The fight scenes in The Matrix were revolutionary in their use of “bullet time” – a slow motion technique used to incredible effect in the original movie. It takes more than eye-popping special effects and great choreography, however, to make a good fight scene. A fight scene is ultimately made memorable or forgettable on the story board. The Matrix action sequences were effective not just through the use of great effects, but more importantly, because each scene was necessary to the plot. The sequel, Matrix Reloaded, proves the point by failing to provide substantial connections between the fight scenes resulting in a rather disjointed movie filled with gratuitous action.
The most important element of an action sequence is that it advance the plot or contribute to a character’s development in a significant way. Indeed, in a well crafted film, every scene should have a purpose relating to the story as a whole, and a fight scene is no exception. If movie action doesn’t serve the narrative arc of the story, then the scene is ultimately unsuccessful.Aside from training scenes, which show a characters development, there should also be a real sense of danger in fights. If the protagonist is fighting someone obviously even stronger, the danger and suspense are only increased to good effect. One characteristic of heros’ is their perseverance and courage in the face of extreme danger. If the protagonist is stronger, the victory feels unsatisfying and somewhat hollow. There is nothing terribly heroic in defeating an inferior opponent. In other words, the villain has to be worthy of the hero.
The Matrix provides excellent examples of these principles at play. It did everything right. It is a wonderfully constructed movie engaging the audience on many levels. Importantly, the fight scenes not only fit into the story, they advanced critical elements of the story. Trinity’s fight scene opens the movie in a marvelously effective way. As she effortlessly executes impossible jumps and kicks to get away from the six police officers sent to arrest her, we are left breathlessly wondering, “what is going on? How can she do that?” When the Agents enter the scene, the mystery deepens. If the woman who easily defeated six heavily armed policemen is scared of these suits, then who are they? Finally, as she disappears into a phone, we are completely captivated by the mystery of what it all means.
By the time the serious action begins in the movie’s third act, the mysteries of Trinity’s opening fight scene have been revealed in the second act’s exposition. Flowing from that exposition, Morpheus takes Neo to the oracle in hopes of determining whether he is The One or not. The group is ambushed by agents on their way back (with the help of the informant alluded to at the beginning of the movie), setting up a series of action sequences that necessarily flow from each other in a simple story line: They are ambushed, Morpheus is captured, Neo and Trinity return to rescue him (with some extra action thrown in to deal with the traitor). It is a simple, effective and clear narrative. We understand the characters’ goal (to rescue Morpheus) and we understand the necessity of confrontation in order to reach that goal. The story cannot be told without the fights.
Each action scene also provides critical character development. From the requisite training montage, in which Neo learns how to fight like Trinity and Morpheus, through to the climactic showdown with Agent Smith, each action sequence deepens Neo’s understanding of his own power and ability until he recognizes and embraces his calling. Indeed, it is only through fighting agent Smith that Neo becomes who he is destined to be. From the first time he moves like the agents, dodging bullets, to fighting Smith hand-to-hand, and finally to manipulating the matrix at will, each new ability is discovered in life-threatening desperation.
It is also that desperation of fighting a seemingly indestructible enemy which makes these scenes so thrilling. Neo fights agent Smith and actually beats him in the subway station. Smith is run over by a train. The victory is short-lived, however, as new agent Smith simply walks off the train (having taken over a new body). We realize that no matter how many times Neo “kills” agent Smith, he will always come back. A heart-pounding chase scene ensues, with Neo trying to get to an exit and agent Smith jumping from person to person, appearing around every street corner, always a half-step ahead. In the face of such an adversary, Neo takes the final step in his development and learns to manipulate the matrix.
Contrast this to the sequel, Matrix Reloaded. The fights are just as stunningly choreographed and, if anything, use even better special effects. The problem is that Neo has become invincible when he is in the matrix. Though Agent Smith reappears with new powers himself, the first encounter between these two early in the movie reveals that Neo is still the stronger of the two. What the movie lacks in a villain of sufficient quality to be worthy of Neo, it tries to make up for in quantity, with an utterly ridiculous scene in which Neo fights hundreds of Smith clones.
The worst scene in the movie features Neo fighting a troupe of henchmen. After stopping their bullets in mid-air as he did at the end of the first movie, they engage in hand-to-hand combat. Neo obviously faces no real danger; at one point he blocks the edge of an ax with his bare hand. It lends an absurdity to the scene that reveals it to be an interruption in the story rather than a necessary element of it. Why does he even bother to fight them? Why not just walk through their ineffective blows and get to where he needs to go? It is completely unnecessary.
Meanwhile, Trinity and Morpheus flee the evil twins and wind up in a car chase. Looking for an exit from the matrix, Morpheus tells them in an grave voice to take the freeway. “You told me the freeway was suicide,” protests Trinity. “Let us hope I was wrong,” replies Morpheus, ominously. A protracted car chase / fight scene ensues, but it suffers from the same lack of purpose as the previous one with Neo. At any time throughout both movies, an exit from the matrix has never been more than several blocks away. Most of the time, the characters are on foot. They usually make it anyway. Now, we are asked to believe that the nearest exit requires a long drive down the freeway. We are further to understand that there is no other route to get to the exit.
By this point, it is clear that the plot has been placed at the service of action scenes and not the other way around. Inconsistencies and incredulous scenarios plague the movie in general and render the fight scenes more tedious than exciting. As a final example, consider the scene when Neo seeks the oracle. A strangely glowing guard attacks him. After an even fight, sparring back and forth, the guard stops explaining that he needed to make sure it was Neo and that you never know someone until you fight them. Neo, Trinity, Morpheus and many other people have all spoken with the oracle before and they have never had to fight past a guard. The oracle seems to know Neo better than he knows himself. If so, doesn’t she know who he is without having someone fight him? The scene is never explained and serves no purpose whatsoever in advancing the story.
Though the fight scenes are admittedly stunningly shot, they are unsatisfactory because they do not flow necessarily from the prior action, nor is it clear that fighting is the only way for them to accomplish what they set out to do. In some instances the movie seems to break its own rules. Because they are not important to the story line or they fit into the story in such a disjointed and unconvincing way, the fight scenes in Matrix Reloaded ultimately impede the narration rather than advancing it.
