In 2003, two sequels to one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made were released:The Matrix ReloadedandThe Matrix Revolutions. WhileThe Matrixhad an overwhelmingly positive reception, the sequels were polarizing, particularly the third film.The Matrix Revolutionsis viewed by many as the weakest film of the series. Many feel that the focus is on grand visual effects and action sequences rather than character development, and thought the conclusion was anticlimactic.
Third films likeThe Godfather Part IIIandStar Wars: Episode VI—Return of the Jedioften get a bad rap for being less favorable than their predecessors in terms of weak character direction and lack of depth in the plot. However, as producer Joel Silver mentioned during an interview with Cinemax,ReloadedandRevolutionsare one epic feature broken up in half.Revolutionsmay be flawed, but the film has plenty of dramatic and emotional stakes that make it a worthy sequel.
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What Happens in The Matrix Revolutions?
The Matrix Revolutionspicks up right whereReloadedleft off. Neo (Keanu Reeves) is in a coma after taking down several Sentinel machines responsible for destroying his crew’s ship, the Nebuchadnezzar. Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) learn from the Oracle that Neo is trapped in a program controlled by the Trainman (who in turn works under the Merovingian, the arrogant Frenchman who had the Keymaker held captive inReloaded). Morpheus, Trinity, and Seraph (the Oracle’s bodyguard) defeat the Merovingian’s henchmen, forcing him to release Neo.
Neo visits the Oracle, who explains that the only way to save Zion and win the war against the machines is to reach the source located at the Machine City. She also tells Neo that he has to defeathis long-time nemesis, Smith, to prevent him from destroying the real world and the Matrix. Smith continues to display his power and ruthlessness by assimilating the Oracle, Seraph, and a little girl named Sati into copies of himself.
When Neo returns to the real world, he tells Morpheus, Trinity, their operator Link, and the crews of the Hammer and Logos that he needs to take a ship and head to the Machine City. Captain Roland of the Hammer refuses, but Captain Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) of the Logos agrees. Neo and Trinity take off on the Logos, while everyone else heads to Zion on the Hammer. On the Logos, Bane (a member of the Caduceus who was assimilated by Smith in the Matrix during the events ofReloaded) blinds Neo and nearly kills him and Trinity, but Neo decapitates Bane since he can see Smith inside him.
As Trinity and Neo proceed to Machine City, Niobe, Morpheus, and their crew battle Sentinels surrounding the Hammer. Commander Lock is in charge of defenses in Zion, giving orders and holding down the fort. Zion loses many, including Captain Mifune, but several Sentinels are destroyed. Niobe and her team also take down Sentinels and safely arrive at Zion.
How Does The Matrix Revolutions End?
After everyone at Zion has exhausted their resources, Neo and Trinity arrive at the Machine City. Neo manages to destroy the Sentinels in their way, but the Logos crashes, resulting in Trinity’s death. Despite his grief, Neo proceeds to the source and makes a deal withDeus Ex Machina(the leader of the Sentinels) to stop Smith from conquering the Matrix and the real world in exchange for Zion to be left in peace. Neo enters the Matrix and has an epic, lengthy final battle with Smith in heavy rain.
Neo puts up an admirable battle, but Smith ends up dominating the fight. Smith ultimately assimilates Neo into a copy of him, but Neo’s sacrifice leads to the demise of Smith and his hundreds of clones. Since Smith is defeated, the Sentinels move away from Zion, and the people rejoice in the war finally ending.
In the Matrix, the Oracle, Seraph, and Sati are free and alive. The Architect reluctantly accepts defeat, telling the Oracle that the people are free to leave the Matrix, but questions how long this peace between humans and machines will last. Sati and Seraph embrace the Oracle, with Sati telling the Oracle that she made an elegant sunrise for Neo, and they believe that they will see him again someday.
How Does The Ending Connect To The Matrix Resurrections?
The Matrix Revolutionsconcluded with Neo and Trinity’s deaths, as well as the end of the Machine War and Zion’s freedom. However, Neo and Trinity are brought back to life in 2021’sThe Matrix Resurrections. In this version of the Matrix, Thomas Anderson (Neo’s real name) is the creator of a video game calledThe Matrixbased on his memories as Neo from the previous films. When Bugs (captain of the ship Mnemosyne in the real world) and a program embodying traits from the original Morpheus (and aspects of Agent Smith) bring Neo back to reality, he meets with an elderly Niobe, who is now a General of the human city lo.
Niobe tells Neo that sixty years have passed in the real world since the Machine War ended and that peace in Zion lasted a long time, but the original Morpheus and several of their allies have passed away. Zion was also destroyed since a major power outage was caused by several humans leaving the Matrix, and machines battled people over a lack of resources. However, most of the people from Zion moved to the city lo thanks to help from good, sympathetic machines.
Neo also learns that his therapist in the Matrix (called the Analyst) had him and Trinity resurrected to use their memories and powers of The One to rebuild the Matrix, so it can produce more energy. Despite the Analyst’s efforts to control them, Neo and his new team rescue Trinity (who now has the powers of The One) and bring her back to the real world.
WhileRevolutionsandResurrectionsare considered flawed films,Revolutionsdepicts the capabilities of Zion during its war against the machines (along with Neo’s holy sacrifice reminiscent ofJesus Christ).Resurrectionsexplains the aftermath of the Machine War and how Neo, Trinity, and their comrades are given a second chance to continue fighting for peace.
