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THE MATRIX RELOADED Apparently, it's easier to build a better mousetrap than to build a better Matrix. Still, that won't stop worldwide audiences from beating a path to the box office to catch the second installment in this popular techno-trilogy. For all its attributes, Matrix Version 2.0 never quite rivals Matrix Version 1.0 -- in that respect, then, it's best not to compare it to its predecessor but to its competition in the action and sci-fi fields. And on that level, it's awfully hard to be disappointed by this second helping, which offers some intriguing food for thought as well as a pair of smashing action sequences. Picking up pretty much where the first film left off -- that is, on a future Earth in which machines have taken over and control mankind -- this one finds Neo (Keanu Reeves), Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) facing a new gallery of villains -- as well as old nemesis Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) -- as they attempt to permanently "unplug" the governing computers. Recurring themes of reality vs. illusion and choice vs. destiny offer some interesting subtext, yet it's the central action set pieces that prove to be the real conversation starters. These two sequences -- one a battle royale between Neo and dozens of Agent Smiths, the other a highway chase -- are ballets of brute strength, not so much video game simulations (as many contend) as a tribute to the visceral impact of cinematic effects and how, when done right, they can envelop and enrapture us.
X2 Almost on a par with the Y2K hit X-Men, this exciting sequel kicks off the summer movie season in style. While not quite matching the sense of wonder that accompanied the first picture, this one boasts a more polished script, vastly improved special effects, and a longer running time (135 minutes, a full half-hour over its predecessor) that gives more players more time to strut their stuff. This time, kindly Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and his band of do-gooder mutants find themselves teaming up with arch-villain Magneto (Ian McKellen) in an effort to bring down a ruthless military man (Brian Cox) hell-bent on eradicating every mutant on the planet. Practically every character from the first film returns, and there's the welcome addition of Alan Cumming as the sweet-natured Nightcrawler, a blue-skinned German with the ability to teleport out of tight jams. As with most sci-fi sequels, this will seem incomprehensible to folks who elected to skip the first film, but even they'll be able to glean the subtext often found in superhero adventures: A just and civilized society has no room for prejudice against those who are born different. X2 hammers that point home, with thinly veiled outbursts against warmongering right-wing administrations and homophobia. Hugh Jackman again excels as Wolverine, with noteworthy support by McKellen and especially Famke Janssen as soulful telepath Jean Grey.
HOME THEATER
FRIDA (2002) Screen biographies of artistic sorts are almost always a gamble, since it's hard for cinema to accurately convey the creative process at work. But this biopic of painter Frida Kahlo apparently ended up in the right hands, as director Julie Taymor (Broadway's The Lion King) uses various colorful conventions -- an animated sequence designed by the Brothers Quay, the melding of actual people and artwork, the stunt casting of Edward Norton, Antonio Banderas and Ashley Judd in small roles -- to effectively touch upon the key incidents in Kahlo's life. The film's centerpiece is her long, complex relationship with husband and fellow artist Diego Rivera, and it's the robust performances by Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina that ultimately give the movie its soul. Hayek earned an Oscar nomination for her zestful turn, and the film won two awards for Elliot Goldenthal's original score and the makeup design. The numerous extras on this two-disc DVD include commentary by Taymor and Goldenthal as well as features on the film's music and on Frida herself. Movie: / Extras: 1/2
THE GURU (2003) Director Daisy von Scherler Mayer's 1995 indie flick Party Girl made the romantic comedy seem fresh again, but she doesn't quite repeat the feat with her latest picture, which barely received distribution despite being backed by a major studio. What life it displays largely comes from its stars: Jimi Mistry as an Indian dance teacher who moves to America and is mistaken for a sex guru, Marisa Tomei as the ditzy socialite who falls for his act, Michael McKean as the director of such adult titles as the Roman Empire-inspired Glad He Ate Her, and especially Heather Graham as a sweet-natured porn star who serves as Mistry's muse. DVD features include audio commentary by von Scherler Mayer and scripter Tracey Jackson and deleted scenes. Movie: 1/2 / Extras: 1/2
-- Matt Brunson