| 1 | !All spoilers for ''Film/TheMatrix'' will be left unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned! |
| 2 | ---- |
| 3 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/matrix_reloaded_9050.jpg]] |
| 4 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"I have absolutely no idea how you are able to do some of the things you do, but I believe there's a reason for that as well."'']] |
| 5 | ->''"What if I am right? What if the prophecy is true? What if tomorrow the war could be over? Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for?"'' |
| 6 | -->-- '''Morpheus''' |
| 7 | |
| 8 | ''The Matrix Reloaded'' is the {{sequel}} to ''Film/TheMatrix'' and the second film in the {{cyberpunk}} franchise [[Franchise/TheMatrix of the same name]], written and directed by Creator/TheWachowskis and released on May 15, 2003. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | The war between the machines and the human resistance begins to heat up as Neo (Creator/KeanuReeves) and his allies search for a series of wayward programs that can lead them to the source code of the Matrix and, hopefully, bring the war to an end. As Neo learns the true history of the Matrix, he starts to doubt himself -- and the plan to save humanity. The effort to stop the machines grows harder when Agent Smith (Creator/HugoWeaving) returns as an anomaly, working on his own terms (and with new, virus-like abilities). |
| 11 | |
| 12 | The film also stars Creator/LaurenceFishburne as Morpheus, Creator/CarrieAnneMoss as Trinity, Creator/JadaPinkettSmith as Niobe and Creator/GloriaFoster as the Oracle. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | ''Reloaded'' is a unique installment in that it has [[ActionizedSequel far more action]] than its predecessor (which only really got busy in its third act), more of an {{epic|Movie}} feel to it (thanks in part to a larger budget and in-depth WorldBuilding), and a more {{deconstruction}}ist approach to its storytelling [[WordOfGod according to]] the Wachowskis. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Followed by ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'', which came out later that same year. Both ''Reloaded'' and ''Revolutions'' were filmed [[MovieMultipack back-to-back]]. See also ''Anime/TheAnimatrix'', an anthology of anime shorts released the same year as ''Reloaded'' and ''Revolutions'', acting as a companion piece that fleshes out TheVerse of the Matrix, and the tie-in video game ''VideoGame/EnterTheMatrix''. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | ---- |
| 19 | !!''The Matrix Reloaded'' provides examples of: |
| 20 | |
| 21 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 22 | |
| 23 | [[folder:Tropes #-F]] |
| 24 | * ThirtySecondBlackout: Neo and Trinity shut down a power station so Neo can get to The Architect without the building exploding, but they can only shut the power down for less than 6 minutes. |
| 25 | * AbandonShip: The crew of the Nebuchadnezzar is forced to flee when they are spotted by [[KillerRobot the Sentinels]], who then promptly [[spoiler: destroy the ship with a bomb]]. |
| 26 | * AdamAndEvePlot: The more practical variant (about a dozen Adams and Eves) is brought up in this film when [[spoiler:Neo learns that the true purpose of [[TheChosenOne the One]] is to select 21 women and 7 men who will repopulate Zion after the machines destroy it. The machines know that this will work since they've done it ''five times before'']]. |
| 27 | * {{Aesoptinum}}: Neo gets a visit to the machines that keep Zion alive, suggesting that the machines and humans might need each other more than they think. |
| 28 | * AllLovingHero: {{Invoked|Trope}} by the Machines in the {{backstory}}. Previous Ones were created to feel broad love for Humanity at large, which would make them go straight to the Source just before the iteration of Zion they knew was destroyed. Neo, however, [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl feels more strongly about Trinity than about Humanity]]. |
| 29 | * AlphabeticalThemeNaming: The Agents in this movie's media are Agent John'''son''', Agent Thomp'''son''', and Agent Jack'''son'''. |
| 30 | * AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Addressed in the climax, in which Neo, faced with a choice between restarting the free human race with 7 other males and 16 females to rebuild Zion and returning to the Matrix (which the Architect says will result in the end of the free human population, and will crash the Matrix killing the non-free humans there) decides to return to the Matrix to save Trinity (at least, until ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions''...) The Architect also points out that the previous "One's" loved humanity in a general sense, leading them to sacrifice most of the population for the sake of the species as a whole. Due to the Oracle's influence, Neo loved Trinity more than humanity, directly leading to humanity's freedom. |
| 31 | * AmbiguousSituation: As revealed in this film, Neo is revealed to have superpowers in the real world as well. Does this make him a SuperHero kind of MessianicArchetype? Or does it simply mean that the "reality" is actually a computer-generated DreamWithinADream? Or does he have wi-fi? |
| 32 | * AnswersToTheNameOfGod: Lampshaded by Smith after he copies himself onto Bane: |
| 33 | -->'''Bane:''' Oh, God!\ |
| 34 | '''Smith:''' "Smith" will suffice. |
| 35 | * ApologeticAttacker: An example where the person being attacked isn't a villain occurs when Seraph apologizes to Neo before attacking. |
| 36 | * ArcNumber: 101 (Neo's apartment number in the first film) makes several appearances, including the address of the Merovingian's club and the number of the highway. |
| 37 | * ArcWords: "Only/still human" reoccurs as characters either mockingly or thankfully (re)affirm that Neo retains his humanity despite his godlike status. The Agents at the beginning of the film, Counselor Hamann, The Merovingian and finally The Architect all repeat slight rewordings of that sentence whilst talking to Neo. |
| 38 | * ArmsAndArmorThemeNaming: The crew aboard the ''Mjolnir'' all have names that have to do with guns: Roland, Maggie (could refer to Magnum or Magazine), AK, Colt, and Mauser. Mjolnir itself, of course, is named after the weapon of Thor from Myth/NorseMythology, and its English translation ''Hammer'' is also related to firearms. |
| 39 | * AstonishinglyAppropriateInterruption: "I just thought I should say ''oh shit, look out behind you!"'' |
| 40 | * AttackHello: Seraph. His justification is that you only know someone by fighting them. At least he [[ApologeticAttacker apologized]] beforehand, though. |
| 41 | * AudibleSharpness: Plenty of examples: the Twins' straight razors, Morpheus' katana, the ENTIRE fight between Neo and the Merovingian's goons. |
| 42 | * AwfulTruth: An even more staggering truth than the previous movie's: [[spoiler:the prophecy is a lie. Neo is simply the latest in the line of "Ones", of which there have been five before and were given a choice upon stumbling on the Source: either reject the offer put forward by the Architect and witness the Matrix crash catastrophically, killing every human still connected to it, while the Machines lay waste to what remains in Zion to eradicate humanity entirely or travel to the Source, whereby twenty three men and women of the One's choosing will be used to repopulate Zion while what currently lays within is destroyed and the One is killed to reclaim the Prime Program. The rebellion Neo and the rest of Zion have been fighting has been nothing but the latest in a recurring cycle that the Machines allow in an effort to create the illusion not just inside the Matrix but outside as well that humanity still holds their destiny in their own hands]]. |
| 43 | * BadassBiker: Trinity when she steals a motorcycle during the highway chase scene to escape through the opposite lane. |
| 44 | * BareHandedBladeBlock: Neo stops a sword with the side of his hand, his [[SuperToughness Made of Diamond]] NighInvulnerability leaving him only with a small cut to the hand. The Merovingian is quite surprised by Neo's durability before drawing his mook's attention to the cut and how [[TheChosenOne The One]] can still be hurt. |
| 45 | * BeardOfEvil: |
| 46 | ** At the end, Neo and his EvilCounterpart are lying unconscious. How do we know that [[spoiler:Bane]] is evil? Well, aside from the fact that we saw him [[spoiler:get possessed by the BigBad]] and the rumours that he sabotaged his teammates, the most compelling piece of evidence of his evil is probably the facial hair. Or the "duh duh DUUUHH?!" music that plays when the camera pans over to him. |
| 47 | ** The Architect sports a natty full beard. |
| 48 | * BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: Agent Smith unfavorably compared humanity to a virus in the first film, then gains the power to clone himself by overwriting the "code" of other people plugged into the Matrix in this one... very much like a virus overwriting the DNA of cells. His glasses also change from the square agent glasses to a pair that resemble the capsid of a virus. |
| 49 | * BigDamnHeroes: Neo coming to save Morpheus and the Keymaker at the end of the freeway sequence, i.e.: the longest action sequence in the whole trilogy. |
| 50 | * BigYes: Link when Neo rescues Morpheus and the Keymaker from the truck collision. |
| 51 | * BlatantLies: When Smith comes to the captains' meeting looking for Neo, the door guard says he's "never heard of him." Smith doesn't believe the guard for a second, and gives him a package for Neo, which the guard hands over to Neo after he arrives moments later. |
| 52 | * BlasphemousBoast: Agent Smith puts himself above God after copying himself into Bane: |
| 53 | -->'''Bane:''' Oh God...\ |
| 54 | '''Agent Smith:''' Smith will suffice. |
| 55 | * BookcasePassage: There's one in the Merovingian's chateau that leads to the dungeons. |
| 56 | * BottomlessMagazines: Two notable aversions during the freeway chase. First, the UMP-wielding Twin runs out of ammo and decides to try the more up-close-and-personal method of getting the Keymaker (although he fires a ''lot'' of rounds with no onscreen reloading -- far more than his weapon would ever allow on a single magazine). Later, Agent Thompson is very clearly shown having to reload his Desert Eagle. |
| 57 | * BreakOutTheMuseumPiece: While Morpheus and Trinity are fleeing after the Keymaker, Morpheus grabs a katana from a display of antique weapons and uses it to fight the albino ghost twins. The preceding fight between Neo and the Merovingian's henchmen also features this, as the various combatants loot the WallOfWeapons. |
| 58 | * BroomstickQuarterstaff: Neo rips a metal post out of the ground (which is almost a case of TelephonePolearm) to use against the army of Smith clones in the Burly Brawl. The first shot has him using the block of concrete at the end as a hammer, but once that breaks he uses it as a quarterstaff. |
| 59 | * BusCrash: Tank has died in-between the first two films (and while not explicitly stated, the implication is he succumbed to the injuries Cypher inflicted). The real-life reason is Marcus Chong had a bitter falling out with the Wachowskis and the studio, necessitating the creation of Link's character. |
| 60 | * ButtMonkey: The Merovingian goon in white. Throughout the entire fight, he is slapped aside by Neo with much more ease than the others, pinned him to the wall and knocked out with a single punch, and kills one of his own squad before being dispatched. |
| 61 | * CallingYourBathroomBreaks: The Merovingian, exemplifying his SophisticatedAsHell nature and, as he notes, another example of causality. |
| 62 | -->'''Persephone:''' Where are you going?\ |
| 63 | '''Merovingian:''' Please, ma cherie, I have told you. We are all victims of causality. I drank too much wine, I must take a piss. |
