the matrix reloaded - too many adverts. too many trailers for other films, notably : terminator 3 - looks ok, but maybe not spectacular (looks like they've concentrated on special effects a lot - someone else commented "perhaps they should have just stopped with the second one"). the hulk - looks ok-ish, but a bit too cartooney / computer generated. cinema far too hot. screen too small. generally films seem to concentrate too much on special effects, and it's getting to a point where i think we'll start getting a bit fed up of them, because they can basically generate any image they want, and just render it on a computer / farm etc. anyway...

some thoughts about the matrix reloaded. if you are watching it, and haven't seen AND understood the first one the I don't think you'll cope AT ALL with the second one. it gets much deeper (perhaps too deep, especially as it goes without explanation), but doesn't really (this is where i spoil bits of it) answer the questions you want answering, but maybe that's the point?

the "product placement" ,eg, ducati, and the cars (didn't really notice any others, which is more than i can say for other films) isn't too bad. but there is a lot of the film where it does seem like it is just a load of special effects adverts - some of them are Very impressive, but it'll come to a point where I don't think we'll get anything additional or new in the special effects arena without yawning (because we already know they can do everything). Some parts of the film (you can watch the agent smith (x100) fight in the trailer) look just like certain parts of 3dmark benchmarks.

this film links far too heavily into the other films, whereas Lord of the Rings 2 (for example), I think, could quite happily be watched without first having seen the first one, and you'd still understand what's going on. Fight scenes are good, and do have you on the edge of your seat... which is good. Overall I don't think it's really a feel good movie... but if you loved the first Matrix, you've no choice really, but to watch this one... I'll leave it at that, I don't want to spoil it too much. Overall I have mixed feelings about how "good" the film is, but I think once I've seen the 3rd I will know how I feel about the 2nd. (because it's tied in so much).