The Best Movie of the Summer May Lead to the Worst Movies of Next, Part 2

So where were we, oh yeah, the Matrix Reloaded was the best flick of the summer, gonna lead to an abundance of crappy action films guised in the visage of commentary...

Anyway, back to the Matrix Reloaded -- Neo (Keanu Reeves) is almost the single most compelling of all the action-figure heroes. Okay, so maybe he's not Indiana Jones, but how many heroes have a fear of snakes and a daddy-complex? That's just great writing. So, Neo's this messiah who doesn't believe in himself, the guy who needs a one-on-one with Tony Robbins. Kinda like Jack Black in Shallow Hal. It's not that he doesn't what to believe, in fact it was the object of his own very personal quest for Morpheus that motivated his actions in the first movie. But Neo had never considered, narcissists aside - how many of us had - the possibility that who he was seeking all along was him (how's that for wordy). Seriously, Neo is looking for God in every place except the one he needs to...the mirror. Bet you thought I was gonna say "within himself". But this only works in the Matrix films because the suspension of disbelief was instilled in the audience from the opening frames. As soon as S&M goddess Trinity appears, defies the laws of gravity and latex, we knew we were in for some trippy stuff.

Now imagine, for instance, 'Die Hard'. A brilliant action film with perhaps the most realized movie villain, I just can't wrap my mind around the idea of a spiritually-enlightened John McClane (Bruce Willis). Instead of seeking to rescue his wife, he's trying to solve a debate between Hindu and Buddhist reincarnation. Just as he faces down Hans Gruber (the best action villain ever), McClane is overcome by a moment of intense introspection....and proceeds to die at the hands of the bad guy. That's just...bad. How about Dutch Schaffer (Arnold Schwarznegger) from Predator? The original, not the confusing sequel with Danny Glover and Bill Paxton. Instead of killing the monster he could ask it questions about the nature of universe. In fact, they're (there they are again, they are sneaky, aren't they) already in pre-production on Aliens vs. Predator. I hope neither of these characters, and I use the term in its loosest possible connotation, is seeking enlightenment. I hope they're more interested in eating/maiming/killing the assorted inept humans that'll inhabit this semi-future world.

Hey, Freddy vs. Jason made a mint so it was only a matter of time before some equally ludicrous pairing was made. How about Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry Callahan vs. Charles Bronson's Death Wish Paul Kersey? How about Kirk Douglas' Spartacus vs. Russell Crowe's Maximus? How about a mongoose vs. a cobra? Normally, you'd bet on the snake, fangs, poison, all that jazz, but wait, the mongoose is like a rat-on-meth, all speed-freaky and big teeth, if you're ever saw these guys dance you'd wager on the rodent. Mark my writing, these pairings aren't so far-fetched. And this is the problem in Hollywood -- too many original ideas to sink your teeth into (sic).

Action films have a place and a purpose, and when made well they are among the classics of the field and occasionally surpass genre to become something more. The Great Escape was a great action film with a stellar cast including Charles Bronson that over time transcended genre and become a great film. For those of you that don't know Steve McQueen, rent The Great Escape. Then go rent The Tao of Steve, a movie that sums up all of the coolness of McQueen and is an entertaining little flick with Donal Logue to boot.

The original Star Wars, back in its pre-digital, pre-bad script, pre-altered phase was a great film. It doesn't even matter that it's really a sci-fi western at heart. What mattered was a compelling storyline wrapped around intriguing characters up against impossible and unbeatable odds. Or were they?. That was a story worth telling, those were characters worth knowing.

The Matrix was able to wrap itself around this premise, all the while presenting to its audience something that hadn't been seen before. For the real secret of the success of the Matrix wasn't its flashy visual effects. These played a role and it was nice to see filmmakers apply camera technique to create the much-ballyhooed "bullet-time" slow-mo effects (yes, that was all camera, now it would just be done with a computer) but rather it challenged and rewarded its audience for paying attention. This really is an unfortunately underused caveat of modern films.

So next summer expect more movies like Swordfish in which being clever is thought to be the same as being smart. Swordfish was so in love with itself that I felt uncomfortable intruding. I wanted to get up from my seat, give the screen a big thumbs up and a wink, and leave the theater. No one likes a third wheel. Swordfish was kinda like a stripper with a high I.Q. What you see isn't necessarily what you get, but what you see is what you want. John Travolta said it himself at the start of the film: "You know the problem with Hollywood? They make s**t. Unbelievable, unremarkable s**t." The problem is that they're gonna continue to make it, only now it'll be couched in a different wrapper. You know that old saying, same s**t, different day. Still holds true today. Especially if you saw Dreamcatcher.

Join me next time where we discuss why George Lucas had the most glorious opportunity to create meaningful films but instead chose to devote himself to inorganic life forms
Jess Nakaska is an aspiring screenwriter always on the lookout for the next great script idea. He'll let you know if he finds it. Feel free to contact him at jessnakaska@hotmail.com.