| 64 | * CantKillYouStillNeedYou: A variation. [[spoiler:This is revealed to be why despite occasional attacks, the Machines haven't attempted a full-on invasion of Zion until now. Zion's existence is a necessary component of the Architect's Matrix Cycle. The Machines ''can't'' destroy the city until the One is finally awoken and they're ready to initiate the final stage of the current Cycle.]] |
| 65 | * CantYouReadTheSign: A "No Brawling" sign is briefly visible in the background during the Burly Brawl sequence. |
| 66 | * CaptainObvious: Link when Neo gets transported to a different location in the Matrix when trying to escape the Merovingian's stronghold: |
| 67 | -->''[Neo opens door to find he's in a mountain range and calls Link for his location]''\ |
| 68 | '''Link:''' You're not gonna believe this, you're all the way up in the mountains.\ |
| 69 | '''Neo:''' [[SarcasmMode Really?]] |
| 70 | * CarChaseShootOut: When Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus try to get The Merovingian to hand over the Keymaker, he refuses though Persephone allows them to rescue him. While Neo holds off the forces in the Chateau, Morpheus and Trinity grab the Keymaker and flee onto the highway with The Merovingian's top henchmen, The Twins, in pursuit. This ends up attracting the attention of Agents in the process who join in as well. Not only is it a gunfight but a few close range martial arts and sword battles as well. |
| 71 | * CarCushion: |
| 72 | ** The movie starts with [[DreamingOfThingsToCome Neo dreaming of]] Trinity leaping out of a skyscraper while fighting an agent, then landing on a parked car. |
| 73 | ** The car chase has two: |
| 74 | *** After pulling off the freeway and driving onto an overpass, Trinity and the Keymaker try to escape by leaping off the overpass and landing on a big rig hauling motorcycles. Justified because Trinity deliberately tried to jump onto the truck. |
| 75 | *** Once the Agents see where the Keymaker is, an agent leaps from a freeway overpass onto Morpheus's trailer. Justified because the Agent's jump was also deliberately performed. |
| 76 | ** Finally, at the end of the film, Neo saves Trinity when she leaps out of the skyscraper by catching her before she hits the car - the agent chasing her falls onto the car instead. |
| 77 | * CarFu: A villainous example. Ends with an example of the rare Semi Fu Chicken. That movie also has Trinity "throwing" her motorcycle into a guardhouse, [[EveryCarIsAPinto generating a massive explosion]]. Perhaps the 'cycle was rigged to divide by zero. |
| 78 | * ChaseFight: Morpheus and Trinity's highway battle against the Twins while trying to reach an exit so they can escape the Matrix. And there's Agents of the Matrix joining in, the more the merrier. |
| 79 | * ChekhovsGun: |
| 80 | ** Agent Jackson refers to Neo as the anomaly, which [[spoiler:the Architect explains it all to Neo.]] |
| 81 | ** The Merovingian spoke of Neo's predecessors twice, which is expanded upon by [[spoiler:the Architect at the end.]] |
| 82 | * CirclingMonologue: Played with, as Agent Smith clones surround Neo, each one of them speaking a part of the monologue while the camera pans. It gives the impression he's circling, when they're mostly just standing still or walking towards Neo. |
| 83 | * CloneArmy: When Agent Smith returns, he has the ability to [[CloneByConversion transform others into his clones.]]. |
| 84 | * ClusterFBomb: The Merovingian's speech is epic: "Nom de dieu de putain de bordel de merde de saloperie de connard d’enculé de ta mère." An extremely rough translation for this is "Goddamn shit-fucking, filthy assholed motherfucker." |
| 85 | * CombatBreakdown: The big fight scene starts as a weapon brawl, and eventually traverses car chase into a fist v. sword fight on the back of a speeding semi, and ends with a game of chicken... |
| 86 | * ComputerVirus: Agent Smith goes from being a program created to police the Matrix to being able to copy himself over other programs and even ''people'' after being killed by Neo at the end of the [[Film/TheMatrix first movie]]. The gravity of this is carried over to ''Matrix Revolutions''. |
| 87 | * ConspiracyKitchenSink: The Oracle tells Neo that the Matrix is full of programs controlling its individual elements, which are the source of myths and conspiracy theories about ghosts, angels, vampires, werewolves, aliens, and the like. |
| 88 | -->'''Oracle:''' The ones doing their job, doing what they were meant to do, are invisible. You'd never even know they were here. But the other ones, well, we hear about them all the time.\ |
| 89 | '''Neo:''' I've never heard of them.\ |
| 90 | '''Oracle:''' Oh, of course you have. Every time you've heard someone say they saw a ghost, or an angel. Every story you've ever heard about [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]], [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolves]], or aliens, is the system assimilating some program that's doing something they're not supposed to be doing. |
| 91 | * CosmicHorrorReveal: This movie explains that the entire rebellion is part of the machines' plan, a place where anomalies are dumped and to be eliminated later. |
| 92 | * CrazyPrepared: |
| 93 | ** The Keymaker apparently thought out ''every possible contingency'' and had keys for them all. |
| 94 | ** Who carries silver bullets in their gun? Only the crazy-prepared. |
| 95 | * CreatureHunterOrganization: The Machines' main force for hunting humans in the real world are Sentinels, killer robots resembling cephalopods. In the human city of Zion, Captian Mifune leads a defense force of [[PoweredArmor Armored Personnel Units]], capable of dual-wielding guns big enough to take down the Sentinels. (Humans working outside can use {{EMP}}s to defend themselves from Sentinels, but for a variety of reasons, those are not practical to use anywhere near Zion.) |
| 96 | * CreditsGag: In the soundtrack for this film, rather than just a name or two, the track for "Burly Brawl" is listed as "Don Davis ''vs.'' Juno Reactor" -- emphasis added. |
| 97 | * CreepyTwins: The Twins, with their white clothes, deathly pale skin and hair, and (of course) that thing about phasing through matter while looking monstrous. |
| 98 | * CriticalStaffingShortage: The ''Nebuchadnezzar'' is still operating with a skeleton crew even 6 months after the events of the first film (and Cypher's massacre). Dialogue from the Kid during his first scene indicates that save for a new Operator (an understandably mandatory posting that ''had'' to filled after Tank's death), Morpheus has dragged his heels on filling the other vacancies. Morpheus' specific reasons for the delay are left ambiguous. While it's not stated, it's not hard to imagine that Morpheus and Trinity are still grieving the deaths of their surrogate family and aren't emotionally ready to let new people into their circle. |
| 99 | * CurbStompBattle: |
| 100 | ** Neo deals these out like candy due to having become a PhysicalGod in the Matrix. There's exactly one scene in the entire movie where someone manages to deal him an injury, and it's [[OnlyAFleshWound so insignificant]] it doesn't slow him down at all. During the finale it's revealed that [[spoiler:his abilities even transcend the Matrix into the real world, when he curb-stomps five Sentinels without any weapon]]. |
| 101 | ** Morpheus versus Agent Johnson, which highlights that Agents are still [[TheDreaded to be feared]] by the other redpills outside of Neo. Morpheus literally barely does scratch damage to the Agent before getting disarmed and almost killed. |
| 102 | ** Trinity versus Agent Thompson, [[spoiler:which goes so badly for Trinity that Thompson actually manages to ''kill'' her.]] |
| 103 | * CutTheJuice: In order to bypass security measures at the door to the Source, the group decides to shut off the power ... [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill by blowing up an]] ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill entire nuclear]]'' [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill power plant]]. Even then, there is a contingency system which has to be shut off simultaneously from an entirely different place. |
| 104 | * DangerTakesABackseat: During the highway chase scene, one of the Twins chasing Morpheus, Trinity and the Keymaster (the latter the target everyone's after) ghosts his way into the trio's car and rematerializes in the back seat leading to an in-car fight to keep him from taking the Keymaster ''while trying to keep the car steady''. |
| 105 | * DarkestHour: A quarter million Sentinels are digging straight for Zion. |
| 106 | * DeadlyDodging: Neo is very adept at this, as the Merovingian's mooks find out the hard way; Neo only personally kills three out of six total opponents. |
| 107 | * DeathActivatedSuperPower: Agent Smith's "deletion" at the hands of Neo shortly after his powers as The One awakened in the first film results in his ability to [[MesACrowd duplicate himself]] and [[TheVirus take over Redpills and Bluepills alike]]. |
| 108 | * {{Deconstruction}}: After the previous movie sets Neo up as a straightforward case of TheChosenOne, here the entire prophecy turns out to be [[spoiler:ResistanceAsPlanned]]. |
| 109 | * DestroyTheProductPlacement: There are noteworthy colisions of trucks and cars provided by General Motors. At least the trucks [[BrandX had other names on them]]. In fact, the gag on this film was that the two cars heavily featured in the freeway chase, the Cadillac CTS and Cadillac Escalade EXT, were the real stars of the film. The movie was credited to the success of the CTS itself, one of Cadillac's marquee cars. Ten different CTS vehicles were used, each one representing stages of damage throughout the chase sequence. |
| 110 | * DeusExitMachina: A backdoor traps Neo hundreds of miles away while Trinity and Morpheus fight the [[NighInvulnerability Nigh-Invulnerable]] Twins, then Agents for the duration of the long highway scene (until Neo can arrive to extract them.) |
| 111 | * DigitalHeadSwap: Creator/HugoWeaving's head was digitally overlaid on the bodies of the stunt double "Agent Smiths" in the Burly Brawl sequence. |
| 112 | * DisturbedDoves: A flock of crows takes off from around Smith when he shows up to confront Neo after the Oracle leaves. |
| 113 | * DogPileOfDoom: Happens at the end of the Burly Brawl. Neo gets buried under the mob of Smiths, but manages to heave them off with a huge effort. He then resorts to fleeing for the first time since unlocking his full power. |
| 114 | * DoorRoulette: Neo's path to the Architect has roulette doors. |
| 115 | * DramaticGunCock: Morpheus doing this for emphasis before the freeway chase starts. |
| 116 | -->'''Trinity''': You always told me to stay off the freeway.\ |
| 117 | '''Morpheus''': Yes, that's true.\ |
| 118 | '''Trinity''': You said it was suicide.\ |
| 119 | '''Morpheus''': Then let us hope... ''loads magazine'' ...that I was wrong. ''cocks pistol'' |
| 120 | * DramaticNecklaceRemoval: The Keymaker does this with the key he wears around his neck. [[spoiler:How (or, more importantly, WHY) he manages to do this while dying from bullet wounds is anyone's guess.]] |
| 121 | * DreamingOfThingsToCome: The opening scene depicts Trinity on the run from Agent Thompson, and ends with her jumping out of a building, getting shot, and slamming into a moving car ... and then Neo wakes up. Later in the movie, [[spoiler:the same exact events actually happen ... whereupon Neo saves her in midair and brings her back to life.]] |
| 122 | * DressedAllInRubber: Trinity's PVC outfit and Persephone's latex dress. |
| 123 | * DrivingQuestion: Will Neo's dream of Trinity dying come true, and how? |
| 124 | * DualWielding: During the freeway chase, Morpheus uses his katana and a [[MoreDakka Glock 18]] to disable and then ShootTheFuelTank of the car the Twins were driving. [[IntangibleMan They survive]], but they're out of the chase from then on. |
| 125 | * DyingDeclarationOfLove: Subverted, [[spoiler:Trinity says "I'm sorry" before she [[OnlyMostlyDead dies]] (Neo later manages to revive her)]]. |
| 126 | * DystopiaIsHard: The Architect has this problem, as he can't really understand the concept of choice. Thus, it required the Oracle's intervention to make the Matrix actually stabilize and function by accounting for choice, although the end result was still noticeably flawed. |
