Reviews

I simply can't believe that the Matrix was originally planned to have two follow-ups. Call me a conspiracy-nut, but given what the Wachowskis have done in the sequels (i.e., nothing), it seems so very likely that the sequels were planned only after the original began to pour a river of money into Joel Silver's pocket. Either that is the case or the Wachowskis are not nearly the gifted filmmakers that "Bound" and "The Matrix" showed them to be. Consider that The Matrix told a complete story (Neo flying into the air at the end promised that he was the fabled One, that he would defeat the machines). Sure it left you with questions, but none that required an answer. Then comes Reloaded, which dials back Neo's powers (he can no longer rip agents apart from the inside, apparently), unanswers some questions (will Neo defeat the machines?), and adds layer upon layer of needless complexity. The whole story was told in the first Matrix. The second two are dross. As beautiful as they are to behold, they're almost completely content-free. For fans of special effects, the sequels are must-see movies. For everyone else, do yourself a favor and consider The Matrix a stand-alone project.

Whatever you do, don't come to Feast with no expectations. The gore and acting may be better than the usual for this level of movie (as another comment pointed out), but its pretty bad by any other standard. The script is about what you'd expect from the porn industry. It is worth noting that this film was made in 1992, but has the feel, look, hair, pacing, and "action" of the two previous decades' T.V. dramas combined. On the plus side, there is a lot of nudity, and it is nice to see some healthy and natural looking pornstars for a change. It is hard to judge a movie by any criteria when it is in a category of its own, but it is safe to say that only a unique appetite will be fully sated by Feast.

This is a great flick. I saw it a dozen times or more as a kid and loved it. Just saw it for the first time in 15 years on the big screen at the Laurelhurst Theater here in Portland. It held up beautifully. Yes, it's dated. The mime gang and some of the others are laughable. But all in all the filmmakers created a compelling fantasy world that is just a step or two to away from our reality. From the opening shot to the credits, this movie works well.

Correction to a previous poster: the Warriors are not the only racially integrated gang. The Turnbull ACs (the skinheaded maniacs on that impossibly slow bus) have black and white members, as do some of the unnamed gangs at Cyrus' meeting.

To Walter Hill: please do a commentary track for this movie, even if you can only post it on the web! Everyone who loves this movie (we're more than 100,000 strong...) wants to hear your comment.