The Matrix is one of the most influential films of all time. Sound like too much? I urge you to think of this: Before The Matrix, how many films had slow motion gun fights where you saw the bullets rip through the air and narrowly avoid hitting their intended target? Not too many I bet. Now? It seems like every action film does something like that. The invention of ‘Bullet Time’ changed action filmmaking, for better or for worse. I remember exactly where I was sitting, in what theatre (which has since been raised) and who I saw it with. It blew my teenage mind.
Flash forward to 2003. I remember patiently waiting for my first glimpse of the sequel The Matrix Reloaded because The Matrix had been/still is an important movie in my life. I geeked out after seeing teases of the sequences that would eventually unfold and eagerly awaited it’s release.
When it initially came out, I liked it. It wasn’t nearly as great as The Matrix, but how could it be? I still enjoyed it and bought the DVD on it’s first day of release. I hadn’t revisited it until recently when I sat down and watched The Matrix and then Reloaded. I still enjoyed Reloaded, but not as much but it wasn’t for the reasons I thought: CGI Neo, too talky, too philosophical. No, it was because of one single character.
Link.
 Operator standing by. |
The Matrix didn’t have a character for comedic relief. There was some comedy, but it was organic. Cypher’s line of “Why oh why didn’t I take the blue pill.” Or when Mouse was called a “Digital pimp hard at work”. Those lines felt needed and sounded real. What Link does, is called mugging.
 Holy $hi!, computers! |
Link is no Tank. He’s his brother-in-law. But that’s where the connection ends. Had the original actor, Marcus Chong, not been fired I am sure that this storyline would’ve been very different close to the same except without the whole brother-in-law part. Still, it’s what we were given.
I have no problem with Harold Perrineau. I’m a huge fan of LOST but here he is not very good. He is an unnecessary comedic relief. We don’t need lines like “Where’s my pus-hey!” or “He’s doing his Superman thing.” Speaking of the Man of Steel, if Link is Zion-born how does he know about Superman? I’ll assume that the people born there are familiar with Earth’s history and the pop culture landscape within the Matrix so I guess that answers that…
 So this is where Walt was conceived, no wonder on the Island he was special |
In The Matrix we were presented with breathtaking action and an intriguing storyline with characters that brought the pathos out more effectively when certain ones died. After Neo defeats Agent Smith in the subway terminal, teeters on the edge and finds his feet there is a collective sigh throughout the audience as we gather our breaths. In Reloaded, after Neo has caught Morpheus and the Key Maker from the truck collision we are given Link raising up his hands and then collapsing on his keyboard.
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A moment of comedy that does not belong in this movie. Sure I chuckled, maybe even chortled but it took me out of the movie. I understand that it’s there because after such an intense moment comedy can alleviate that tension but it felt too much.
I am more fond of Tank and his story than I am of Link and his. I would be going too far if I called Link the Jar Jar Binks of The Matrix world but he is that annoying to me. The only purpose he serves is to link the crew to Zion and to link them to the Matrix. Ah, there’s where his name comes from. Link comes from a long line of sassy black characters who there to add a little humour for the audience which is sad because The Matrix established black characters who offered more than sass and comedy – they added meaning.
Reloaded is still a decent film and the action is still fun to watch, it’s just Link makes it more difficult to watch now that I’ve realised how annoying he is.
