Ridiculous. Absolutely unbelievable. Jon who is THE MOST critical of us all likes Revolutions. First off let me clarify what I mean about special effects and me being in computer animation.

Do I have to spell out every little thing? I thought it might be assumed, but apparently not. By overrated and the effects...if The Matrix DID NOT have those special effects it would have been a cult favorite not the huge blockbuster that it was. Just because a film has a good idea and a good story doesn't make it a blockbuster, especially what The Matrix was financially. If that was the case then how come the Clint Eastwood film Mystic River is not a blockbuster? I have yet to see it, but they say the film is though provoking and awesome. Together with Sean Penn, how can it be horrible? In the end though it did not make a lot of money like The Matrix. For you to type that you think The Matrix would be just as huge as it is today without its special effects...in my book that is just being unreasonable. Remember Jon that not everyone is like you, just like not everyone is like me...majority of the people are happy seeing shit like a big special effects bonanza (cough cough...Pearl Harbor). The special effects in Matrix were cool. They were cool. THEY WERE COOL. For the Wack brother to add variations of the same shit (and I'm not saying that's not smart...if it ain't broke don't fix it) I just expected more from them as a wannabe filmmaker. Oh and that thing about me wanting to become a computer animator. That was character animation with a focus on creating shorts like Pixar. They don't combine live action but rely on animation as a whole...the typical way of animating...just like Disney. I was never into special effects. If you consider Nemo a special effect...I dunno...is it cutting edge..yeah...but that doesn't make it a special effect in my book. It's just traditional animation. Is animation considered a special effect? Not in filmmaking terms it's not.

I honestly can't believe you think that I shortchanged special effects. In fact that hurts. As a wannabe filmmaker don't you think that I understand that utilizing them is good? All I'm saying is that The Matrix relied to much on them to tell their story. Look at Star Wars Prequels...Lucas made everything CG and didn't it show? Again I don't understand how you can stand there and say that The Matrix Trilogy could stand on its own without the special effects...and then tell me that the Wack Fags didn't rely on them too much.

Not near perfect? It wasn't even near mediocre in my mind. Entertaining? I guess, but hardly. The final fight with Smith? You thought that was cool looking? They fly in figure eights and they float while doing traditional wrestling moves in the air. Is that cool? Isn't that why we don't like Jet Li anymore...well maybe just me. (Well I think he sold out with Matrix special effects). Oh look Neo got burned in what looks like one eye...BUT OH LOOK AT THAT...BOTH HIS EYES ARE FRIED. The sentinals had no new animation with them...its rehashed...all they did was form around like a big penis and take forever to kill that one fucking human being. Wait Neo and Trinity were in love? Got me. How bout...when Neo is fighting Smith in the real world...MR. AAAAAAANNNNDDDERRRSSOOOONN.....who are you? YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW WHO I AM MR. AAAANNNNDDDEEERRRSSSOOOOONNN? What? C'MON MR. AAAANNNDDDEERRRSSOOOOONNNN...it can't be....OH YES MR. ANNNNDDDEERRRSSSOOOOOONNN...give me a fucking break. The Trainman? Neo stuck in the train? What happened to his powers? Oh I guess he's a bitch now...Wait the French programmer is scared of a fucking pistol being held by Trinity? He's a fucking program...he's powerful...what the fuck is that? Oh another thing...If Neo killed Smith in the real world...why would it be hard for the machines to kill Smith? He's just a mortal body when he's in the real world. How in the fuck did he get in the real world anyway? One shot of Monica Bellucci? Where are the twins? What happened to them? Neo had about 28 minutes to screentime...as THE ONE shouldn't he have more? You know what's changed in the last 6 hours? Nothing....she was talking about the plot of the film by the way. Who cares about the two little girls with two cardboard tubes smashed together with matchboxes glued on them...who really cares? OOOHH...the guys fight upside down now and colums break just like the orignal Matrix. Did anyone fucking notice that the steel beams in Trinity bend when Neo touches them? Did you catch that or were you all choked up that the bitch finally got what she deserved for not learning a new move. Mr. Miyagi would be proud. There are more, but people probably stopped reading. Bottom line is I cannot enjoy a film with this many plot holes...THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEAVING SOMETHING OPEN TO DISCUSS AND BRINGING SHIT UP IN A FILM THEN NOT RESOLVING THEM.

Another point while we are on this subject which people are all too tired reading about...fine you can think you win with the anime things here and there...maybe I thought of it too much as ripping it off, but the thing is that Tarantino in my book has been the first to combine an anime sequence with live action. There is a subtle difference between staying live action and doing the same shit rather than switching totally to anime. And where have you seen that style of anime before? In this case I think it worked excetionally well with Kill Bill. If it wasn't anime I think it would have been cheesy looking as a flashback in live action. You can say that I'm a "Kill Bill" whore and what not, but the imagery in that film was stunning and it was something "new" even though it took from samurai films. In The Matrix the idea and the effects combined with the cool story was something "new". By the second and third they didn't even fucking try. That is the difference.

Bottom line Jon we all know that something such as art is all opinionated. It's all in the eye of the beholder. Fuck I like old films...Funny Face, Trouble in Paradise, ..shit that you and most others wouldn't be caught dead watching. Through all the classes I dont' appreciate Bay like I once did...(yes I did like his films and I still do no matter how much I make fun of them...but some shit he does doesn't earn my respect anymore) because I learned how to look at a film in a very critical fashion. I appreciate the timing and pace of the film more than I once did. I appreciate the subtleties of the acting and I also appreciate the photography a lot more than I once did. On the first day of class my cinema teacher said that if you get into cinema you will have ruined a shitload of films for you to enjoy. That is true in my case. This doesn't make any of you any less of an expert because you haven't taken these classes or learned how to write a screenplay and about conflicts and resolutions and lighting and blah blah blah...all it means is that I am probably more critical than you in terms of films...yes even if its all opinionated...so going back to the beginning...perhaps you are not the most critical anymore when it comes to EVERYTHING. If you were then perhaps I should look for a new education.

Just because you and Steve like the Matrix Trilogy as a whole doesn't mean I think any less of your film choices. HOw can I? We both agree that it wasn't the best film...but we all like Swingers...we like Rounders...we like dick and fart jokes...and we like films like The Sting...the real bottom line is that it is different strokes for different people...I was just hoping that at least one of my friends would agree with me that the MAtrix 2 and 3 were horeshit on the filmic tip. That way I at least have some backup with my points...but I guess all the friends (about 3) in film class who are as critical as I am now will have to do.

I also don't have to write this, but just in case...I didn't take what you said personal obviously and I'm not hurt...but you know me better than that. By the way Jon...congrats on the update...and coming from me who have pressured you and tried to get you to get ur shit together...it was worth it. Keep it up! =)

1 + 1 = 2. YOU CAN'T ARGUE THAT.