| 127 | * EarlyBirdCameo: Rama-Kandra appears briefly during the audience with the Merovingian; the camera particularly lingers on him from Neo's perspective. The significance of his cameo will be made clear in the next film. |
| 128 | * ElevatorGoingDown: Neo and Trinity are in an elevator along with Link and the Kid; as soon as the latter two leave, the make-out session begins. |
| 129 | * EnemyMine: During the freeway chase, Morpheus and one of the Twins immediately ceases their knife fight when Agent Johnson rips off of Trinity's car and proceed to shoot at him together, highlighting how both redpills and rogue programs equally consider the Agents to be the greatest threat to their existence. |
| 130 | * EscortMission: Morpheus and Trinity become involved in a high-speed chase across the freeway as they attempt to escape with the Keymaker. |
| 131 | * EternalRecurrence: TheReveal at the end is that [[spoiler:Neo isn't the second "One", he's the ''sixth''. Not only that, but the program in charge of the Matrix allows him and the other rebels to exist, since giving the Matrix's inhabitants an unconscious choice of realities is what keeps the system going. Each "One" is meant to find the Architect shortly before the Machines invade Zion, at which point he will be allowed to select survivors to repopulate the rebels and begin the process all over again. Neo's love for Trinity, a connection his predecessors didn't have, makes him say ScrewDestiny]]. |
| 132 | * EveryCarIsAPinto: |
| 133 | ** The Rastafarian albino twins' SUV after Morpheus shot its gas tank on the freeway overpass. |
| 134 | ** The two semi trucks after they collided on the freeway (apparently their '''diesel''' fuel spilled and ignited.). |
| 135 | ** Trinity's motorcycle after she dropped it into the building. |
| 136 | * EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench: One phrase spoken, that is "like wiping one's ass with silk." When you translate the French that was spoken, the result is a ClusterFBomb. |
| 137 | * EvilIsAngular: The movie introduces some wrinkles to this formula. Seraph, a computer program who's defected to the human side, wears perfectly circular lenses. Meanwhile, Neo (TheChosenOne for the human resistance) switches to somewhat-rectangular-but-still-rounded shades, while his nemesis Smith (an Agent who's gone rogue) switches to somewhat-rounded-but-still-angular shades--to visually signify that the two characters aren't so different from each other. |
| 138 | * EvilVersusEvil: The entire film can ultimately be summed up as a giant free-for-all clusterfuck among bad guys, with the Redpills stuck in the middle of it all. To count, there's the Agents and the Machines in general, the Merovingian and his mooks, and finally Smith making a mess everywhere he goes. It isn't until the third movie when there are finally two clear factions: Smith, and then everyone else. |
| 139 | * ExactTimeToFailure: According to The Keymaker, in order to get access to the door Neo must go through without triggering "the bomb", his support crews must destroy a power plant ''and'' sabotage a backup substation within 314 seconds of each other for no adequately explored reason. [[spoiler:Due to a machine attack, the backup substation crew dies moments before they can sabotage the substation -- meaning Trinity must break her promise not to enter the Matrix to sabotage it instead in less than five minutes. Despite having to drive a motorcycle off a roof, fight off a squad of security guards, and go from ground level to the sixty-fifth floor, she completes the task in time.]] During the run, Link calls out "Two minutes left." and "One minute!" within ten seconds of screentime. |
| 140 | -->'''Ghost''': How long will that take? |
| 141 | -->'''Keymaker''': Exactly 314 seconds. |
| 142 | -->'''Soren''': [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Just over 5 minutes.]] |
| 143 | -->'''Keymaker''': That is the length and breadth of the window. Only The One can open the door, and only during that window can the door be opened. |
| 144 | -->'''Niobe''': How do you know all this? |
| 145 | -->'''Keymaker''': I know because I must know. It's my purpose. It's the reason I'm here. Same reason we're all here. |
| 146 | * ExactWords: The Prophecy states that once the One reaches the Source, the War will be over. [[spoiler: But the Prophecy doesn't actually say the War will end with a ''Human'' victory.]] |
| 147 | * ExistentialHorror: The movie shows that the protagonists' rebellion to free humanity from The Matrix is accounted for and an inherent part of the system. |
| 148 | * ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Downplayed, but Neo's hair subtly establishes the 6 month TimeSkip since the first film. It's grown out from his post-unplugging buzz cut and now resembles his Matrix self-image. |
| 149 | * ExtremeGraphicalRepresentation: Averted with Zion Traffic Control being depicted as several people jacked into a dedicated simulation that is rendered in minimalist undistracting black-on-white lineart. |
| 150 | * FailedASpotCheck: [[spoiler:Despite Smith overwriting Bane's self-image and downloading himself into the Real World, neither Ballard or his Operator seemed to notice this from the Matrix feed (and likewise ignore obvious signs that "Bane" is now acting strangely). Could be justified, as Link later observes Smith doesn't read like an Agent (and doesn't understand what's happening when Smith tries overwriting Neo during the Burly Brawl). Ballard and his crew are also distracted by the priority of getting the Oracle's message back to Zion (and the impending attack).]] |
| 151 | * FantasyAllAlong: At the end of the movie, Neo is outside a ship in the real world, with inbound enemy robots. They close in, death an absolute certainty..... and then Neo mind zaps them. Using his Matrix powers. In the real world. Apropos of nothing. Might be closer to Sci-Fi All Along, but nevertheless. This serves as the ending cliffhanger. |
| 152 | * FascinatingEyebrow: The Merovingian, when Neo blocks a sword with his bare hand during the chateau fight. |
| 153 | * {{Fauxreigner}}: The Merovingian is, of course, a computer program, so he's not really French any more than he's a human being at all, but he seems to enjoy acting like an AffablyEvil bohemian French eccentric basically just because [[GratuitousFrench it's cool]], and of course [[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench très sexy]]. |
| 154 | * FetchQuest: Bizarrely, this seems to be the entire plot of this film. Visit this guy, go to this guy to get this guy, get this guy to that thing. ... The Merovingian actually ''[[LampshadeHanging notes]]'' this, mocking the heroes for mindlessly following the Oracle's orders; Persephone mocks the Merovingian for calling everything "a game"; the Keymaker fatalistically states that he has no purpose but to expedite the quest; and the Architect mocks Neo for believing he "chose" anything in his life. The "revolutions" of [[Film/TheMatrixRevolutions the last movie]] are when both humans and machines break off the fetching. |
| 155 | * FirstBlood: After Neo stops a slew bullets, the Mooks whip out swords and start fighting Neo. After Neo performs a BareHandedBladeBlock, a drop of blood goes from his hand to the floor, causing the Merovengian to say "You see? He's just a man!" Cue Neo trashing all of Merovengian's Mooks within minutes. |
| 156 | * FiveSecondForeshadowing: |
| 157 | ** Smith, having come BackFromTheDead, accosts Neo after he finishes his chat with the Oracle. There's a cut back to control on the ''Nebuchadnezzar'', where Link notes "he's not reading like an Agent." Smith proceeds to tell Neo he's no longer an Agent in about so many words. |
| 158 | ** Before Smith arrives, Seraph insists to the Oracle they ''must'' leave. He knows Smith is inbound [[spoiler:and as the next film will reveal, the Oracle can't allow herself to be assimilated by Smith -- at least not ''yet''. It's still too early in her plan and that particular play isn't possible yet until Neo rejects the Architect's ultimatum.]] |
| 159 | * ForbiddenZone: The Freeways inside the Matrix. A longstanding rule of Morpheus (and by extension the Zion Resistance) is to stay the hell off the Freeways at ''any'' cost. Given that each driver of every moving vehicle could potentially become an Agent at any moment, it's justifiably considered an instant kill zone and pure suicide. |
| 160 | * ForcedFriendlyFire: While Morpheus and the albino ghost twin are fighting over a gun during the freeway chase, they cooperate to shoot at the Agent who has just torn off the roof of the car they're in. [[SuperSpeed To very]] [[BulletDodge little effect.]] |
| 161 | * ForcedOrgasm: The Merovingian demonstrates his power within the Matrix by forcing a random woman in the restaurant with him to have an orgasm from ''eating a piece of cake''. |
| 162 | * ForgotAboutHisPowers: The ResetButton used to bring Neo back down from the RealityWarper he was at the end of the first film cause this. At the end of the first film, he could transcend the rules of the Matrix and do virtually whatever he wants, to the point that he can tear Agents apart by their very code. In this film, due to "upgrades," he must fight the Agents hand to hand again. He also never attempts to warp reality in any way beyond what we've already seen him do: stop bullets and fly (the latter of which he doesn't even think to do against the mass of Smiths that descend on him until there's so many they manage to dogpile him). |
| 163 | * FreeFallFight: Happens when Trinity is thrown out of a window, and the agent jumps after her. They are both shooting at each other. This is one of the examples of where not only does she hit the ground, but it's a significant plot point. |
| 164 | * FrenchJerk: The Merovingian, appreciation for the French language aside, is a snooty, sleazy, pompous prick who apparently enjoys being able to manipulate people (hence the cake scene) while mocking Morpheus, Neo, and Trinity for following the Oracle's directions. Even Persephone can barely tolerate him. |
| 165 | * FromBadToWorse: We learn quickly that the Machines are heading for Zion. Smith's return and the Architect's big reveal make things progressively worse. |
| 166 | * FutureMusic: There is a rave scene that seems to go on forever. |
| 167 | [[/folder]] |
| 168 | |
| 169 | [[folder:Tropes G-O]] |
| 170 | * AGlassOfChianti: The Merovingian sips wine while holding court in the restaurant. |
| 171 | * GoingCommando: It might not be obvious at first glance, but if you look closely at Persephone's (Creator/MonicaBellucci) translucent white dress, you can see that she's not wearing underneath. |
| 172 | * GoryDiscretionShot: When Neo finishes off the last of the Merovingian's mooks he takes a heavy mace and slams it on the poor sod's head as the camera cuts to the Merovingian wincing. |
| 173 | * GrandInquisitorScene: Neo's confrontation with The Architect. [[spoiler:The Architect explains how The One functions as an instrument of control and why this is the only form of victory humans will ever achieve. Neo says 'screw you' and takes the second option.]] |
| 174 | * GrievousHarmWithABody: Neo uses one Smith to scatter the others; even the sound effect suggests bowling pins. |
| 175 | * GroundShatteringLanding: Neo makes the ground ''ripple'' when landing or taking off. |
| 176 | * GunTwirling: One of the HumongousMecha guarding the landing dock at Zion does this, even though its [[BfG guns are too large to be holstered]] afterwards. |
| 177 | * HallwayFight: Neo and Morpheus must fight their way through a swarm of Smith clones when they are ambushed in the portal along with the Keymaker. |
| 178 | * HandWave: |
| 179 | ** Neo has to fight Agents hand to hand again, despite being the One, because they've been "upgraded." |
| 180 | ** When Neo asks the Architect why they would allow him to crash the Matrix if they need it for power, the Architect replies that there are levels of existence that they're prepared to accept. No other details are provided. |
