about what the essence of the Matrix is, this is about the awards. Well, I’ll tell you this much: no matter the awards, it’s still a great film. Did “Shakespeare in Love” winning Best Picture make “Saving Private Ryan” any LESS of a great film? By no means. Will not getting nominated make The Matrix sequels any less than they are? How many movies do you like that have never won or been nominated for any awards? Exactly!