To its fans, The Matrix franchise is a thought-provoking series of films that blends sophisticated philosophical concepts, spiritual ideologies, and compelling action sequences in ways that have influenced multiple movie genres. Its imagery, characters, and dialogue have worked their way into the pop culture zeitgeist, and its filmmaking techniques have changed the way audiences perceive movies.

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The very themes the movies champion, namely free will and personal choice, have given rise to myriad opinions about it, from the sequels being better than the original movie to Agent Smith being a terrible villain. While most of Reddit takes a positive view towards the franchise, there are unpopular opinions about it that have started to become as plentiful as sentinels.

The Matrix Is A Terrible Film

Neo and Trinity walking together in Matrix.

When The Matrix came out over 20 years ago, it pioneered many themes, concepts, and tropes that action movies and television series today have repurposed for their own ends. Because of its distinctive style and innovative contributions to the action and sci-fi genres, The Matrix is considered a stalwart classic that still holds up today.

Flyingverver795 thinks that despite having "some cool action sequences", the movie is terrible because viewers "can’t get invested in the characters, the plot is predictable, [and] the antagonists have no real personalities." Most fans would argue that it's the characters, the complex plot, and the altruism of the antagonists that make the movie watchable.

The Movies Have Horrible Action Sequences

The lobby shootout in The Matrix

In 1999, The Matrix fundamentally changed the course of action movies forever with its use of 360-degree shots, slow-motion ("bullet time"), and wirework. Any other action movies from the '90s looked unpolished and amateur when compared to The Matrix's aesthetically pleasing and near-balletic action.

Ubique008 believes that after the movies lured "young people with cool black clothes," viewers were treated to "awful, fake kung fu" that couldn't possibly appeal to anyone who enjoys "UFC or a serious martial arts fight." The fight sequences in the Matrix are not only an homage to Hong Kong cinema but intended to reflect the endless possibilities inherent to the Matrix simulation, using spectacle to illustrate this point. The "lobby scene" is still considered by many to be one of the best action sequences in any movie.

The Matrix Reloaded Is Better Than The Matrix

Trinity and the Keymaker on a motorcycle in The Matrix: Reloaded

Most fans of the franchise will maintain that The Matrix is a thought-provoking, character-driven action movie whereas its sequel, The Matrix: Reloaded, often elects to focus more on style than substance, which can be par for sequels that intend to be bigger (but not necessarily better) than their predecessors.

DesirableLettuce thinks that the sequel is better than the first movie because "the plot [is] more interesting and complex" and expands the world with "the architect and key maker characters." It should be noted that the second movie takes place almost entirely in the Matrix simulation with Neo at the height of his powers, and that has undeniable appeal to some fans, but not enough to excuse the "rave scene" and other scenes that seem self-indulgent.

The Movies Tell A Cohesive And Satisfying Story

Matrix Reloaded Architect Monitors

After The Matrix introduced some interesting philosophical questions, its sequels intended to add still more until the entire trilogy sagged under the weight of its collective ruminations while providing very few answers. This has led fans to believe that the story introduced in the first movie was very much derailed, leading to a finale that lacked cohesion or purpose, and was altogether different than what it set out to be.

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Samislegend89 doesn't agree and believes that from beginning to end, the three movies tell a perfectly cohesive and even satisfying story, with the end of The Matrix: Revolutions having "some of the most satisfying dialogue and sequences if you’re a fan of the characters in the world that has been made." The addition of verbose characters like The Architect, issues with Neo becoming OP, and the war against the Machines, in the end, are all generally cited as ways the franchise jumped the shark.

Neo Is The Villain

Neo and Agent Smith facing off during The Matrix Reloaded

From his humble beginnings as a hacker to becoming a symbol of resistance to Zion, and finally a Messiah in the Matrix, Neo has a true hero's journey, fundamentally changed at its end from the person he was at the beginning. He comes to represent selflessness and personal liberty with his sacrifices.

Bulletkiller06 believes that Neo is actually the bad guy, going after machines that, despite being nearly destroyed by humans, "decided to keep the humans around regardless", even going so far as to give them a "utopia" to live in, to say nothing of "all of the people Neo kills in the Matrix." While it's true, Morpheus doesn't tell Neo who started the war first, the Machines using humans as batteries is an unconscionable decision most fans can't see past.

Cypher Was Right

Joe Pantoliano as Cypher in Matrix

Unlike the rest of his friends, Cypher never liked being liberated from the Matrix. Learning the truth about the fate of humanity didn't nullify surviving in a dystopian environment bereft of the luxuries enjoyed in the Matrix. Therefore, he made a deal with Agent Smith to be put back into the Matrix (as "somebody important") in exchange for selling out Neo, Morpheus, and everyone else.

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According to curtwagner1984, "In the Matrix, one might lead a far better and fuller life than in the war-torn reality...so Cypher's desire to go back into the Matrix isn't as cowardly as it might sound." While it's true, Cypher might lead a far better life in the Matrix, it didn't excuse his betrayal of his friends.

Agent Smith Is The Worst Villain

Smith discusses existence with Morpheus in The Matrix

To make every hero virtuous there must be a powerful antagonist for them to fight against and prove their worth. Luke Skywalker had Darth Vader, Sarah Connor had the Terminator, and Neo had Agent Smith, considered by many fans of the movies to not only be the best villain in the Matrix franchise but to hold up against the best villains in science fiction as an unrelenting evil.

Lonelylamb1814 views him as the worst villain because "he can take over/become anybody he pleases" and it "just gets so boring." While Smith's method of villainy can be viewed as monotonous, he must be a match for Neo, who achieved god-like powers in the final movie. Most fans would agree that Smith represents a merciless harbinger of doom that seems impossible to stop, until, like Neo, one embraces "choice" and succumbs to him, and therefore is able to destroy him.

The Matrix: Reloaded And The Matrix: Revolutions Are Good Movies

Split image of Smith in Matrix Revolutions and The Merovingian in The Matrix Reloaded

To some fans, there isn't a "franchise" as much as there's The Matrix followed by a series of movies that dilute the prestige of the original. They consider The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions as soulless cash grabs rather than parts of a worthwhile continuation of the themes and stories set forth by The Matrix.

Albert_street asserts that the sequels aren't as bad as people say, and "did exactly what could be expected in terms of continuing the plot of the first movie," as well as furthered the world-building of the original movie by "the various programs taking human form and having 'human' emotions."

Equilibrium Is Better

Cropped Equilibrium poster

At first glance, 2002's Equilibrium seems similar to The Matrix; its protagonists wear long black trench coats, act emotionless, and live in a dystopian world. Beyond superficial semantics, however, it follows a plot much more similar to Fahrenheit 451 or THX1138, but certain viewers still see fit to compare it to The Matrix and declare it the superior movie.

Willo420 thinks Equilibrium is a better film because of its "philosophical tone" and "fight scenes," but most Matrix fans believe that it's impossible to take anything in Equilibrium seriously, from its spiritual dogma to its pistolling techniques that rival anything as campy as the movie it's said to surpass.

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