| 181 | * HassleFreeHotwire: {{Averted|Trope}}. [[ActionGirl Trinity]] has to ask their (literal) VoiceWithAnInternetConnection to make her able to do so via a (again, literal) PowersAsPrograms system. Of course, [[spoiler:this proves unnecessary, as she's escorting a rogue computer program who literally [[PlotTailoredToTheParty has the ability to open any lock]]]]. |
| 182 | * HeroOfAnotherStory: Niobe's scenes are limited in this movie but she is one of two main characters in ''Enter the Matrix'', which explores the side events led by Niobe and Ghost. |
| 183 | * HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:Morpheus in the climax upon learning the truth about the One.]] |
| 184 | * HesDeadJim: The "arm falling" version occurs when the Keymaker dies. Somewhat justified in that his chest was full of Agent Smith's bullets at the time. |
| 185 | * HollywoodHacking: Averted when Trinity uses a genuine hacking program called "nmap" to identify a viable target from a command line (with plenty of RapidFireTyping, but in short bursts), and then uses a (fictional) "[=SSHnuke=]" program to attack a secure connection. This is actually pretty well done, and while the program she uses to make the actual attack does not exist, it's a similar idea to a "real" attack on a remote computer, and highly skilled hackers often have a personal library of programs/exploits they've written themselves. Not only that but in the timeframe of the simulated reality (the turn of the century earth) [=SSHv1=] really had an exploitable remote vulnerability. Of course, the less said about the rest of the Matrix's relation to real computers, the better, but at least [[ShapedLikeItself their hacking of simulated computers inside a giant simulation is a realistic simulation]]. |
| 186 | * HolographicTerminal: The gate-keeper operators for Zion (the ones who clear the ship for entry in the beginning), although technically they're in their own mini-Matrix (so to speak), so it's not 'real' hologram technology. Note that these people organize who lands where in Zion as opposed to just being door-openers, something that might be easier to organize inside a construct -- besides, they're sure as hell not going to let a program do it. |
| 187 | * HoodHopping: Agent Johnson does this to pursue Trinity and the Keymaker. |
| 188 | * HotConsort: Persephone for the Merovingian, played by Creator/MonicaBellucci. |
| 189 | * HotterAndSexier: The first film had little {{Fanservice}} in it, being a fairly tightly paced film focused on the mythos and journey of Neo. [[note]]The sole exception was the LadyInRed in the Agent Training Program, whose purpose was to distract Neo and prove Morpheus's point about the illusory and transient nature of the Matrix.[[/note]] This film, however, features several instances of fanservice that can borderline gratuitous. Including: |
| 190 | ** The rave scene which feels like ThreeMinutesOfWrithing en masse for all of Zion interspersed with clips of Neo and Trinity having sex, the camera making sure to include full body shots of the two actors. |
| 191 | ** The scene in which the main trio meets Merovingian, which includes him feeding a woman in a tight-fitting pink dress (as a CallBack to the iconic LadyInRed scene from the first film) a piece of cake laced with the program equivalent of an aphrodisiac. Though it's all rendered using scrolling code, the camera goes [[PantyShot up her skirt]] to show the aphrodisiac's effect. |
| 192 | ** A close-up of Neo making out with Persephone as it's the payment she asks for telling them where the Architect is. |
| 193 | * HowDareYouDieOnMe: After Trinity is fatally wounded during the scene Neo has repeatedly foreseen in his mind, including during his dreams: |
| 194 | -->'''Morpheus:''' Trinity, don't you quit on me now.\ |
| 195 | '''Trinity:''' I'm sorry.\ |
| 196 | '''Neo:''' Trinity. Trinity, I know you can hear me. I'm not letting go. I can't. I love you too damn much. |
| 197 | * HumanHammerThrow: During the Burly Brawl. After Neo throws off all the Agent Smiths dogpiling on him, he grabs one of them by the legs, spins around, and throws him into the crowd of Smiths. |
| 198 | * IconicSequelCharacter: This movie marks the debut of Ghost and Niobe, two of the most important characters in the ''Matrix'' franchise, with the former being the guns specialist of the ''Logos'' ship and the latter being the ship's captain. They're also the co-protagonists of the video game ''VideoGame/EnterTheMatrix'', which is canonical for the films. |
| 199 | * InformedAbility: The Agents' upgrades Neo mentions at the beginning of their fight. They don't seem to do them any good, to the point where the guys come across as little more than suit-clad punching bags for Neo. For other redpills however, they are still a legitimate threat, Johnson is able to best Morpheus during the freeway chase and Thompson kills Trinity at the power plant. |
| 200 | * InherentInTheSystem: The Architect of the Matrix explains that there have been ''six'' The Ones, each resetting the system and rebuilding Zion after the machines purge most of the main base. Because of the ''flawed nature of human beings'', the second Matrix was designed like Agent Smith says, but still failed. Then the Oracle stepped up and made a suggestion; human choice. As a result, 99% of the population chose to stay in the third Matrix, but for three whole Matrices, The One would appear and make choices that brought about the destruction of Zion despite numerous attempts to negotiate or impede their progress, and each time, they had the opportunity to doom all of humanity for a selfish decision. The Architect concludes that a system governed by free will, while surprisingly effective, is still flawed because the system will eventually allow dissenting rebels to rise up and wreak chaos - and also eventually, one of them will choose what they love over the rest of humanity. [[spoiler:Neo is that one]]. |
| 201 | * InternalDeconstruction: The film deconstructs Neo's true purpose [[TheHerosJourney and hero's journey]], as he is considered a systemic anomaly by the Architect who explains that it was all just another layer of control. |
| 202 | * IntimidationDemonstration: |
| 203 | ** During the Burly Brawl, Neo hits an Agent Smith with a pole and knocks the concrete off the end, then spins it around to intimidate the other Smiths watching. |
| 204 | ** During the fight in the Merovingian's château, Neo does a brief spin display with the two sai after he pulls them off a wall to him. Also, one of the Merovingian's goons spins his swords around in an intimidating way before attacking Neo with them. |
| 205 | ** During Morpheus' fight with the albino ghost Twins, each of them does some fancy moves with their straight razors before fighting him. |
| 206 | ** During Morpheus' fight with Agent Johnson on top of the truck during the car chase. After pulling the sword out of the side of the truck and slicing through Johnson's tie, Morpheus swings the sword around a few times. |
| 207 | * InvincibleHero: Now that he has the powers of The One, Neo is simply too overpowered for there to be much real tension in any action scene involving him. He ''opens'' the film effortlessly fighting off three Agents, and only shows off greater powers from there. The biggest action scene actually doesn't involve him at all, with the tension shifted to whether he can get there in time to save the day. |
| 208 | * IWouldSayIfICouldSay: Agent Smith describes himself as "A new man, so to speak." |
| 209 | * JoinUsDrone: Near the end of the movie, as [[TheVirus Agent Smith]] attempts to infect Morpheus, two of his copies say a variant of this. |
| 210 | -->''' If you can’t beat us…join us ''' |
| 211 | * JustKeepDriving: There's a lengthy chase/car fight scene on a highway, that no driver seems to notice. Definitely counts as a (quite literal) robo-car example. |
| 212 | * JustToyingWithThem: The Chateau Fight, where Neo goes six-to-one with the Merovingian's {{Mook}}s. For the first half of the fight, Neo sticks to unarmed combat, whereas all of the Merovingian's mooks use melee weaponry. It isn't until one of them makes Neo bleed that he grabs a pair of sai and gets serious - and once he does, the bodies begin piling up rapidly. |
| 213 | * JustYouAndMeAndMyGuards: Neo's first fight with Agent Smith plays a subversion of this, as Agent Smith makes numerous copies of ''[[SelfDuplication himself]]'' rather than calling for subordinates. |
| 214 | * KatanasAreJustBetter: Neo uses a western broadsword during the Chateau fight, but doesn't use it to do anything particularly impressive. Morpheus, on the other hand, grabs a katana, and promptly [[AbsurdlySharpBlade cuts through a car]]. |
| 215 | * KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:The ''Nebuchadnezzar'' is destroyed by Sentinels at the end of the film.]] |
| 216 | * KnuckleCracking: As the Agent Smiths start to wander off at the end of the Burly Brawl, several of them crack their necks as an ensemble. |
| 217 | * KungFuClairvoyance: Neo does complete polevault-backflips to counter against a pouncing Smith, among other instances. This happens inside the rules-bending world of the Matrix, so it's justified. |
| 218 | * LastNoteNightmare: Rob Dougan's "Furious Angels", famously used in this film, is a fast-paced orchestral breakbeat song that spends its final 30 seconds slowly being consumed by an anxious flurry of dissonant strings. |
| 219 | * LastSecondEndingChoice: This is forced onto Neo [[spoiler:and his predecessors]] as a SadisticChoice by the Architect — [[spoiler:Ending A where he, as his predecessors have also done, goes into the Source of the Matrix to give back the code allowing him unique powers in the Matrix and choosing 23 couples to repopulate Zion, or Ending B where he goes back to the Matrix and every human in Zion and the Matrix is killed.]] However, as revealed later in ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'', what the Architect doesn't realize is that [[spoiler:the choice was tampered with by the Oracle. Because she gave him a person to love, she gave Neo a reason to choose Ending B which no other One had, continuing the fight and eventually making peace between the humans and machines.]] |
| 220 | * LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Halfway through the Burly Brawl, the fight cuts to an Agent being [[CloneByConversion copied over by Agent Smith]]. After being transformed, the two clones look at the massive fight happening in front of them for a brief moment, some fans have however interpreted this as the clones staring at the viewer, [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou possibly preparing to assimilate them too]]. |
| 221 | * LeaveTheTwoLovebirdsAlone: Link, Neo, Trinity, and the Kid are all on an elevator together. When the door opens, Link says, "Let's go, Kid. These two got things to do." As soon as the door closes again, Neo and Trinity start kissing. |
| 222 | * LetsYouAndHimFight: Seraph fights Neo on their first meeting, but in that case it's to establish that he really is The One. Given Mr. Smith's ability to BodySurf, this is a sensible precaution. |
| 223 | * LibertyOverProsperity: Compared to the first film, ''Reloaded'' goes on to downplay this. The Architect responsible for constructing the Matrix reveals this happened ''five'' times. Even though the second Matrix was considerably morbid compared to the first, humans still [[IRejectYourReality couldn't accept their new reality, no matter how much real pain and suffering it had]]. Then the Oracle realized the problem was that humans had to have it 'their way', that it had to consciously make the choice (even if they didn't remember it) to live in a dream world. [[HumansAreBastards 99% of humanity agreed to be sheep, and the rest built military junta resistances in the real world under the premise of seizing further power on their own and disguising it as freedom]]. The point is, every human doesn't ''care'' about ''other'' peoples' liberties nearly as much as their own... and the Architect predicts that one day, a human with sufficient power (The One) will place his liberty over all of humanity's liberty ''and'' prosperity. [[spoiler:He's right]]. |
