The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

There’s a rave in The Matrix Reloaded that goes on so long it should come with its own ticket. That’s the early warning. This sequel has some of the best action ever filmed and some of the slowest talking, and it swings between them like a car with a stuck gas pedal and a stuck brake. The highway chase is the reason it exists: trucks, motorcycles, Trinity weaving through traffic, Morpheus fighting on top of a semi with a sword. It’s absolutely bananas. The brawl against a crowd of Agent Smiths looks rubbery now, like a shelf of action figures, but watching Keanu swat clones is still fun. Then a late scene drops a monologue so dense you need a dictionary and a nap. The Wachowskis spent a reported $127 to $150 million, and it made $741.8 million worldwide. A 6.0 because the action is top tier and the philosophy class is a slog. $3,804 says you try to explain the ending to a friend and give up three sentences in.

What works: The freeway chase is one of the great action sequences, and the Smith clone brawl is still a blast.

What doesn’t: Long speeches, a rave that won’t end and a dense late monologue keep grinding the momentum down.

Who it’s for: Action fans willing to sit through a philosophy seminar for one perfect chase.