The final chapter in the trilogy arrives as The Matrix Revolutions shows us the end of the war between humans and machines. While it doesn't have the same new-ness to it that the previous two chapters has, the story, and ending, are very satisfying.

The movie picks up right where The Matrix Reloaded left off. Neo is trapped in between the real world and the matrix, while Agent Smith has managed to infiltrate the real world, and at the same time, replicate himself infinitely within the matrix. The machines are bearing down on Zion and the humans only have a short time before their city is overrun. And that's basically the story. Zion must protect itself from the attack, while Neo needs to find a way to end the war once and for all. In the end, there can be no winner without sacrifice.

Right off I'll say that I enjoyed Revolutions more than Reloaded, mainly because there wasn't any of that spiritual mumbo-jumbo throughout the movie that made you sit there and have to, well, think. This part of the trilogy was very straightforward. One group tries to protect Zion, while Neo tries to go end the war the only way he knows how. It'll be impossible for me to not give away some things in this review, so if you don't want to know anything about what happens, stop reading now and head to the bottom line.

The highlight of the film for me was the massive battle for Zion between the humans and the machines. It was easily the single most action packed sci-fi sequence I have ever seen. The line between reality and special effects was completely wiped away as everything looked ultra-realistic. I loved the contraptions the humans used to shoot at the Sentinels - I believe they were called APU's. That was the one thing that had the easiest chance at looking cheesy and out of place, but they made it work. The battle sequence must have lasted at least half-an-hour. I didn't want to look at my watch because I was afraid I was going to miss something. And the strange thing was, the entire battle took place and neither Neo nor Trinity were anywhere to be found, as they were off doing their own thing. The only problem I had with the battle was when it came to the big conclusion (what you think is the big conclusion anyway), instead of big fireworks and an exciting close, it sort of fizzled.

The other big scene is the climactic battle between Neo and Agent Smith. A battle that reportedly took two full weeks to shoot, all of it done in a torrential downpour. With the operatic score in the background, and the knowledge that the entire Matrix series came down to this one-on-one fight, I felt a little letdown. I suppose it was because there was nothing the filmmakers could do to top previous fight scenes in the series, so everything felt like it had been done before. You had two basically unstoppable forces going mano-a-mano and you knew something special had to happen for it to end. And when it did, while it felt right, I still wish there had been something more to it.

The special effects - the thing that this film series will forever be known for - wasn't as impressive as the original and the sequel. In The Matrix, almost every special effect had never been seen before, and that was one of the things that made the film so popular. In Reloaded, you had a car chase sequence that was above and beyond any other I'd seen, and the Burly Brawl between Neo and Agent Smith, while at times videogame-like, was still impressive. In Revolutions, the big battle between the humans and the machines looked like any other sci-fi film, just done better and without and noticeable flaws. And the final battle, while also well done, looked a lot like the last film. So in that regard, the movie wasn't a step up from the previous two.

What I did like was that the story was easy to follow. Agent Smith is losing his virtual mind and is planning on not only taking over the matrix, but taking over the real world as well. Neo makes a deal with the machines that if they end the war, he'll destroy Agent Smith and make sure none of that happens. While inside the planet, Niobe and Morpheus are leading the charge against the machines. There is some stuff with The Oracle that once again goes into the spiritual realm, but that was held to a minimum. And when you can concentrate on the action on the screen and not have to wonder what the hell they're talking about, it makes for a better experience.

And although the Wachowski Brothers swear that this is the end of the line, the movie is left wide open for a sequel. Whether that's in the form of another set of animated films or a videogame or, if the brothers and Keanu find their careers dying 10 years from now, another film, no one knows. But the ending they do give you is very satisfying, if also kind of sad.

So overall, I enjoyed The Matrix Revolutions. Without all the built up hype that Reloaded was saddled with, the movie was easier to enjoy since I wasn't expecting as much. The story was straightforward and the effects were seamless. It didn't break any new ground in that respect, but that's OK. And the ending isn't something people can really complain about, since it answers a lot of questions, and gives you a conclusion you can deal with. And still leaves you hoping for more...

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