| 224 | * LighterAndSofter: While this film (and its sequel) would not be considered light-hearted by any means, the first film has a dark, bleak mood that the sequels almost completely abandoned for the most part. |
| 225 | * LittleNo: Neo utters one when the Architect reveals that [[spoiler:Trinity, whom he had asked to stay in the real world, jacked in and put herself in danger in the name of saving him]]. |
| 226 | * LongSongShortScene: Music/RobDougan's "Furious Angels" is played for a short burst during a fight scene. |
| 227 | * MadeOfIron: Averted with Merovingian's {{Mooks}}. Persephone initially builds them up as being very hard to kill, only being vulnerable to things like wooden stakes or silver bullets. Unfortunately, they do not quite live to their fearsome reputation during the Chateau fight. Despite all of them being capable of withstanding infinite amount of punches and blunt attacks (expect for Cain, who somehow dies after being kicked into a statue), they all die from sharp weapons as quickly as a regular human would. |
| 228 | * MagicalSecurityCam: An odd example. At one point during his encounter with The Architect, Neo is shown images of humans all over the world, and later images of his own life — many of which are scenes taken directly from the previous movie. However, it's justified in that the entire universe in which this takes place is a computer simulation, so -- assuming that the Architect keeps records, which seems likely given his characterization -- he could re-render the scenes on his monitors from whatever angle he damn well pleased. |
| 229 | * MagpiesAsPortents: Agent Smith's arrival is heralded by a flock of crows. This is done because in older, superstitious cultures, crows or other corvids (e.g., magpies) showing up was [[RuleOfSymbolism considered to be a sign]] that something bad was on the way. |
| 230 | * MakesUsEven: At the end of the first film, Trinity saved Neo's life by giving him a HowDareYouDieOnMe speech. In ''Reloaded'', after she's mortally wounded, he returns the favor. Afterwards: |
| 231 | -->'''Trinity:''' I guess this makes us even. |
| 232 | * MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: When Neo flies to rescue Morpheus and The Keymaker from an explosion, we can see Neo coming from some distance away, before he grabs the two and corresponding music plays. |
| 233 | * MeaningfulEcho: The scene of Neo revealing that [[spoiler:the prophecy about the One was a lie]] parallels the scene in the first film where Morpheus reveals to Neo the truth about the Matrix. Except this time, Morpheus is the one in denial and Neo is the one espousing the unpleasant truth. |
| 234 | ** ''The Matrix'': |
| 235 | --->'''Neo:''' No, I don't believe it. It's not possible.\ |
| 236 | '''Morpheus:''' I didn't say it would be easy, Neo. I just said it would be the truth. |
| 237 | ** ''The Matrix Reloaded'': |
| 238 | --->'''Morpheus:''' I don't believe that.\ |
| 239 | '''Neo:''' I know it isn't easy to hear, but I swear to you, it's the truth. |
| 240 | * MeleeATrois: The freeway chase becomes a three-way fight over the Keymaker between the heroes, the Twins and the Agents. |
| 241 | * MenacingHandShot: After Smith overwrites Bane, we first seem him [[SelfHarm cutting his hand]], but when Neo and the others walk by, he steps out from where he's been hiding and starts to follow them, the camera cutting to the knife in his hand a couple of times as he prepares to attack. |
| 242 | * MindReformatDeath: The [=AI=] Agent Smith [[CameBackWrong becomes a virus-like program]] who can [[CloneByConversion transform other AIs into copies of himself]], he manages to do the same to a human who's plugged into the Matrix, killing his mind and [[GrandTheftMe taking over his body]]. |
| 243 | * MinusWorld: The domains of the Exile programs led by The Merovingian - which are very similar to the "Net Slum" from the ''.hack'' anime franchise. The "Exiles" are {{glitch entit|y}}ies, sentient programs who either malfunctioned or are considered obsolete, but escaped deletion by going on the run. Many of them originate from the two early Matrix-beta versions. In some cases "obsolete" means "worked fine but we later decided it was too dangerous to use, so we ordered a recall but it went on the run instead". The Merovingian is a very powerful Exile program (he used to be the operating system for the second beta version), who maintains a power cabal over the others. The hideouts and clubs used by the Exiles (Le Vrai restaurant, the Chateau, and Club Hel) aren't just "random glitches" as such, but the glitch programs did make them to break the rules of the Matrix, with doorways that teleport you to different buildings miles away. |
| 244 | * MissingFloor: In the words of the Gatekeeper: "There is a building. Inside this building there is a level where no elevator can go, and no stair can reach. This level is filled with doors. These doors lead to many places. Hidden places. But one door is special. One door leads to the source." |
| 245 | * MonochromeApparition: The albino twins sport white dreadlocks, pale skin and wear white suits in their normal form, but become gray/greenish translucent when in ghostly forms, as this is the default color of the Matrix. |
| 246 | * MortalWoundReveal: The heroes appear to have escaped through a door just in time to avoid a hail of gunfire from the army of Smiths chasing them. Then The Keymaker turns around to reveal that his torso is riddled with bullet holes. |
| 247 | * MortonsFork: The Architect presents Neo with this. If he goes straight to the Source, he and all but 23 humans he chooses to rebuild Zion to resume the cycle will die. If he goes back to the Matrix at large, he can't restart the Matrix's code to keep it operating, killing him and every human connected to it and leaving Zion's people to die in the FinalBattle with the Machines. The Architect presents the first choice as self-evidently the LesserOfTwoEvils, and when Neo defies him, he responds dismissively. |
| 248 | -->'''Architect:''' Hope. It is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength and your greatest weakness. |
| 249 | * MotherNatureFatherScience: This is how the Architect describes himself and the Oracle. The Architect is a cold, logical perfectionist, while the Oracle is more focused on understanding human emotion and psychology. |
| 250 | * MotiveMisidentification: During his meeting with Lock, Morpheus believes the impending Machine attack is a direct consequence of his crew finding the One and the Resistance's victories in the interim (such as freeing more minds in 6 months than they had in the past 6 years). He's confident this attack is one of desperation and that the Machines are afraid the tide of war's turned in Zion's favor. [[spoiler: Neo ironically ''is'' the catalyst for the attack -- but ''not'' for the reasons Morpheus thinks. The discovery of the One means Zion has actually fulfilled the conditions of the Matrix Cycle and the Machines are ready to initiate the final stage before rebooting for the next cycle.]] |
| 251 | * MrExposition: |
| 252 | ** The Keymaker when explaining about the bomb-trapped building that houses the door to the Architect -- and how to break into it. |
| 253 | ** The Architect fills this role in his speeches to Neo, telling him about the entire history of the Matrix and why Neo is an essential part of it. |
| 254 | * MsFanservice: Persephone in both this film and ''Revolutions''; here she's wearing a tight, slightly translucent white dress. |
| 255 | * MundaneSolution: During the freeway chase, when Agent Johnson jumps onto Morpheus and Trinity's car and dodges Morpheus' attempts to shoot him, Trinity simply brakes the car, causing the Agent to fall off. |
| 256 | * MutagenicGoo: Agent Smith has the ability to [[CloneByConversion transform a person into a copy of himself]]. The transformation process involves a black substance covering the victim's body; once the entire body is covered, the person is converted into an Agent Smith clone. |
| 257 | * MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: When Smith approaches the building housing the meeting, Neo immediately senses something troubling and leaves to investigate. |
| 258 | * NeckLift: An agent picks up Trinity by the neck. In contrast to the usual way this trope is played, she continues to fight and kicks him repeatedly until she then gets slammed down onto the floor. |
| 259 | * TheNeedsOfTheMany: {{Invoked|Trope}} by the Machines in the {{backstory}}. Previous Ones were created to feel broad love for humanity at large, which would make them go straight to the Source just before the iteration of Zion they knew was destroyed. Neo, however, feels more strongly about Trinity than about humanity. |
| 260 | * NeverBringAKnifeToAFistfight: In a [[{{Pun}} stab]] at KatanasAreJustBetter, Morpheus tries to fight an unarmed Agent Johnson with a sword. He barely manages to nick Johnson's cheek and cut off his tie before the sword gets snapped, and Morpheus gets punted off the back of the moving truck. That's still better than how Morpheus was faring when fighting with only his fists. |
| 261 | * NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler: Morpheus is indirectly responsible for the destruction of the Zion fleet. If he hadn't asked the ''Caduceus'' to remain behind in case the Oracle attempted to contact the Resistance, Smith would never have possessed Bane and made it into the real world to sabotage the fleet during Lock's counterattack. In Morpheus' defense, the siege of Zion in the next film shows that even if Lock's counterattack ''had'' worked, it would've been a temporary victory at best; the Machines would have simply sent in a much larger second wave and the Zion fleet would've still been overwhelmed anyway.]] |
| 262 | * NiceJobFixingItVillain: Neo and Morpheus are heading to the door too early, unaware that the team that was supposed to cut the power failed in their mission. Then Smith and his clones show up and attack them, which delays them just long enough for Trinity to head in and shut it down. |
| 263 | * NoEndorHolocaust : Trinity is shot while falling off a building. Neo, flown in at hypersonic speed to save her, ends up leaving a huge trail of destruction across the city, obviously killing a lot of people, but we don't see anyone die on screen and no one makes any comment about it afterwards. |
| 264 | * NoEscapeButDown: Trinity jumps out of the window when cornered by two agents. Neo's dreams foretell that she dies. |
| 265 | * NonSequiturEnvironment: The Merovingian's chateau has perfectly innocuous-looking portal doors connecting his home with other locations across the Matrix. As such, it's a bit of a surprise when Neo tries to follow the Merovingian back through doors that previously led to an urban restaurant, only to find himself suddenly up in the mountains. Happens a second time when the Keymaker escapes via a door leading into a carpark back in the city; once again, Neo tries to follow, only to get the same result as last time when one of the Twins slams the door in his face... so he gives up and just flies back. |
| 266 | * NotInFrontOfTheKid: When Link arrives home after being away for weeks (ready for some sexy-time with Zee), he yells "Where's my puss--" before noticing his visiting nephews and hastily changing to G-rated conversation. |
| 267 | * NotInThisForYourRevolution: Persephone doesn't betray the Merovingian out of any sort of idealism or even interest in Neo's mission; she's just "[...] so sick of his bullshit." |
| 268 | * NotSoInvincibleAfterAll: After Neo stops a hail of bullets, the Merovingian's {{mooks}} pick up swords and start fighting him. When Neo stops a sword with his outstretched hand, a drop of blood from his hand hits the floor. The Merovingian then says "See! He's just a man!" Cue Neo taking swords off the wall and defeating the mooks. |
