got a bit distracted when i realized that neo’s entire goal, the plot of this movie, where he makes a truce with the machines by providing the service of dealing with agent smith, is something utterly contingent. it might have been seeded in Reloaded, but from my understanding he only comes to understand what smith represents in this film…which means that zion was saved by luck, and that there was no actual character movement through Reloaded (which is still a more fun film than this one). anyway when i watched these movies as a teenager, i did not appreciate the depth of the lore.