Note: The cast is common knowledge so there is no need to refresh people's memory with a cast list at the end.

The plot begins from the first Matrix, where Neo has defeated Agent Smith and saved his comrades from octopus thingys from the Controlling Machine. The crew arrives in the sanctuary called Zion, deep underneath the earth. In it are thousands of human inhabitants who have escaped the Machine or are descendants of those escapees.

This brings us to Neo's mission to stop these octopus thingys directed by the Big Machine from reaching the sanctuary. Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) is embroiled in a love affair of sorts with another local commander, who also seems to reject any defensive strategy put forward by Morpheus despite the real threat of octopus thingys from the main controlling machine that have been sent to capture Zion’s inhabitants. Hoping to get some answers about how to stop these machines, Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus hook up to our world, called the Other World.

When Neo meets the Oracle (the late Gloria Foster) in a section of the Other World, she gives a lot of mumbo-jumbo I could never seem to understand. The meeting with Agent Smith- an a fight that follows with 50+ Agent Smiths battling Neo is a lot more exciting, although it goes on a little too long. Finally he gets tired of it- and flies off like Superman. I must admit of course the special effects technicians did a superb job portraying these fight scenes, especially in cloning the replicas of Agent Smith.

Next they meet up with some ineffectual Frenchman whose mate is Persephone (Monica Bellucci) She’s so hot that if I were Neo, I’d dump Trinity and go for her in a flash. To be fair, Carrie Ann Moss is at best thin, plain, and dull compared to Bellucci. I mean Moss is simply not attractive. I’m not giving away how Persephone makes Neo do to get him the Keymaster.

Then comes a very long scene where Trinity and Morpheus are defending the Keymaster (Randall Duk Kim I believe) from constant attacks by Agent Smith, while jumping from truck to truck on a moving highway. They basically jump from car to truck to trailer desperately trying to escape Agent Smith. The scene drags on for at least 20 minutes. But that's understandable considering that Agent Smith still hates Neo and his acolytes and will do anything to thwart them. He can now inject himself into any inhabitant in the Other World and morph that body into the Agent Smith Form. He does that a million times to thwart their escape plans, and seems to be very good at it.

The overall acting is rather average for this type of movie. Keanu, as the superman Neo, has no need to change his expression. Fishburne is cool and calm in all but the toughest situations, as he should be. Moss is also average, not too convincing but not utterly wooden either. The biggest kudos should be Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith; he plays his character with plenty of emotion, plus that icy look that will chill the viewer every time the agent comes on screen. I’m not getting into those white haired Twins or the ineffectual Frenchman because of the short time they exist on the screen.

If there are a few things that this great flick could do without, it doesn't need that rival love interest to Morpheus who constantly protests any hint of Morpheus and his plan to save it, as previously mentioned. The actor playing that rival (his name is unimportant) seemed to genuinely not want to be in there, and ironically that made him a lot more convincing as a rival love interest.

Neither does it need any dancing scene in a sanctuary that's literally fighting for its life. Why should people be dancing to a rave when they should instead be preparing for battle with those octopus-like things? At least Neo knows what he’s up against. And there are big tubs of fresh water nearby that keep the inhabitants well-hydrated- shouldn’t they take a bath in these things?

I won’t bother to give you the ending because there is none per se- it’s only a gateway to Matrix Revolutions, which at least won’t have these dirty people dancing to raves and that ridiculous romantic rival.

Recommended: Yes