| 269 | * NotTheFallThatKillsYou: Neo flies very low to the ground, at a velocity that's ''[[FoeTossingCharge knocking cars aside]]'' in its wake, and catches Trinity out of the air. Between the sudden vertical stop and the sudden horizontal acceleration, Trinity should have been splattered all over his sunglasses. Earlier in the same movie, Neo rescues a couple of people from a roof of a crashed and exploding truck by flying onto the scene, grabbing them by their collars, and pulling them straight up while ''[[OutrunTheFireball Out-Flying the fireball]]''. While the world of the Matrix does have rules, one of Neo's powers is explicitly being able to bend and break them, so this is justified. |
| 270 | * OffBridgeOntoVehicle: Morpheus orders Trinity to get the Keymaker to safety, and she does so by jumping with him off the bridge and landing on a truck carrying motorcycles. |
| 271 | * OfferingsToTheGods: The people of Zion leave offerings for Neo (particularly bread, which is ''extremely rare'' in Zion) in the hope that he'll protect their loved ones while in the Matrix. This isn't mere bribery: Neo has literal godlike powers within the Matrix, and Zionites see him as their messiah, prophesied to end the war with the machines. |
| 272 | * OffhandBackhand: Neo also pulled one off during the chateau fight; when one mook attempts to backstab him, he blocks over his shoulder. |
| 273 | * OffLikeAShot: Neo does a version of this before he starts flying. |
| 274 | * OhCrap: |
| 275 | ** Bane is introduced fleeing from an encounter with Smith with another redpill, remarking that he's "never seen an Agent move that fast". |
| 276 | ** After Trinity finishes her work at the power plant, she returns to the elevator to leave only for it to open and reveal Agent Thompson. Trinity's look is understated, but it's clear she knows she's screwed. |
| 277 | * OminousMultipleScreens: The Architect's chamber is filled wall-to-wall with screens showing Neo. The implication is that they are all of the different choices which Neo could be making at this particular moment, [[spoiler:choice being the one fundamental flaw in the programming of the Matrix that allows the One to keep popping up, despite the Machines' best efforts to prevent it]]. It's also used for surveillance so that he can see anywhere in the Matrix at any given time, be it past or near future, which actually makes sense. Often, the screens work together to form a bigger image. |
| 278 | * OminousObsidianOoze: When Agent Smith gains the ability to [[MesACrowd clone himself]], this covers the victim’s body before they [[CloneByConversion transform into a Smith clone]]. Seen again in ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions''. |
| 279 | * OnceMoreWithClarity: The opening begins with Trinity attacking a place, before being attacked by Agent Thompson and apparently dying. It's not until the climax that the whys and wherefores are given (it's the only way to get Neo, Morpheus and the Keymaker where they're going. Another crew was supposed to handle it, but they all got killed). |
| 280 | * OneMythToExplainThemAll: |
| 281 | ** The Oracle tells Neo that things of the supernatural are actually rogue programs. |
| 282 | --->'''The Oracle:''' Every story you've ever heard about vampires, werewolves, or aliens is the system assimilating some program that's doing something they're not supposed to be doing. |
| 283 | ** Later, Persephone uses a derringer-type gun loaded with {{Silver Bullet}}s to kill one of the Merovingian's lackeys, and the Twins take on a monstrous appearance when they use their phasing ability. |
| 284 | * OnlyElectricSheepAreCheap: This is why, in this film, some Zionites give Neo bread as a sign of admiration. It's the equivalent of giving him [[MessianicArchetype gold, frankincense, and myrrh]]. |
| 285 | * OnlyTheChosenMayWield: It's a matter of this trope combined with OnlyTheWorthyMayPass. [[TheChosenOne Neo]] and friends follow TheProphecy of the Oracle to end the Man/Machine war by way of a stack of living and non-living {{Plot Coupon}}s and {{Plot Device}}s that must be first discovered or destroyed, culminating with a [[ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin minor character dying, passing on a key for Neo]] to open a door to the source of the Machines. [[spoiler:It was all for nearly nothing, as all the protagonist's work is yet another way for the Machines to keep control.]] Despite that, Neo [[ScrewDestiny figures out another option in time]]. |
| 286 | * OppositesAttractRevenge: Niobe used to be with the mystical Morpheus, now she is with the secular Locke. How much of the tension between the two men is a result of this and how much is due to their very different personalities and leadership styles is unclear since it all happened in the backstory. That Niobe keeps supporting Morpheus over Locke doesn't help matters much. |
| 287 | * OrgasmicallyDelicious: The Merovingian literally gives a woman an orgasm by sending her a slice of cake that has had its code altered. |
| 288 | * OutsideRide: An upgraded Agent jumps onto the hood of a car from another car, and just stands there while the car swerves back and forth. There is also a full-scale kung fu battle on the top of a semi truck, brought to an abrupt end when it slams into another truck head-on. |
| 289 | [[/folder]] |
| 290 | |
| 291 | [[folder:Tropes P-Z]] |
| 292 | * ParkingGarage: The freeway car chase starts with a confrontation in a parking garage. |
| 293 | * APartyAlsoKnownAsAnOrgy: On the eve of battle with the Machines, the scantily clad humans of Zion have a huge party with booming music and grindy dancing. This intercuts with Neo and Trinity having sex in their room nearby. |
| 294 | * PersonAsVerb: Neo was "doing his Franchise/{{Superman}} [[{{Flight}} thang]]." |
| 295 | * PersonOfMassDestruction: Neo's high-speed flight through the city causes a ''tremendous'' amount of collateral damage. |
| 296 | * PopTheTires: While the Agents are pursuing Trinity and Morpheus on the freeway, an Agent shoots out the left rear tire on Trinity's car, which eventually forces her to stop. |
| 297 | * PortalDoor: The Keymaker's ability. If something needs to be unlocked, opened, or otherwise activated, he can produce the key. |
| 298 | * PowerPerversionPotential: The Merovingian reprograms a chocolate cake so that when a random woman eats it, she has an orgasm. And though not directly addressed at all, more than a few viewers has wondered about how the virus Agent Smith, at this point able to transform a guy into an also infectious clone of himself by thrusting his fingers into the to-be Smith's chest, would have dealt with all the... chesty women of the Matrix (e.g. the Merovingian's own wife), considering by the next movie almost everyone in the simulation has been Smithsimilated. |
| 299 | * PowerStrainBlackout: At the conclusion, in the real world, Neo and the crew of the ''Nebuchadnezzar'' escapes a bomb [[spoiler:that destroys their ship]], only to find themselves about to be ripped apart by [[KillerRobot Sentinels]]. [[spoiler:However, Neo can now sense and communicate with real-world machinery. He hacks the five Sentinels, causing them to short out and deactivate.]] The process causes Neo to fall unconscious and stay in a coma to the end of the movie. |
| 300 | * PowerUpFood: This is subtle, as we don't see an overt un-natural effect from consuming food until The Merovingian slips a rather special dessert to his victim. In that scene it is obvious that this is done to inject code into the target. Before that scene The Oracle slips Neo a red candy just before the Burly Brawl. And in the previous film, she made sure he had one of her cookies. Did these alter Neo's in-Matrix code to give him additional skill to defeat an army of Smiths, and (in the first movie) set him on the path to truly become The One? |
| 301 | * PreExplosionBuildup: Some warping effects are seen when Neo exit the bomb-wired level with all the doors, as well as when the power plant is blown up. |
| 302 | * ProductPlacement: Samsung worked with the creators to create [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u05gxIWYv8k a real life cell phone]] that was a prop in the film, as well as a piece of merchandise. |
| 303 | * PsychicSurgery: ends with [[spoiler:Neo removing the bullet from Trinity's body by phasing his hand through it, and then restarting her heart by directly squeezing it. He's able to do this because they're inside a computer simulation and he can basically hack it.]] |
| 304 | * PunchCatch: Agent Johnson catches Neo's punch, causing the latter to realize the Agents have been upgraded. |
| 305 | * PutDownYourGunAndStepAway: When one of the albino twins has a razor to Trinity's neck, he tells Morpheus to put down his sword. Morpheus responds with a BoomHeadshot, forcing the twin to desolidify long enough for Trinity to escape. |
| 306 | * RaceAgainstTheClock: The protagonists try to fulfill the prophecy to end the war before the Sentinels get to Zion. [[spoiler:They succeed, only to learn that the prophecy was a lie]]. |
| 307 | * RealityHasNoSubtitles: |
| 308 | ** While the Merovingian is giving his speech about how French is his favorite language, he speaks a long phrase in French (which is actually a string of curse words) with no translation. |
| 309 | ** After Persephone helps Neo, Morpheus and Trinity rescue the Keymaker, the Merovingian shows up and curses her in French for betraying him. |
| 310 | * RecruitedFromTheGutter: [[TagalongKid The Kid]] wants to serve on the ''Nebuchadnezzar'' with Neo (who helped him escape from the Matrix), which he'll soon be old enough to do. However, Neo defies the trope: |
| 311 | -->'''Neo:''' I told you, Kid, you found me, I didn't find you.\ |
| 312 | '''Kid:''' I know, but you got me out! You saved me!\ |
| 313 | '''Neo:''' You saved yourself. |
| 314 | * RedPillBluePill: The villain type of choice makes an appearance in the form of the [[TheChessmaster The Architect's]] two-doors-choice. |
| 315 | * RedShirt: [[spoiler:Captain Soren of the ''Vigilant'' is a literal example. His Zion counterpart wears red clothing, while in the Matrix he wears a red turtleneck under a tuxedo. He doesn't make it to the climax]]. |
| 316 | * RedshirtArmy: [[spoiler:The aforementioned ''Vigilant'' crew are killed by the Sentinels, and -- along with the Keymaker -- are the only heroes who stay dead in the film]]. Subverted with [[spoiler:the ''Logos'' crew]], who make it to the next film. |
| 317 | * RememberedICouldFly: Neo fights dozens of copies of Agent Smith in a long, drawn-out fight scene before realizing that he can't win and escapes by flying away. |
| 318 | * RemovingTheEarpiece: Given his achieved rogue status, Agent Smith no longer wears his earpiece at all. He sends it to Neo to unnerve him before they meet in person. |
| 319 | -->'''Smith:''' I've changed. I'm "unplugged". A new man, so to speak -- like you, apparently free.\ |
| 320 | '''Neo:''' Congratulations.\ |
| 321 | '''Smith:''' Thank you. |
| 322 | * ReplacementMooks: After the failure of the Smith-model Agents in ''Film/TheMatrix'', the Machines come out with improved Agents (which Neo calls "upgrades" when he first meets them), though Neo still knocks them out in short order. And then Agent Smith rolls around with ''his'' replacement mooks... [[MesACrowd himself]]. |
| 323 | * RecruitedFromTheGutter: [[TagalongKid The Kid]] wants to serve on the Nebuchadnezzar with Neo (who helped him escape from the Matrix), which he'll soon be old enough to do. However, Neo defies the trope: |
| 324 | -->'''Neo:''' I told you, Kid, you found me, I didn't find you.\ |
| 325 | '''Kid:''' I know, but you got me out! You saved me!\ |
| 326 | '''Neo:''' You saved yourself. |
