---
title: "The Matrix Reloaded"
year: 2003
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-matrix-reloaded"
fi1m_id: "the-matrix-reloaded"
imdb_id: "tt0234215"
tmdb_id: 604
wikidata_id: "Q189600"
fi1m_score: 60
critics_score: 63
critics_reviews: 13
published: "2026-10-04T22:56:15.513945+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-04T22:56:16.108402+00:00"
region: "LT"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Directed by Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski · 2h 18m · Adventure, Action, Thriller, Science Fiction

## Identity

The Matrix Reloaded

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-matrix-reloaded
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-matrix-reloaded
- **IMDb ID:** tt0234215
- **TMDB ID:** 604
- **Wikidata ID:** Q189600
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0234215/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/604, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189600

**Fi1m score: 60** · Critics 63 from 13 reviews

*In a sentence:* A hundred Hugo Weavings, a motorway, and ninety minutes of men in sunglasses explaining causality

> The Wachowskis’ sequel contains two action sequences that were worth the four-year wait and a script that stops every twenty minutes for a speech about choice. The fights are better than the speeches, and there are more speeches.

## Synopsis

The machines are drilling down towards Zion, the last human city, and a quarter of a million of their sentinels will reach it in a matter of days. Neo (Keanu Reeves), now able to fly inside the Matrix, is troubled by a recurring dream of Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) falling from a window under gunfire. Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) believes the Oracle (Gloria Foster) will tell them how the war ends; Commander Lock (Harry Lennix), who runs Zion’s defences, thinks Morpheus is a fanatic. Back in the Matrix, Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) has survived his own deletion, no longer answers to the system, and has learned to copy himself onto anyone he touches. The Oracle sends Neo after a prisoner called the Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim), held by a Frenchman known as the Merovingian (Lambert Wilson).

## Review

Four years after [*The Matrix*](https://film.one/film/the-matrix) (1999), the Wachowskis return with a sequel. The job this time is to widen the world: show us Zion, the last human city, explain what the machines want, and tell us whether Neo (Keanu Reeves) really is the One. The film does the first of those well, the second at great length, and the third it declines to answer. It is a 138-minute action film with two superb sequences and about forty minutes of talk.

The motorway chase is the thing people remember. Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) rides a motorbike against the traffic with the Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim) on the pillion; Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) fights an agent on the roof of a moving lorry with a sword; cars fold under other cars. Bill Pope shoots it in hard daylight, so the metal looks heavy, and Zach Staenberg cuts it so we always know where everyone is, which is rarer than it sounds. We sat forward and stayed there until it was over.

The other sequence belongs to Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), who has come back able to copy himself onto anyone he touches. He arrives in a courtyard with a dozen of himself and then a hundred, all in Kym Barrett’s identical suits and dark glasses, and Neo takes them on with a steel pole. For three minutes it is the best fight the series has staged, and then the camera pulls back and the two men become figures of weightless digital rubber. Once Neo was no longer a man, nothing in that courtyard could hurt him, and we stopped caring whether it did.

Between the fights, people sit down and explain. Morpheus preaches to Zion from a balcony. Commander Lock (Harry Lennix) tells him he is a fanatic, and is not wrong. The Merovingian (Lambert Wilson), a Frenchman who runs a restaurant and keeps a prisoner, delivers a lecture on cause and effect while watching a woman eat cake. The Oracle (Gloria Foster) tells Neo he has already made his choice and is here to understand it. Each speech is about choice, and by the fourth we were looking at our watch.

Zion itself is a mixed success. Owen Paterson builds it as a vast cave of rusted gantries and pipework. The Wachowskis then stage a rave in it, intercut with Neo and Trinity in bed, over Don Davis’s drums and choir, and we were bored and then slightly embarrassed on everyone’s behalf. The people of Zion are better than the party. Harold Perrineau’s Link, the new operator, and Nona Gaye’s Zee give the city a marriage to worry about, and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Niobe has a sharpness nobody else in the cast is allowed.

Reeves plays Neo as a man who has already won and is politely waiting to be told what he has won, and it is hard to fear for him. Fishburne is given sermons and delivers them like sermons. Moss keeps the stakes human; the dream of her falling backwards through a window is the only image in the film we were afraid of. Monica Bellucci, as the Merovingian’s wife Persephone, wears a white dress that appears to have been applied rather than put on, and her scene is sillier than anyone involved seems to think.

