I'm aware that both Matrix sequels are not that well-received, especially not the second one. However, this one noticably is in the 7's, while Revolutions has a shocking drop of 2 points from the first movie (6.7).
Anyway, my question is... Without spoiling, what are some of the reasons people like this sequel better?
Simply put, one reason The Matrix is a successful film is that it rests upon a solid narrative foundation. The sequels lack such a focused narrative foundation and consequently the only interesting things the viewer is left to grasp onto are the embellishments that enhanced the first film, namely action set pieces and interesting sci-fi and philosophical concepts. I stress this is a gross simplification, but Reloaded is the superior of the two in this regard as it takes place much more in the Matrix than Revolutions. Revolutions takes place primarily in the real world and is a slog to get through.
Revolutions lacks the Matrix itself. Most of the movie takes place inside Zion, and while the battle against the machines was breathtaking, the audience wanted more trench coats and sunglasses. And the few scenes inside the Matrix that we did get were nowhere as good as in the first or the second movie. The Neo vs Smith final battle, especially, felt like a corny Dragonballz ripoff. That and a lot of other cheesy stuff. The new characters Sati and Kid were annoying and wasted a lot of screen time. Many scenes felt like a waste of time. Take Trinity death scene for example, way too long to the point of making the audience cringe and laugh.
I did enjoy the Zion battle. That was a real highlight of the movie. Unfortunately the rest felt like a low quality filler, which it was, because Reloaded and Revolutions were forcefully split in half to form 2 separate movies just so the producers can earn more money revenue out of each. Reloaded and Revolutions should've been a single 3+ hour movie, take the best parts out of each and get rid of all the filler. It had a big potential to be something really fantastic but unfortunately the studio greed ruined it.