Keanu Reeves in 'The Matrix: Reloaded'

The Matrix: Reloaded is a passionate, over-powered and mostly unfathomable upgrade of 1999's groundbreaking, breathtaking and equally cryptic original. And be forewarned: This movie has more than a billion gigabytes of computer-generated effects and a plot line so perplexing it makes William Burroughs' "Naked Lunch" read like Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham."

To comprehend The Matrix: Reloaded would require a degree in metaphysics, a pitcher of Electric Kool-Aid (got red pills?) and a suspension of disbelief the span of the Golden Gate Bridge. But what the Hell, there's nothing but reruns on TV and it's still two months till Ozzfest, so here goes. Just don't blame me if your head explodes.

With only hours to go, Zion – mankind's final rebel enclave – is facing destruction from 250,000 hideous octopus-looking robot "Sentinels" on a mission to delete mankind from the Universe's file cabinet. But all is not lost, proclaims Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne), and the future isn't as dark as it seems (especially if everyone would just take off their damned designer sunglasses). Because Neo (Keanu Reeves), the One, will make an excellent adventure of fulfilling the Oracle's (Gloria Foster) Prophecy and bring a peaceful conclusion to Zion's century-old war with the Machines. The glitch in Morpheus' strategy is that Neo is reluctant to return to the Matrix, not so much for himself, but for his leather-clad lady-fair Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss), whose kiss brought Neo back to life at the end of the trilogy's first installment.

Multiple Agent Smiths (Hugo Weaving) attack Neo (Keanu Reeves) in 'The Matrix: Reloaded'

Meanwhile back in the cyber-states, Neo and Trinity of course return with Morpheus to battle robotic repression and show off enough special-effects magicianship to make George Lucas gag. Along their journey, the three are enlightened about the inner workings of the Matrix and are forced to ponder such migraine-inducing concepts as "What if the prophecy is true?" "Everything begins with choice" and the fortune-cookie ready "We can never see past a choice we don't understand."

Fret not adrenaline addicts, in between Reloaded's mind-expanding multicultural philosophizing is a cyber-circus of acrobatic fight sequences, including recurring battles between Neo and an army of upgraded Agent Smiths (Hugo Weaving reprising his role as the Machine Army's top assassin). And for the Fast and Furious among us, Reloaded features an epic chase with 100 vehicles (few of which were returned intact) on a two-mile stretch of custom-built freeway. So, even if you're clueless as to what's going on, no less what it all means, there's enough Saturday-matinee-caliber action to keep you munching to the bottom of the largest-sized bucket of popcorn available without a prescription.

Let the record show throughout the known universe, including dimensions real and otherwise and most of northern New Jersey, that The Matrix: Reloaded's brother/writer/director team of Larry and Andy Wachowski has diligently, painstakingly and meticulously succeeded in outdoing the original – both in eye candy and philosophical fodder. In reality, who knows how deep the rabbit hole goes? And with technology expanding exponentially, what happens if our I-pods start programming us and eventually want to delete mankind altogether and just listen to Abba? Finally, does open-ended metaphysical discussion as a backdrop for robot warfare qualify as quality summer movie going? So many questions, all leading to a cliff-hanger ending that won't be resolved till the release of The Matrix's final chapter.

Frustrating, yes, but despite a plot harder to swallow than Morpheus' trench coat, when Matrix Revolutions opens in November 2003, to borrow a line from the Terminator, "I'll be back."