And now the real Matrix post...

Not quite real. I won't spoil anything important. I'll politely wait until after Christmas before I start discussing major details.

So yeah, the movie. Here's my official recommendation: If you loved the second one, you MUST see this one. If you loved the first one, and thought the second one was "okay" or "interesting", it would still be worth your while to see this third one. If you liked or didn't like the first one, or hated the second one, don't bother, cuz "Revolutions" is like "Reloaded" on speed. It's all the strengths and weaknesses of Reloaded, but amplified.

As to how it ends, because we all know it must (or do we?), it's not what I expected. No, Mike, you don't get the steak dinner I promised you for being right. Okay, folks, small spoiler ahead, so beware:

I'm going to dispel an internet myth about the plot: The real world is *really* the real world. It's not another part of the Matrix. There was a theory, that I thought was pretty good, that Neo could control the machines in the "real world" because it was really still part of the Matrix, that the trick played on humanity was even more insidious than we thought. But no, that's not the case. Being "the One" just has a LOT more perks than we expected.

Okay that's it, only spoiler. Look for another amazing fight sequence between Neo and Smith (my favorite character by far), which almost plays like a comic book or Dragonball Z (I can hear Trevor giggling with glee now). And that's not an insult by any means, it's really really cool. But Smith becomes... well, you'll see.

And the ending that everyone complains about? That's rubbish. What you must understand (and if you're a REAL fan, you would know this anyway) is that no matter what kinds of crazy, seemingly unjustified things happen in the movies, it all works together under the system it sets up. Like a machine, the trilogy consistently follows its own rules. And that's what makes every subsequent viewing worthwhile.

In "obligatory Jar-Jar-type character news", the stupid kid from Animatrix and that one scene in Reloaded, has a larger role to play in the end of this movie. Sorry kids, we'll all have to just get through it.

Finally, the special effects. Oh. My. Gosh. Like I said, Reloaded but on speed. Although there is no cool highway scene or Smith-clone war, the defense of Zion is one of the most visually stimulating scenes i've ever seen in film... almost to the point of causing epileptic fits. It's breath-taking. Make sure to see the movie at a good theater. Big screen and clear picture are vital.

Okay that's all for now. Any more, and I'll tell you too much.

Or will I...?