In this Los Angeles Times story, Joel Silver insists “Reloaded” and “Revolutions” aren’t simply sequels offering contrived variations on the same theme. “The story continues to be everything. It’s the driving force,” he says. In fact, the Wachowski brothers have always envisioned the Matrix trilogy as a live-action superhero comic book, with the first film being the premiere “origin of” issue. But in the sequels, the brothers also wanted something so sophisticated that it couldn’t be easily ripped off, Silver said. There will be plenty of special effects, including the virtual land of Zion and the world of the machines, fantastic creatures and acts of superhuman strength. In one of “Reloaded’s” climactic scenes, Neo battles more than a hundred Agent Smiths. “We wanted a chance to explore an event that was not possible to choreograph,” Gaeta said. The result is a sequence in which Weaving’s and Reeves’ characters are digitally rendered so realistically as to be indistinguishable from the actual actors–so they hope.

Ironically, perhaps the most highly anticipated scene in “Reloaded” is a lengthy freeway chase, that could not be digitally created, which some say will redefine action filmmaking and visual effects for years. Those who saw a special 20-minute screening say it may be the most audaciously conceived, thrillingly executed car chase ever filmed, featuring two kung fu battles in speeding vehicles, a motorcycle chase through oncoming traffic and an agent leaping from atop a moving car onto the hood of another, crushing it into the pavement.

If the trailer is any indication, this film won’t be disappointing anyone.