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Andy and Larry Wachowski have created worlds within worlds and action sequences that are stunning to behold.
As they did in 1999 with The Matrix, the Wachowskis have raised the bar for these fantasy action flicks. They've found a way to bring an audience into a video game world where nothing is too impossible, too absurd or too obtuse.
What they've failed to do is infuse their worlds with logic or humanity, leaving The Matrix Reloaded as cold and distancing as it is visually arresting.
It is essential to have seen The Matrix before viewing its sequel. This is most definitely not a stand-alone film.
The hero is Neo (Keanu Reeves), a reluctant Messiah, trying to reach the inner-chamber of the computer that rules existence. If Neo fails in his quest to shut down the computer, humanity is doomed.
Neo's closest allies are his beloved Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and the stalwart fighter captain Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). Think of them as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia void of humour and whimsy, but with powers that far exceed anything The Force bestowed on the Star Wars trio.
The Matrix Reloaded opens with a grabber, as Trinity crashes her motorcycle into a building, mows down agents of the machine and then goes hurtling into space firing back at a clone who is bombarding her with bullets.
Neo is the kung fu fighter and he has several encounters that surpass anything in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
His first, which has been dubbed the Burly Brawl, sees Neo fighting hundreds of replicas of his ginning, smarmy nemesis Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving). It's a mesmerizing ballet, but it is void of any genuine tension or drama because Agent Smith just keeps replicating himself and Neo just keeps spinning, leaping and tumbling faster and faster.
When a whole army of Agent Smiths come to the aid of the dozens already fighting Neo, our hero goes into warp speed and zips away into space.
As Neo's operator back at base remarks, the Messiah has gone into his Superman mode and that's exactly what it looks like.
This battle points up the glaring lack of logic that pervades The Matrix Reloaded.
If Agent Smith can replicate himself he should have just brought his horde with him right away. If Neo can fly faster than a speeding bullet, he should have done so instantly instead of playing Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan.
Neo has a second battle in a weapons chamber that's a yawner because it's just a variation of the first.
Trinity and Morpheus get their big action moment during the film's car, truck and motorcycle chase sequence.
It's a stunner, but it has the same minimal emotional impact of watching a demolition derby. For all the technical wizardry and stunt drivers the Wachowski brothers dragged out for this sequence, they don't come anywhere near achieving the breathtaking exhilaration of the car chase in the 1968 Steve McQueen cop thriller Bullitt.
The action is fun to watch but it doesn't get the old heart pumping which pretty much sums up The Matrix Reloaded.
The Matrix Reloaded, like Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, is the middle chapter of a trilogy.
(This film is rated 14-A)