The Matrix Trilogy’s Cringiest Scene Is Somehow Even Worse 21 Years Later

Although The Matrix Reloaded features plenty of impressive imagery, well-choreographed fight scenes, and thought-provoking writing that have made the franchise famous, one bad scene in particular is decidedly worse 21 years after the movie’s theatrical release. While The Matrix is defined by many great scenes, one scene from the second installment of the live-action trilogy was always controversial, but has only gotten worse through the years. The Matrix‘s characters are also among some of the franchise’s best attributes, which further highlights why The Matrix Reloaded‘s oft derided scene is even worse.

Although The Matrix is the best entry in the entire franchise, each subsequent movie offers something new and interesting that not only helps extend the franchise’s legacy, but also provides audiences with new philosophies to engage with. Alternatively, each subsequent installment in The Matrix franchise favored a more style over substance approach, which resulted in the creation of one of the series’ worst scenes. While The Matrix Reloaded does many good things, such as introduce new concepts and fun characters, it ultimately doesn’t hold up as well as its predecessor, and one scene proves it.

The Matrix Reloaded’s Zion Dance Scene Has Aged Poorly (& Wasn’t Good To Begin With)

The scene’s blend of rave culture, poor CGI, and sexual imagery lasts too long and feels out of place.

The infamous rave scene featured at the midway point of The Matrix Reloaded is arguably one of the worst scenes in the franchise. With a combination of bad CGI effects, an overabundance of slo-mo, and intercut scenes of Neo and Trinity making love make for a decidedly awkward and distracting moment in what is already a lackluster sequel to an otherwise near-perfect film. Perhaps most unfortunate is that Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus bellows cryptic messages atop a rock structure that leans far too heavily into the already overwrought preachy tone of The Matrix Reloaded.

Coupled with the scene’s cheesy raver-style soundtrack and dizzying cinematography that attempts to capture the full scope of the rave, and the scene ultimately feels terribly amateurish considering the level of talent involved with its creation. Although The Matrix contains a similar rave scene near the end of its first act, it works in the first installment because it is stylistically appropriate while also doubling as a brilliant way to entice Neo into the true nature of the story’s events. As bad as the rave scene in The Matrix Reloaded is, there is a deeper meaning behind it.

What The Point Of The Matrix Reloaded’s Zion Dance Sequence Actually Is

The people of Zion are supposed to be embracing their humanity despite the impending robotic invasion.

The rave scene in The Matrix Reloaded is meant to represent the people of Zion’s acceptance of their humanity in the face of the impending robotic invasion. By displaying imagery of human beings engaging in raw acts of human expression, it highlights The Matrix‘s themes of choosing freedom over conformity. However, the rave scene doesn’t quite work because it is just too stylistically and tonally different from everything shown in the franchise before it. Furthermore, there’s no proper lead-up to it, which further highlights how jarring it is, while also solidifying it as one of The Matrix Reloaded‘s worst moments.