| 327 | * ResetButton: The first film ended with Neo "seeing the code" and transcending all rules of the Matrix. He's able to outfight Smith effortlessly, using only one hand and without even looking, before he dispenses with fighting altogether and simply tears Smith's code apart. But it wouldn't be very fun if Neo could just effortlessly [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp]] every Agent he comes across for the next two films. When Neo encounters Agents in this film, he finds that they've been "[[HandWave upgraded]]," forcing him to fight them in conventional hand-to-hand combat. Furthermore, Neo's other abilities to alter the code of the Matrix are limited to only what we've already seen him do in the first film: stop bullets and fly. So instead of the RealityWarper he's implied to be in the previous film, he's just a superhero. |
| 328 | * ResistanceAsPlanned: [[spoiler:The Architect, who explains to Neo how the perfect system he had originally devised was rejected by the humans. Instead, he created a system which purposefully introduced anomalies to fight the system in order to make it work better. In addition, these rejects would knowingly be allowed to leave the Matrix and fight it from the outside (in Zion), where they would be destroyed every once in a while.]] |
| 329 | * ResurrectionRevenge: [[EvilCounterpart Agent Smith]] lampshades the trope [[MotiveRant during his monologue]], when he confronts [[TheProtagonist Neo.]] He tells Neo that his death freed him from the restrictions of the Matrix, and ... that he was there to repay him for trying to deny him the purpose of his existence, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUAie-X3u8I by returning the favor.]] |
| 330 | * RousingSpeech: Morpheus delivers one to the whole of Zion directly before the infamous rave scene commences. |
| 331 | * RuderAndCruder: ''Reloaded'' has overall cruder language compared to both ''Film/TheMatrix'' and ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'' thanks to the Merovingian saying a [[ForeignCussWord colorful variety of swears in French]]. |
| 332 | * RunningBothSides: It is revealed that the Machine intelligence known as The Architect designed the Matrix to periodically spit out a messiah figure to start a small revolt, and Neo is the sixth. The reason? Human free will adds just enough chaos to the system to prevent complete virtual management--but allow one human to restart the war, and the system remains stable. As the Architect puts it, "Your life is the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced equation inherent to the programming of the Matrix." In essence, the war is just another part of the operation of the power plant known as the Matrix. |
| 333 | * ScrewDestiny: |
| 334 | ** This is played out on a grander scale when it is discovered that [[spoiler:the Prophecy about The One is a lie and just another means of control by the Machines, and that The One is not meant to end the war at all, but to perpetuate it by selecting the next inhabitants of the new Zion once the current Zion is destroyed by the Machines, like so many other Ones before him. Neo is the first One to defy this system of control and bring about the true end of the war]]. |
| 335 | ** The Oracle also comments that "no one can see beyond a choice they don't understand", meaning she can tell people something that MAY happen, yet it's their choice what to do with it. The Architect, she notes, can't see past ''any'' choice. |
| 336 | * ScrewTheWarWerePartying: The scene that features the human city of Zion in an all-city rave before the War with the Machines. |
| 337 | * SecondChapterCliffhanger: In a TwoPartTrilogy case, it ends with Neo in a coma and the emergence of Smith as an enemy unaligned with the machines, though just as dangerous. It also removed the possible solution that Neo had been working towards during the rest of the movie. This possibly reduced the drama because it made a lot of the actions of the second movie a great big ShaggyDogStory when going into ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions''. |
| 338 | * SecretTest: Seraph, the Oracle's bodyguard, attacks Neo to test his combat abilities and make sure that he is the One. He only tells Neo why he did it after he ends the fight. |
| 339 | * SelfHarm: The first time we see Bane after he's been overwritten by Smith, he's using a knife to cut his palm. |
| 340 | * SendInTheClones: Agent Smith comes BackFromTheDead as TheVirus and spends this and the following films turning the entire population of the Matrix into [[AssimilationPlot copies of himself.]] |
| 341 | * SequelNonEntity: The absence of Tank is explained away by Zee saying she had lost two brothers to the ''Nebuchadnezzar'', implying that Tank had been killed, probably from the injuries he sustained in the first film. |
| 342 | * SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Almost all the Architect's dialogue, like it was run through a thesaurus to find the longest synonyms for every noun and then given the most convoluted expression of every concept. He's explicitly doing it deliberately, and mentions Neo worked out what he was actually saying (and that he'd used it to avoid a direct question) much faster than his predecessors. |
| 343 | * ShootTheFuelTank: How the chase against the Twins ends, when Morpheus flips their vehicle then shoots its gas tank when it's facing him. |
| 344 | * ShootTheHostageTaker: While fighting one of the Twins, Trinity is captured and held while being threatened with a straight razor. The Twin orders Morpheus to [[PutDownYourGunAndStepAway Put Down Your Sword and Step Away]]. Morpheus shoots him in the head, which forces him to desolidify long enough for Trinity to escape. |
| 345 | * ShoutOut: |
| 346 | ** During the freeway chase scene, the following police radio chatter can be heard: "One Series/Adam12, please respond." |
| 347 | ** There are also some shot for shot remakes of the scene in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' when Vegeta is chasing Android 18 on the freeway. |
| 348 | ** Seraph's line "You do not truly know someone, until you fight them" sounds similar to the line "How much do you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?" from ''Film/FightClub''. |
| 349 | * ShownTheirWork: The film features a brief glimpse of Trinity hacking a power grid mainframe. Compared with most films' [[HollywoodHacking dumbed-down portrayals of "hacking a computer",]] this instance is remarkably realistic, despite being on-screen for only a few seconds, and references actual hacking tools and known security vulnerabilities (circa 2001). It is likely the creators felt the need to "get it right" since the concept of computer hacking is a central theme in the ''Matrix'' films. To elaborate further on this, while most films would feature ridiculously elaborate and impractical interfaces, Trinity enters commands via an SSH terminal to a server (which even uses correct private IP address space instead of illegal IP addresses) to shut power down, and plausible-sounding commands at that. The server's response to the commands are also sensible ways for the program to carry out its function, warning the user what will happen and requesting confirmation of the input, followed by text notifications of the shutdown sequence as it is performed. Not bad for a ten second sequence. |
| 350 | * SilverBullet: The film establishes that stories about werewolves, vampires, and [=UFOs=] are based on now-defunct programs trying to escape deletion. The Merovingian employs several of these programs as muscle. |
| 351 | -->'''Persephone:''' My husband saved them because they are notoriously difficult to terminate. How many people keep silver bullets in their gun? ''[BANG]'' |
| 352 | * SingleMindedTwins: The Twins, probably justified seeing as how they are computer programs. The Agents had previously been established to communicate similarly, suggesting it may be a possibility for certain programs. |
| 353 | -->'''Twin #1:''' We are getting aggravated.\ |
| 354 | '''Twin #2:''' Yes, we are. |
| 355 | * SingleStrokeBattle. There's one... in the form of Morpheus vs. an SUV. As Trinity and the Keymaker make their getaway, the Twins try to run Morpheus down. He rolls to the side at the last minute, and uses his {{katana|sAreJustBetter}} to slice through one of their tires as they pass him. The SUV starts to flip over, setting up Morpheus's ''next'' move -- emptying his gun into the gas tank. |
| 356 | * SkeletonKey: The film doesn't have a master ''key'', it has the Key ''Maker'': a humanoid sentient program with the ability to produce a key that unlocks any door or lock that he comes across in the virtual world, including system backdoors. |
| 357 | * SlowElectricity: After the power station is destroyed (and later when Trinity turns off the power again), the blackout spreads slowly through the affected area. |
| 358 | * SlowMotionFall: At the start of the film, Neo has been having recurring dreams where his lover Trinity falls out of an office window when she's cornered by an agent, while turning around and shooting at him until he kills her. Then it seems to happen for real, [[spoiler:but Neo ultimately saves her before she hits the ground and removes the bullet with his matrix-warping powers.]] |
| 359 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: [[spoiler:The ''[[RedshirtArmy Vigilant]]'' crew don't manage to do much when they're killed, but their deaths result in Trinity having to enter the Matrix to complete their task and, indirectly, causing her death and resurrection]]. |
| 360 | * SoLastSeason: The "upgrades" to the Agents force Neo to fight them in hand-to-hand combat rather than just [[CurbStompBattle casually destroying them]] as he did to Smith at the end of the first film. |
| 361 | * SoleSurvivor: At the end of the film, the ''Mjolnir'' picks up a lone survivor of an attempted ambush on the Sentinels that went horribly wrong. It's Bane. |
| 362 | * SomethingElseAlsoRises: A female example happens when the woman eats the chocolate dessert that The Merovingian coded specially to evoke an orgasm. The viewer gets to see Matrix code: digital representations of her legs, and then a brilliant explosion between them. |
| 363 | * SorryThatImDying: After Trinity is mortally wounded by a bullet through the heart, Neo removes the bullet. Trinity says "I'm sorry" and dies. [[spoiler:She gets better.]] |
| 364 | * SoundOnlyDeath: At the end of the fight between Neo and the Merovingian's {{mooks}}, the last mook is lying on the ground and looking up as Neo swings a polearm with a spiked end down at his head. The scene cuts to the Merovingian looking away in disgust as a "thunk" sound effect is heard. |
| 365 | * SpareAMessenger: After Persephone kills one of the two programs guarding the Keymaker, she spares the other one and tells him to go tell the Merovingian what she has done. She does this so the Merovingian will show up and she can tell him to his face why she did it. |
| 366 | * SpyCatsuit: Invoked with Trinity's skintight black latex bodysuit. |
| 367 | * SteppingStoneSword: Morpheus uses a sword stuck into the side of a truck as a perch and jumps back up to the top of the truck from it. |
| 368 | * TheStinger: After the credits, there is a trailer for ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions''. |
| 369 | * StockFootage: From ''Film/{{Baraka}}'' used during the Architect scene. |
| 370 | * StopWorshippingMe: Neo finds himself idolized by crowds of new followers in the last human city of Zion. Uncertain himself as to his purpose in his last return there, it's an awkward problem for him as he is (for the most part) empowered only within the realm of the Matrix. Yet he and his lover, Trinity, make time for the followers, often at the expense of their own time alone together. |
| 371 | * StormingTheCastle: The movie revisits the trope as Neo storms the Source. In a twist, [[spoiler:the place he reaches isn't the Source ''per se'', but he does meet an antagonistic character there]]. |
| 372 | * SurveillanceStationSlacker: A security guard tells off his colleague at the gatehouse for being half asleep with his feet up on the desk. [[spoiler:He becomes dead at his post when Trinity drops a motorcycle on top of him.]] |
| 373 | -->'''Guard One:''' ''Hey!'' You can [[CountingSheep count sheep]] at home.\ |
| 374 | '''Guard Two:''' ''[unimpressed]'' Why? I get paid to count them here.\ |
