Rachel Kendra

In late 2013 I needed to learn how to use Adobe Premiere, since I was one of the many editors jumping ship from Final Cut Pro 7. I didn’t have an original project at the time that needed to be cut, but since I had just rewatched the Matrix sequels, they had been on my mind. I remembered back in 2003 or 2004 I fantasized about cutting everything that had been released for the films into one enormous experience; ENTER THE (ANI)MATRIX REVOLOADED, I believe I called it. Ten years, and a lot of film education, later I realized that would be a terrible idea, but I couldn’t help but think that there was a way to cut the story together in a way that presented the disjointed narrative split across mediums into a singular experience.

So I ripped my Matrix Blu-rays and dumped the footage into Premiere, along with the complete soundtracks, The Animatrix, the live-action footage from the video game Enter the Matrix (from the Blu-ray special features), and over the course of the next couple months I cut it together, did a test screening, refined, and then had a big movie night with my friends where we watched it paired with the first movie. It was a really fun project and it taught me a lot about editing, and storytelling in general. I also learned A LOT about the Matrix universe.

It was never my intention to “fix” these movies, although that’s what the fan-edit community would call this type of project. I love the Matrix sequels, despite their flaws. I couldn’t have spent so much time with them if I didn’t. So please enjoy this alternative experience of The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, which I call THE MATRIX REMIXED.

Link: https://vimeo.com/338174646
Password: itisinevitable

Here is a list of the major story changes:

Opens with an abridged version of Final Flight of the Osiris.
Removed the subplot from Reloaded about Trinity falling and Neo saving her.
Added scenes from Enter the Matrix to beef up the relationship between Niobe and Lock. Ghost and Sparks are now slightly more robust as characters.
Removed the Kid’s character arc.
Removed Zee and the subplot about taking out the diggers with RPGs during the siege.
Removed the Trainman, the Train Station, Rama-Kandra’s family, and the final appearances of the Merovingian and Persephone. Neo now goes to see the Oracle for the last time immediately after seeing the Architect.
Removed Sati from all but one scene (in which most of her lines are cut).
Added scenes from Enter the Matrix to better illustrate the failed/sabotaged counterattack sequence (includes a single shot from The Matrix).
Moved up the timeline for the Siege of Zion. The Architect scene is now inter-cut with the beginning of the siege.
Drastically reduced the amount of time spent on the Siege of Zion.
Mifune opens Gate 3, and his death is never shown. The Kid does not get in the APU.
Neo no longer has telekinesis in the Real World.
Many minor trims to improve pacing and characterization, especially concerning Neo.
Shortened a number of dialogue scenes to remove tangential portions of the conversations.
Trims to many action sequences for story and pacing purposes. Some action sequences deleted entirely (namely most of the Chateau fight and all of the Club Hel coat-check fight).