Out of curiosity I finally sat down and watched
The Matrix: Reloaded and tomorrow will watch
Revolutions. Until last night my entire understanding of the sequels was based upon
xkcd:566: Matrix Revisited (below) which joked that the sequels were absolute ****e.
My girlfriend, however swore that the sequels outshine the first film in their deeper exploration of the mythos behind the saga. And you know what? She was RIGHT.
At the conclusion of Revolutions, I made the spontaneous decision to watch the PBS 6-part documentary series featuring Bill Moyers' interviews with Joseph Campbell titled,
The Power of Myth for a greater understanding of the recurring monomyth depicted in The Matrix and in countless stories and films from the earliest days to the present.
If I enjoy the series as much as I anticipate, I'll likely order a copy of Campbell's seminal work,
The Hero with a Thousand Faces, which I suspect is a standard text for all media and film studies students.
I'm looking forward to it!