The Matrix was a Trojan Horse. What began with Y2K futurism, kung-fu, and “bullet time” later evolved into a brooding treatise on free will. The sequel to the 1999 phenomenon, The Matrix Reloaded, certainly delivered on some high-octane, visually stunning action — but it also worked hard to deconstruct our notion of the Chosen One and the traditional hero’s journey. The Matrix Revolutions followed Reloaded by just a few short months, but by then, the saga had swerved into unrecognizable territory. It didn’t subvert audience expectations so much as it crushed them, trading slick hand-to-hand battles in for tedious, apocalyptic action and a whole lot of navel-gazing.
