| The Matrix: Reloaded |
| A "pseudo review" by Nathan: (Editor's note: Thanks Nathan!) While watching The Matrix: Reloaded, I was thinking of how I would write this reveiw. Perhaps I shouldn't review the film as a whole but rather discuss Daniel's contributions. After all, this is a site devoted to Mr. Bernhardt and I'm sure there aren't too many reviews circulating that would appeal specifically to us Bernhardt fans. So I'll just cut to the chase. Daniel has two scenes in the film, both of which were certainly worth the price of admission alone. His introduction occurs about ten minutes in. Brief yet effective. Flash forward to approximately ninety minutes in and we have the pay-off. Daniel practically steals the show in one of the film's most stunning sequences-the freeway chase. As far as dialogue goes, his character of Agent Johnson doesn't have much. His performance banks on presence alone and it works. That said, Daniel's performance is filled with energy, determination and intimidation. Of course, all of this left me wanting to see more, and we'll get to see much more of Agent Johnson in the third installment of the series. I, for one, cannot wait. By Megan: (Sorry for the delay Megan!) I would like to confess something to you all. Daniel Bernhardt is the only reason I saw "The Matrix Reloaded" five time in three weeks. That's not to say I hated this film but he was an added bonus. I must also admit that until I saw "Reloaded" I had no idea who Daniel was. However, after the first viewing I found myself falling hook, line and sinker for the man who brought Agent Johnson to life. I'm not totally sure how I should write this review as Daniel had three major scenes and his total dialogue was about ten line long. However, what Daniel may have lacked in a speaking role he totally made up for in the amazing fight sequences. We first meet Agent Johnson amid a flurry of high kicks and punches as he fights Neo with two other agents. Neo's line, "Hmm, upgrades," and the look on Daniel's face was just priceless. This scene showed off Daniel's fighting technique brilliantly...if you knew who to watch, that is! Then we come to the Mother and Father of all action scenes-The Freeway Scene. In this scene we can see Daniel jumping on cars, causing them to explode, then engaging in hand-to-hand combat with Morpheus (played by Lawrence Fishburne). The sequence runs for a breathtaking fifteen minutes, took forty five days to shoot and is a true joy to watch. In a recent interview, Fishburne was reported as saying, "It took about 45 days to shoot the freeway sequence and there were a lot of differnent elements to it, " says the actor, who battles Agent Johnson [Daniel Bernhardt] atop a speeding semi. "The truck-top stuff was really tricky because Daniel and I had to work on a platform that was actually moving. Daniel has a lot of experience with fighting in the movies, more than I do. It's really a brutal kind of fight. It's these two big men fighting snd so the nice part about it was anytime we were urged, 'Swing harder'! Make it look closer!' Danny would whisper to me, 'Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you.'" (Taken from www.hollywood.com Matrix Reload Feature). My favorite parts in the Freeway Sequence were when Morpheus cut off Johnson's tie with a sword. Daniel looks down at the tie, which he now holds in his hand, and the look on his face is nothing short of murderous. Daniel shows a great range of emotions. It's just a shame we are unable to see his beautiful hazel eyes behind the dark sunglasses Agent Johnson wears. Also, the pure spectacle of seeing Daniel causing cars to explode was nothing short of awesome. You could clearly see that Daniel was putting his heart and soul into the sequence, which is why it is also my favorite scene. The final scene in which we see is yet another fighting sequence, this time with Carrie-Anne Moss who plays Trinity. I won't spoil it for the people who have yet to see it but yet again this sequence shows Daniel's fighting skill and he even allows Carrie-Anne a few shots at him! All in all I totally enjoyed "Reloaded" and will see it again at least eight more times. Daniel may not be on screen all that often but when he is you sure know it. My whole-hearted recommendation is for any Bernhardt fan to see this movie. I promise, you won't regret it! |
 |