can someone please explain the dialogue in the matrix to me?

[bigalt]

Sorry to make another thread, but I'm curious...

I assume no one would disagree with the fact that the dialogue in the movies is absolutely awful. When they didn't have a cliche that fit, they made up one. "Some things never change, but some do..." What is that? That doesn't mean anything! Why do you have to say it over and over again?!

Anyway, there are countless examples. I definitely didn't notice in the first one, and hardly in the second one, but it really hit home in the theater for the third one (everyone seemed to shift uncomfortably during extended talk-scenes, like the exchange between neo and trinity towards the end).

The movie was not low budget, I'm certain they could afford good writers, unlike the bulk of scifi movies out there. That only leaves the possibility that they did it on purpose.

So why? The only guesses I can make are,

1) They didn't want to make it too complex, causing a discrepancy between Keanu and the other actors
2) They were trying to create a certain feel, though I can't begin to understand what that feel was (comic book, maybe?)

Can anyone enlighten me?

 

[CaptainHefe]

they did it on purpose to make the action scenes that much better.

 

[MaxDepth]

Keanu and the others only have so much acting ability. Didn't want them to crash and burn by overloading them with that heavy stuff. (AKA "dialog")

 

[anxi80]

Originally posted by: MaxDepth
Keanu and the others only have so much acting ability. Didn't want them to crash and burn by overloading them with that heavy stuff. (AKA "dialog")

HEY MAN! Johnny Mnemonic was a cinematic masterpiece!!!

 

[moonshinemadness]

Originally posted by: MaxDepth
Keanu and the others only have so much acting ability. Didn't want them to crash and burn by overloading them with that heavy stuff. (AKA "dialog")

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

[codeyf]

Everytime one of the characters ask "why?" all I can think of is Ahnold in T2.

"You can go around shooting people!"
"why."
"because it's against the law!"
"why."
"because you can't!"
"why."

But the movie still roxord my boxors

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: codeyf
Everytime one of the characters ask "why?" all I can think of is Ahnold in T2.

"You can go around shooting people!"
"why."
"because it's against the law!"
"why."
"because you can't!"
"why."

But the movie still roxord my boxors

LOL, excellent example! :beer:

 

[SP33Demon]

You ask if someone can explain the dialogue, yet you provide:

a) One example of a "cliche" and don't recollect where it was said or in what context.
b) No other "cliches".
c) A waste of my time and no logical reason why you created this thread.
d) All of the above.

 

[bigalt]

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
You ask if someone can explain the dialogue, yet you provide:

a) One example of a "cliche" and don't recollect where it was said or in what context.
b) No other "cliches".
c) A waste of my time and no logical reason why you created this thread.
d) All of the above.

My my.

a) Well, they said that line I quoted maybe 5 times between the second movie and the third. It just stood out to me because it means nothing. That was Niobe/Morpheus' thing.
b) I suppose cliche was a misnomer, since I can't think of many off the top of my head. Perhaps I meant banal.
c) The reason I created this thread is that I'm looking for insight as to why the writing was done as such, where the lines were short and generally uninteresting.

I understand that the movie generally did what it set out to do, but I don't get why they overlooked this aspect.

 

[Aftermath]

A waste of my time and no logical reason why you created this thread.

I certainly hope he can find a way to re-emburse you for the seconds it probably took you to scan the thread, and the few minutes you chose to waste on a reply, talking about how he wasted your time.

 

[jdini76]

Originally posted by: bigalt

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
You ask if someone can explain the dialogue, yet you provide:

a) One example of a "cliche" and don't recollect where it was said or in what context.
b) No other "cliches".
c) A waste of my time and no logical reason why you created this thread.
d) All of the above.

My my.

a) Well, they said that line I quoted maybe 5 times between the second movie and the third. It just stood out to me because it means nothing. That was Niobe/Morpheus' thing.
b) I suppose cliche was a misnomer, since I can't think of many off the top of my head. Perhaps I meant banal.
c) The reason I created this thread is that I'm looking for insight as to why the writing was done as such, where the lines were short and generally uninteresting.

I understand that the movie generally did what it set out to do, but I don't get why they overlooked this aspect.

I think you should have waited to write this thread until you saw revolutions. Not to say that any of your questions will be answered, I don't know. I have yet to see the third instalment myself, but but you never know. The Wichowski Brothers created and wrote the matrix, I doubt they would have handed the second and third film over to writers that probobly would have no idea what to write about. Especialy since its so hard to follow.

Also, If I remember correctly in the scene with Neo and the Architect, the Architect says "...I am going to say things you will understand, and things you won't understand...". Which was most definatly true. so I would have to say that quote would be true for the whole series!

 

[bigalt]

Also, If I remember correctly in the scene with Neo and the Architect, the Architect says "...I am going to say things you will understand, and things you won't understand...". Which was most definatly true. so I would have to say that quote would be true for the whole series!

Heh, I suppose that is true.

I did in fact see the third one last night. It's not so much the content of the dialogue that I don't understand, it's the style.

 

[Electric Amish]

I assume no one would disagree with the fact that the dialogue in the movies is absolutely awful.

You assume incorrectly. The dialogue is not bad, IMO.

 

[bigalt]

Originally posted by: Electric Amish


You assume incorrectly. The dialogue is not bad, IMO.

oh, come on. don't tell me you bought any of the love dialogue...

 

[isaacmacdonald]

please give some examples of the cliches they used.

 

[wviperw]

I assume no one would disagree with the fact that the dialogue in the movies is absolutely awful.

I'm sorry, but I haven't seen any evidence to support this claim, and quite a few others have already pretty much said this. Maybe I'm a bad judge of what a good dialogue/story/plot is, but I don't remember anything from the movie that let me know the diaglogue was awful.

When they didn't have a cliche that fit, they made up one. "Some things never change, but some do..." What is that? That doesn't mean anything! Why do you have to say it over and over again?!

For effect? What is wrong w/ that particular phrase? All it is saying is that it is in the nature of things for some things to change and other things not to change. So it does mean something.Its an allusion to a lot of what has happened in the movies already, not to mention "Revolutions." And how is this cliche?

Anyway, there are countless examples. I definitely didn't notice in the first one, and hardly in the second one, but it really hit home in the theater for the third one (everyone seemed to shift uncomfortably during extended talk-scenes, like the exchange between neo and trinity towards the end)

Care to give us a more comprehensive list? I'm really curious to know what other things are bad. I dunno, maybe I'm a poor judge of a story. And as for the people shifting uncomfortably, maybe thats because they can't handle any type of serious quality that makes you think in their movies and are longing to get onto the action scenes.

 

[bigalt]

yeah, i didn't mean "cliche," that word just jumped into my head. i was thinking more along the lines of "trite."

i wasn't trying to go and diss the movie here-- i just didn't realize that there was a dialogue-was-okay camp.

i was more curious about answers from the dialogue-was-not-okay camp.

 

[SammyBoy]

cuz dat's the way neo rolls yo.

 

[TheCorm]

Originally posted by: codeyf
Everytime one of the characters ask "why?" all I can think of is Ahnold in California.

"You can go around groping people!"
"why."
"because it's against the law!"
"why."
"because you're state governor now!"
"why."

But the movie still roxord my boxors