*The Matrix* had one idea, that the world is a cage you cannot see, and spent its whole length showing us the bars. *Reloaded* has a dozen ideas, most of them about free will, and says them rather than shows them. The motorway alone is worth an evening. Watch it at home with someone who loved the first one; you will both enjoy the chase, talk through the Merovingian, and argue about the rest. It carries a 15 certificate and came out in British cinemas on 21 May 2003.

*Fi1m score 60, published 4 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find The Matrix Reloaded a qualified success, and the reviews lean more warm than cold. Nearly everyone agrees that the action is the reason to watch: the freeway chase comes up in review after review as the film’s high point, and the fight between Neo and a crowd of Agent Smiths is close behind. The praise clusters on the stunt choreography, the performers’ physical work and the scale of the effects rather than on anything the characters say or think.

The reservations cluster just as tightly. Critics complain that the story is overcomplicated, the philosophy thin and the whole thing less fresh than the first film, and several note that it is slow to get going. The spread is fairly wide, from four-star notices to two outright rejections. The AV Club goes furthest, finding the mythology muddled and the characters flat, while the Los Angeles Times adds that the large-format print shows up weaknesses in the computer effects.

## Straight answers

**Is The Matrix Reloaded worth watching?**

*The Matrix Reloaded* is worth watching for the motorway chase and the first three minutes of Neo fighting a hundred Agent Smiths, and we scored it 60. Between those sequences the film stops every twenty minutes for a speech about choice, so it suits people who loved the first film and will forgive the talk.

**How long is The Matrix Reloaded, and what is it rated?**

*The Matrix Reloaded* runs 2h 18m. It is an adventure and action film.

**Where can I watch The Matrix Reloaded in Lithuania?**

*The Matrix Reloaded* is streaming on HBO Max in Lithuania, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from €3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is The Matrix Reloaded, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Matrix Reloaded* carries a 15 certificate in the UK and is not suitable for children. The violence is sustained but largely bloodless martial arts and car crashes, and there is a sex scene intercut with a rave in Zion. Teenagers of fifteen and over who can sit through long explanations will be fine; the squeamish have little to fear.

**How does The Matrix Reloaded compare to The Matrix?**

*The Matrix Reloaded* is a looser, longer and more talkative film than [*The Matrix*](https://film.one/film/the-matrix), and the earlier film is the better of the two. The original had one idea and showed it; the sequel has a dozen and explains them. Watch the first for the story and this one for the motorway chase, which outdoes anything in its predecessor.

**What should I watch after The Matrix Reloaded?**

After *The Matrix Reloaded*, try [*Ghost in the Shell*](https://film.one/film/ghost-in-the-shell) (1995, Fi1m 83): The anime the Wachowskis studied; quieter, shorter, and it finishes its thoughts. Then [*Dark City*](https://film.one/film/dark-city) (1998, Fi1m 76): A false city, a man who wakes up, and far less talk about it; and [*Hard Boiled*](https://film.one/film/hard-boiled) (1992, Fi1m 86): John Woo’s gunfights, which the courtyard and the motorway are both borrowing from.

**What order should I watch the The Matrix films in?**

Release order is the safe choice for The Matrix, and it is the order [our collection page](https://film.one/collections/the-matrix) lists them in. *The Matrix Reloaded* is number 2 of the 3 The Matrix titles on Fi1m; before it comes [*The Matrix*](https://film.one/film/the-matrix) and after it [*The Matrix Revolutions*](https://film.one/film/the-matrix-revolutions). [The full order.](https://film.one/collections/the-matrix.md)