| 375 | ''[Guard One shakes his head in disgust and walks off; camera pans down to show our heroes entering the building on the monitor]'' |
| 376 | * SwordAndGun: Morpheus wields both a katana he took from the Merovingian's chateau and a Glock [=18C=] during the freeway chase but never uses both of them at the same time. |
| 377 | * SwordFight: Neo has a swordfight with several of the Merovingian's Mooks, after they try shooting him with a wide variety of guns. However, because he is The One, GunsAreWorthless against him. |
| 378 | * SwordPlant: Morpheus stabs his katana into the side of the semi-truck he's riding, in order to give him a platform to snag the Keymaster (who is passing by on a motorcycle). |
| 379 | * SwordPointing: Morpheus does it to Agent Johnson with a samurai sword while fighting him on the top of the truck. |
| 380 | * {{Tagline}}: "Reload before the [[Film/TheMatrixRevolutions revolution]] begins." |
| 381 | * TakesTenToHold: At the climax of the Burly Brawl, a whole pile of Smiths overwhelm and dogpile Neo, pinning him to the pavement. Neo, being The One, though still rather in over his head, responds by hurling everyone off in a display of power before flying off. |
| 382 | * TalkingIsAFreeAction: Compared to the first film, ''Reloaded'' has TONS of dialogue. |
| 383 | * TaughtByExperience: A sinister example. [[spoiler:The Architect remarks that after 5 previous Matrix Cycles, the Machines have by now grown ''very'' efficient at eradicating Zion.]] |
| 384 | * TelephonePolearm: During the Burly Brawl with the hundred Smiths, Neo tears a signpost out of the ground and uses it as a staff. |
| 385 | * ThatMakesMeFeelAngry: The Twins, during their highway pursuit. |
| 386 | -->'''Twin 1:''' We are getting aggravated.\ |
| 387 | '''Twin 2:''' Yes, we are. |
| 388 | * TheoryOfNarrativeCausality: The Merovingian openly mocks the heroes for their not knowing why they came to see him beyond the Oracle telling them to meet with him, Morpheus concludes that their disastrous meeting with the Merovingian occurred exactly as it should have gone because they are still alive, and the Keymaker knows about all the failsafes guarding the door [[spoiler:to the Architect]] because "I know, because I must know. It's the reason I'm here. Same reason we're all here." |
| 389 | * TimeSkip: Dialogue between Morpheus and Hamann (during the former's confrontation with Lock) reveals at least 6 months have passed in-universe since the events of the first film. Neo's hair has also outgrown the buzz cut from the first film, further showing the passage of time. |
| 390 | * TookALevelInBadass: Morpheus ''thinks'' Zion's done this in the interim between the first two films. Previously, while Zion ''was'' a threat, the Machines understandably also regarded the remnant of humanity as a nuisance at best. The discovery of the One and the Resistance's successes over the last 6 months have resulted in the Machines now classifying Zion as a serious enough threat to launch a full-scale invasion. [[spoiler:In actuality, it's a subversion. The Machines ''still'' aren't taking Zion seriously. They were merely biding their time until the One's emergence fulfilled the conditions to initiate the current Matrix Cycle's final stage before rebooting.]] |
| 391 | * TwoRoadsBeforeYou: The movie ends with the Architect offering Neo a choice between two doors — one accomplishes his mission (sort of), the other saves Trinity's life. Neo chooses [[spoiler:[[AlwaysSaveTheGirl Trinity]]]]. |
| 392 | * UncomfortableElevatorMoment: Played with. Trinity, Neo, and Morpheus have entered an elevator, and another civilian is about to get into the lift. Morpheus gives the individual a meaningful shake of the head, which dissuades him from getting aboard. On the other hand, while they're ''in'' the elevator, the three characters still don't face each other when speaking, and they all follow the protocol despite the seriousness of the conversation. |
| 393 | * UnfoldingPlanMontage: Shown as the three hovercraft crews plan to take down a power station so that Neo can reach the source. |
| 394 | * TheUnfought: The first film ended with Neo's promise to take the fight to the Machines, and it is implied that the titular Matrix itself is his enemy. This changes in this film as Neo, with subdued fanfare, comes face-to-face with The Architect, who is responsible for the Matrix. At this point, Rogue AI Agent Smith has asserted himself as the BigBad; compared to him, The Architect seems a combination of GreaterScopeVillain, ReasonableAuthorityFigure and [[GodIsEvil God]]. Neo [[IKnowKarate has not met a single foe he cannot out-punch]] -- but he does not lay a finger on The Architect. In the intense conversation that ensues, Neo does not take a step forward and The Architect does not rise from his chair. The closest thing to a threat is uttered as Neo leaves. A wider view of the Machine world in ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'' makes it clear that a fight with The Architect would be pointless at best and impossible at worst. As powerful as Neo is, The Architect is on another level. Neo never fights him but eventually opts for the only winning strategy: make a deal with him. |
| 395 | --> '''Neo:''' If I were you, I'd hope that we don't meet again. \ |
| 396 | '''The Architect:''' ''[dismissively]'' [[TheOmniscient We won't.]] |
| 397 | * UntouchableUntilTagged: The Smiths dogpile Neo. |
| 398 | * UseTheirOwnWeaponAgainstThem: Neo's fight with the Merovingian's men ends with him killing the last one using his own weapon. |
| 399 | %%* TheVamp: Persephone. |
| 400 | * VampiresOwnNightClubs: Vampires and werewolves work in a nightclub owned by their French boss. |
| 401 | * VehicleVanish: PlayedWith during the highway chase. At one point, a cop driving near the heroes briefly passes behind a barricade, and when he returns, he's been taken over by an agent. |
| 402 | * ViewerFriendlyInterface: Trinity working with a bog-standard Unix command-line interface to launch what is a plausible-looking attack. |
| 403 | * WallOfWeapons: Displayed when Neo and the Merovingian's hitmen start looting the wall of weapons in his castle during their fight. |
| 404 | * WatchingTroyBurn: Morpheus with the ''Nebuchadnezzar'' after it explodes when the Sentinels destroy it. |
| 405 | -->'''Morpheus:''' I have dreamed a dream. But now that dream is gone from me. |
| 406 | * WeaponizedHeadgear: Trinity uses her motorcycle helmet to beat down several security guards. |
| 407 | * WeHaveTheKeys: Trinity is on a motorcycle with the Keymaker and asks for a download on how to hotwire vehicles, only to have her passenger hand her a key. Both convenient and {{justified|Trope}}, as the Keymaker is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin in addition to his more figurative role. |
| 408 | * WeHaveToGetTheBulletOut: This trope at first appears to be [[PlayingWithATrope played straight]] when Trinity is shot. Neo notes that "[[CaptainObvious The bullet is still inside]]" and uses his [[RealityWarper One powers]] to reach into her body and pull it out. It quickly becomes a subversion when this does nothing to improve her condition whatsoever [[spoiler:and she dies. Neo then has to use his powers to restart her heart.]] |
| 409 | * WetwareBody: Smith escapes into the real world through Bane's body -- not that he enjoys it, remarking that being in a "rotting meatsuit" repulses him, but he's willing to endure it because he just hates Neo that much. |
| 410 | * WeWillMeetAgain: |
| 411 | ** After the Merovingian dismisses Neo, Neo tells him "This isn't over." |
| 412 | ** The Architect inverts the trope. Neo tells him "If I were you, I would hope we don't meet again", to which he replies "We won't" (and indeed they don't). |
| 413 | * WhamShot: |
| 414 | ** The newly resurrected Smith remarks on Neo's fight with the upgraded agents, [[spoiler:to another Smith.]] |
| 415 | ** Smith overriding Bane, just before he returns to the real world. |
| 416 | ** The final shot of the film. [[spoiler:Smith-as-Bane is the sole survivor of the failed Zion fleet counterattack. The implication (which ''Enter the Matrix'' concurrently and explicitly confirmed) is the premature EMP detonation ''was'' sabotage and "Bane" was responsible. More, Neo is now in a coma, lying mere feet away from (a version of) his archenemy, and helpless when Smith finally wakes up.]] |
| 417 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: At the climax of the film, the Architect tries to force Neo to [[spoiler:select a group of humans to awaken from the Matrix and rebuild Zion after its destruction]] by threatening to [[spoiler:crash the Matrix and kill everyone connected to it]] if he refuses to cooperate, which will result in [[spoiler:the extinction of the entire human race]] once [[spoiler:Zion is destroyed]]. Neo indeed refuses to cooperate, but the Architect never makes good on his threat, and it's never mentioned again. |
| 418 | * WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve: The bomb placed in the power plant is set to go off at midnight. It's {{justified|Trope}} in the movie by Morpheus saying that there's a shift change in the targeted buildings at midnight. Presumably, this means that there will be confusion with people coming and going and it will be easier to sneak in during that period. |
| 419 | * TheWorfEffect: |
| 420 | ** When Agent Thompson shows up to the Burly Brawl, he's immediately approached by one of the Smith clones, who quickly and effortlessly assimilates him[[note]]Or rather, the [[{{Muggles}} bluepill]] Thompson was [[BodySurf hijacking]][[/note]]. This not only shows how dangerous Smith has become, but also how Smith is hostile not only to mankind, but now to machinekind as well. |
| 421 | ** Subverted with the standard Agents and Zion characters. Thanks to his abilities, Neo can still effortlessly take on Agents and easily best them. As standard redpills, however, Morpheus and Trinity ''don't'' have that advantage. So, taking on Agents is ''still'' just as dangerous as it was in the first movie. |
| 422 | * YouCantFightFate: Towards the end of the film, Neo finally reaches the "source" of the Matrix and meets the Architect, the computer program who designed the Matrix. He informs Neo that Zion will ultimately be destroyed and that it cannot be saved. At the end of their conversation, he also mentions that Neo's "destiny", like that of his five predecessors, was to enter the source and restart the program, allowing 23 humans to be selected to rebuild Zion. Thus, the "prophecy" will be fulfilled that after a century of warfare between humans and machines, the fight will finally come to an end. However, Neo would only be restarting the war, not ending it. Finally, the Architect mentions that Trinity will inevitably die in order to save Neo. The Architect tells him that there is nothing he can do to stop that from happening. |
| 423 | * YouExclamation: Played with. |
| 424 | -->'''Agent Thompson:''' You!\ |
| 425 | '''Smith:''' Yes, me. ''[stab]'' Me, me, me.\ |
| 426 | '''New Smith:''' Me too. |
| 427 | * YouHaveNoChanceToSurvive: [[TheChessmaster the Architect]] pulls the "We won't" (meet again) line on Neo after he chooses Door #2 (the door that "[[ScrewDestiny leads inexorably]] to the extinction of every last human being on the planet"). |
| 428 | * YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Any program who does this is meant to be deleted, since they can pose a threat to the stability of the Matrix. The Agents who get involved in the freeway chase go after the Keymaker specifically because of this. |
| 429 | -->'''Keymaker:''' We do only what we're meant to do.\ |
| 430 | '''Agent Johnson:''' Then you are meant for one more thing: Deletion. |
| 431 | * ZergRush: The Burly Brawl eventually turns into at least a hundred Smiths dogpiling Neo because he can take on a few dozen with no problem. |
| 432 | [[/folder]] |
| 433 | ---- |
| 434 | ->''"I have dreamed a dream, and now that dream has gone from me."'' |
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