seveb-25179

In my opinion the first Matrix movie was nigh on perfect, in that I can't imagine how it could have been better, apart from the preposterous notion that human beings could be used as a viable power source...

"Humans blackened the sky to deprive the machines of solar power, but the machines retaliated by creating vast fields of artificially grown humans, harvesting their bioelectric energy."

Blackened the sky? That would kill everything biological and not bother the machines at all. No Solar power, no problem. How about hydro and wind? Or hydrogen, or even going back to fossil fuels? Looking at the size and dexterity of the machines in these movies, tidal would probably also be feasible. Or how about harvesting lightning from storm clouds? Or perhaps just send a solar panel satellite above the clouds...

In any case the amount of energy required to artificially grow and maintain humans would far out strip any "bioelectricity" they might generate, so humans would be entirely redundant...

However a situation where humans were surplus to requirements would not facilitate the story to be told in "The Matrix", so I happily suspend belief and accept the whole nightmare of humans trapped in pods is a merely an ancillary "MacGuffin" device designed to facilitate the set-up scenario of the main concept, which is humans being enslaved by their own creations, namely AI and machines, and show the struggle to regain their freedom.

The Matrix itself tells that story magnificently and no sequel is really necessary, however nor is the idea of a sequel entirely pointless. The Matrix achieves the objective it set out to, which was to make the audience feel uneasy about advances technology while also being very entertaining (and thus making lots of money for all involved). The conclusion was hopeful without being specific.

The Matrix is intended as a warning of what could happen, not a prediction of exactly how it will happen.