Matrix Reloaded By the way, I got to see the movie last night.  I loved it!  Originally, I was totally expecting crap.  I mean, how could they live up to my expectations since the first one was just so new and different.  Then I saw the trailers about 2 months ago and was getting excited.  But, then it came out in America and I saw lots of negative reviews.  I didn't read any details but I did notice it was generally rated lower than X2, a movie I had fun with but didn't think was *good*.  Well, at least for me my fears were unfounded, I totally and throughly enjoyed it.  Maybe going in with lower expectations helped but I loved it, I want to see it again and I can hardly wait for the end. posted by greggmanJune 8, 2003 at 12:26 [ e ]

How is it presented in Japan? Is it dubbed or subtitled? My wife liked 'Reloaded' very much, and she's not much of a sci-fi fan.  (She also liked 'Spirited Away', which recently came out on DVD in the USA).   - blammo posted by anon_blammoJune 9, 2003 at 2:53 [ e ]

Hey Greggman, did you know that if you waited all the way through the credits you can see a preview for Matrix3?  It's pretty cool stuff as well. Shibuya looks like nothing but matrix... that's nuts posted by HarveyJune 9, 2003 at 4:55 [ e ]

Subtitled or Dubbed Most foreign movies in Japan are subtitled.  The major exception is anything targeted at a younger audience.  So, for example, all Disney animated movies, Pixar movies etc have both dubbed and subtitled versions. It has made me wonder what the movie experience is like for the Japanese and other non-english speaking countries.  I know that for India they make a zillion local movies so it's probably no big deal but for the rest of them I wonder.  In America, 99% of the movies that come out are English.  We can enjoy them, watch them, get into them easily.  Although I love foreign movies as well and I prefer subtitles to dubbed it's a different experience having to concentrate on reading the subtitles and not being able to sit back and just enjoy the movie. So, in Japan I'd say easily 80% or more of the moves out are foreign with subtitles.  That means for a Japanese person, more often than not, going to the movies means concentrating on subtitles. posted by greggmanJune 9, 2003 at 13:29 [ e ]

Well, actually, you can find most of them in Japanese as well. For example, in the case of Matrix Reloaded, two screens at Roppongi Hills are showing it in English with Japanese subs, while one screen is showing it dubbed in Japanese. Now, of course, not all movies are big enough to get more than one screen at a multiplex; usually in these cases, one or two showings a day will be shown dubbed in Japanese, often at the very beginning of the day or the very end. The rest are in the original language.  But yeah, more often than not, it's far easier to find foreign films shown in the original language with Japanese subs. Which is just fine for us gaijin, isn't it! :) posted by johntvJune 10, 2003 at 0:58 [ e ]

Except when it's not English It's fine for me except with it's not English.  For example I had to wait to see Amelie because it was French with Japanese subtitles.  You guys were lucky with Sex and Lucia because had both English and Japanese subtitles.  My Japanese is good enough that I can generally enjoy a Japanese dubbed non-English film but I can't read fast enough for a Japanese subtitled non-English film. posted by greggmanJune 10, 2003 at 1:23 [ e ]

nice pics i feel your pain - I remember watching 'Nikita' reading the subtitles being kind of a breakthrough for me. Now I enjoy it - i read the subtitles compulsively. It gratifies Yuki no end when I point out a mistranslation of UK slang or something; it's about the only time when she thinks living with a foreign guy is useful ;) well, that and the gigantic penis, of course. posted by CormacJune 12, 2003 at 3:58 [ e ]

Hi greg. I felt exactly the same way about the Matrix Reloaded as you did. I was pleasantly relieved about the film though I do think the action scenes were a tad too long. I wasn't aware that there was anything at the end of the credits? That's a shame because I was enjoying the music as the credits rolled: but my friend was already out of the door! By the way, I have exactly the same Shibuya pics as you ;) posted by Darren_jpJune 13, 2003 at 1:25 [ e ]

Shibuya pics... Me too: http://www.nokonoko.net/mt/a rchives/000018.html :) PS - you put the URL function in! posted by johntvJune 13, 2003 at 12:16 [ e ]