### Reviews we read (13)

- **Total Film**, Total Film (4/5): The review finds the film flawed and slow to get going, but ultimately a thrilling action spectacle. It especially praises the freeway chase for its dazzling choreography and visual freedom. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-matrix-reloaded-review/)
- **Evening Standard**, Alexander Walker (75/100, inferred): Walker finds the film a dazzling, entertaining spectacle despite its thin philosophy and eventual weariness. He especially praises the gravity-defying fight against Agent Smith’s duplicates and the spectacular freeway sequence. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/amazing-matrix-7432061.html)
- **The Guardian**, Rob Mackie (75/100, inferred): Mackie finds the sequel less conceptually fresh than the original but highly entertaining. He especially praises the Smith-clone fight and freeway chase, highlighting their choreography and spectacle. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/oct/17/dvdreviews.shopping2)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (70/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the sequel thrilling and compulsively watchable, though less fresh and mysterious than the original. He singles out the freeway chase as an exhilarating showcase of action staging and stunt choreography. [Read](https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/the-matrix-reloaded-1200541817/)
- **Empire**, Colin Kennedy (68/100, inferred): Kennedy gives the film a qualified thumbs-up, finding its action exhilarating despite a cumbersome, sometimes confusing story. He singles out the Burly Brawl, freeway chase and other set pieces, along with the performers’ physical work. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/matrix-reloaded-review/)
- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The URL identifies a review of the specified film, but the page content is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-matrix-reloaded-2003)
- **Screen Daily**, Mike Goodridge (64/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a review, but its text is unavailable behind a paywall. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be determined from the available content. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/the-matrix-reloaded/4013261.article)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The URL identifies this as a New York Times film review of The Matrix Reloaded. The page was inaccessible, so its verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/14/movies/film-review-an-idealized-world-and-a-troubled-hero.html)
- **Time Out**, TCh (64/100, inferred): The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its snippet frames the original Matrix as a postmodern pop product, but does not provide a specific point of praise or complaint about this film. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-matrix-reloaded)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Robert K. Elder (60/100, inferred): Elder finds the Imax presentation impressive but says its magnification exposes weaknesses in the computer-generated effects. He praises the Wachowskis’ visual ambition, especially the dazzling scenes of sentinels attacking Zion and Neo racing through a city. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jun-13-et-elder13-story.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (3/5): Gonzalez finds the film philosophically shallow and overstuffed, though its highway chase sequence stands out as a thrilling highlight. He also praises the DVD’s strong picture and immersive surround sound. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/matrix-reloaded-dvd/)
- **The AV Club**, Nathan Rabin (30/100, inferred): Rabin finds the sequel visually spectacular but narratively unsuccessful and lacking the original’s human grounding. He praises the ambitious effects, especially the car chase and the battle with cloned Hugo Weavings, while faulting the muddled mythology and flat character dynamics. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-matrix-reloaded-1798198595)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (35/100, inferred): The critic finds the sequel overcomplicated and less inventive, though its love story offers a kernel of appeal. The graceful fight choreography and beautiful effects stand out, but repetition and muddled plotting detract. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-matrix-reloaded-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## Details

- **Director:** Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
- **Director:** Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
- **Writer:** Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
- **Cinematography:** Bill Pope
- **Editor:** Zach Staenberg
- **Music:** Don Davis
- **Production design:** Owen Paterson
- **Costume design:** Kym Barrett
- **Producer:** Joel Silver
- **Cast:** Keanu Reeves as Neo; Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus; Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity; Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith; Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe; Gloria Foster as The Oracle; Harold Perrineau as Link; Monica Bellucci as Persephone
- **Runtime:** 2h 18m
- **First release (the US):** 7 May 2003
- **Genres:** Adventure, Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
- **Part of:** [The Matrix](https://film.one/collections/the-matrix.md) · 2 of 3
- **Budget:** $150 million
- **Box office:** $739 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmYE3tg26Qc

## Where to watch in Lithuania

- HBO Max: streaming, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent €3.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy €9.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-10-04.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, EC, EE, ES, FR, GB, HK, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, LT, MX, MY, NL, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RS, SG, TH, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Ghost in the Shell* (1995), Fi1m 83: The anime the Wachowskis studied; quieter, shorter, and it finishes its thoughts. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ghost-in-the-shell.md)
- *Dark City* (1998), Fi1m 76: A false city, a man who wakes up, and far less talk about it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/dark-city.md)
- *Hard Boiled* (1992), Fi1m 86: John Woo’s gunfights, which the courtyard and the motorway are both borrowing from. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hard-boiled.md)
- *Fist of Legend* (1994): Jet Li fighting the way Neo is supposed to, with a body that can be hurt.
- *Cloud Atlas* (2012): The Wachowskis again, with six stories and the same appetite for ideas, better digested.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-matrix-reloaded