"The real world" was another layer of matrix. Its function was to make, the humans who escape from the first layer of the matrix, believe they escaped from the system.

I didn´t like all the religious symbolisms they threw in the sequels. I mean, I could have enjoyed them if done in a different way. I don´t know, Batman Vs Superman Ultimate Edition has plenty of it, but it´s done much better. Much much better. I hated to see Neo dressed as a priest, for example.

I like what they tried to do in the sequels, but I didn´t like the way they did it.

Can't really remember the dialogue quality, but I do remember some parts did feel quite boring: the scenes with the Frenchman particularly, and even the fight with his minions.

However I'd imagine if the characters don't work for you, it will quickly poison the film. For me that happened with Harry Potter after the 3rd or 4th film. Once that teenage angst thing started to kick in, I found the films unwatchable.
I'm not an expert on the lore, but do you meant the "real world" was another actual simulation? Was this established in the film at some point? I do recall that the architect mentioned that zion being regularly allowed to thrive only to be later destroyed was part of the machines' overall plan.

Actually now that I think about it, it would explain how Smith took over a human, and how Neo could destroy the machines in the 'real world'

You must have another meaning for the word awesome in the US. The last two films are garbled nonsense. Even IMDb agrees, 8.7 for 1, 7.2 for 2 and 6.8 for 3, and frankly that’s generous for them.

No, it wasn't. It was just a fan theory, never confirmed by the authors. However, as you've said, it does explain some "supernatural" shenanigans in the real-world layer.

"The real world" was the same simulation. The way I understand it, the main matrix layer was a subfolder of the "real world layer". :D

Yes, that´s why Zion was rebuilt several times. And I think the Oracle was the program which steered the one´s who escaped the first matrix layer, towards the same cycle of rebuilt once and again. The Oracle was the jayler who controled escapees´ actions once they left the first matrix layer. Everything went to shit (for the matrix simulation) when the Agent Smith got corrupted in the first movie and went out of control.

I really don't think the culture that allowed the Matrix to succeed and flourish really exists anymore.

But hey. Maybe the 30 year old ravers, scene kids, and trechcoat hackers can prove me wrong.

Did they ever retcon the bastardization of "Humans are computers" from Hollywood's "Humans are batteries"?

Yes, reality is painfully depressing. ;)

In Animatrix (Second Renaissance two-parter) it was told that machines simply took pity on humans after they won. Matrix is just a nature reserve for humans, nothing more. All that "batteries" crap is probably just disinformation from machines.

Oh, so not a sequel to the game.

I waited about two decades to be able to say this:

"can't rightly recall if I saw the first one. Was it any good?"

The 1st one was the best the rest of them are TRASH!
Because both of them didn't have the original creators input whoever HE may be!

The architect reminds me of a young me before brain damage as I was very well spoken and insanely intelligent with perfect spelling, Grammar and punctuation (Now I have problems spelling simple words) before knocks to the head destroyed that, I used to speak that way (clinical and curtly) to people I was reviled and repulsed at, Which these days is the entirety of the internet bar a select few and 99.999% of others

It was stylish, I give them that. All those long black coats and sunglasses doing martial arts and dodging bullets. It was Matrix that popularized slo-mo.

As for the story, Dark City was better. In my opinion.

I'd heard a year or two ago they were working on a sequel. So this is no surprise... Seeing the politics (like Star Wars) certainly wasn't riveting. Probably the least liked parts was the replacement of the oracle actor (Due to her dying...).

I can't say i loved the second/third movie the first couple times i watched them. But it may be some issues with some things being shown and not said, and some things said and not shown. And the sudden shift from the understanding of the world and then the reality of jumping between the slightly less interesting last city and the more interesting fights; Though the growing clone army of Smiths was a bit unnerving in a way.

The 'twist' with the architect was a large dump in a very short time. Other reviewers akin most of the second movie was just getting Neo to accept his fate and make the choice... And it wasn't until the third movie things resumed. Though some questions certainly aren't answered, like if this happened multiple times why wasn't there so many more smiths? Or did all the Smiths give up their position to the original and he'd just wait til the next 'neo' came? If he knew what would happen why not assassinate him before he could do that? Who knows, lots of little tidbits. Were all the agents reset on each cycle or did they keep the upgrades to coding every time?

I will be curious to watch and rewatch the series when it's time. I guess the best i can say is, the movie(s) aren't as bad as you remember them. They may even grow on you.

I do not remember the exact date, but i believe in winter 1999 i was working as a student in it support. We were three students working in a cellar bureau. We supported 100 people + in this building.

Internet was a growing thing since. All people in this firm got access to internet trough the same isdn line.
In these days it was somehow popular to load quicktime trailers of upcoming movies from the internet.

Well: i was VERY curious to see this trailer for the first Matrix. I have had just a 28k line at home - but isdn was the way to go -> for a trailer of 25 megabytes in size. Which was huge.

During this several hours of download our it departement received complains that internet speed was very poor & that we should investigate this issue. There were - of course - some VIPs who were trying to escalate...but: i keep my mouth shut & also: i turned off my monitor on the pc where the download was running.
Not even my colleagues i was telling. I wanted this trailer! ;-)

Well: in the evening my colleagues were gone home, i was alone & finally i could watch the trailer; i was blown away. Never saw something like this before. I guess i watched this trailer 20 times...I was in a cinema day 1 when movie started in germany.

cgi & story were pure mindfucks. After the end i admitted to two friends i was in the cinema with - that i did not understand one single bit of the story. & i have had the strong impression that nobody in the cinema did so either. But: you could hear all those phony blokes telling everybody and their mom "they knew!".

With this personal backstory in mind, i watched the trailer for Matrix 4 yesterday - and it didn't trigger anything in me...nothing as close to those strong vibes i felt back then for the trailer of Matrix 1.

If the movie is "just" what i saw in this trailer...well then it may be on the same "level" as the two sequels - which i admit i hate them with passion.

I will go to the cinema as little preconceived as possible, but my expectation is already "cautious".