I know this is going to sound stupid, but...

[Russell]

When I first saw this movie in the theatres, I thought this was a pretty good movie. Boy, was I dumb. What do you think could have been done to improve this movie? I definitely still think there are some cool parts but it still really needed more work.

[MrTorso]

I have no idea what could have been done to save that flick. My tolerance for religious imagery and metaphors is very low. They all have it, but part 3 pushes it way overboard.

[RVR II]

What do you think could have been done to improve this movie?

I think RiffTrax already answered your question

[Thrifty]

Not make it, and blend it into the 2nd movie.

See I can't answer your question, because this movie really felt like about 70% padding.  Like this should have been the third act of the 2nd movie, not a whole new movie.

Oh, I do have an answer.  More stuff inside the matrix.  Show Smith taking it over, instead of just mentioning from the outside that the matrix looks weird, then spending the whole movie in Zion.

[Lovye]

Out of the three movies (I saw the first two BECAUSE of RiffTrax and broke down and watched this just a few months ago because I wasn't sure if RiffTrax would get around to it (what with LOTR 3 not being done yet and Kevin saying, "Not on my watch, it isn't." at the end of Matrix 2)), I like this one the best.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's because they abandon all pretense of being intellectual?  Maybe because it's all special effects?  Maybe it's because main characters die and that's a good way to go out?   Point being, I liked this movie on it's own the best.

[mrbasehart]

Could anyone give a shit about Zion and the people who were there? All they did was stop Neo from entering the Matrix and doing all the cool stuff we saw in the first one (though to be honest, all he did in the next two were repeats of the stuff he did in the first).  And they shouldn't have put Neo up against the Agent so many times.  And the Merovingians were stupid (except for Monica Bellucci, who can never be less than flabbergastingly gorgeous).

[Russell]

What do you think could have been done to improve this movie?

I think RiffTrax already answered your question

d'oh! I shoulda seen that one coming at me.   

[Darth Geek]

Here's a hint. How about having Neo do genuinely creative things with his new powers, instead of just resorting to the same old fighting we've seen. Why only have two arms and two legs, why be human shaped at all? Why still use %$&# guns?! If there is no spoon, you can change everything.

Zion could have been cool (I remember looking forward to seeing it when we were described it in the first one), but they made the worst choices when designing it and planning those sequences. All of the action involving the robot shooting the squids was impossible to tell what the heck was going on due to all the similar colors, and too complicated designs whirring by on the screen. It suffered from 'Bay's disease'. Besides, the most inefficient way to stop large metal robots is to hit them with little bits of metal. Why were the EMPs only on the ships?

[Darth Macho]

The series drifted away from the concept of the Matrix.

1st film: Matrix is a dual reality where the main characters go to perform all of the necessary plot actions.
2nd film: Still there, but only as an excuse to make the action scenes look cool. Plot now hinges on the real world.
3rd film: Nothing at all happens in the Matrix. Even worse, the series ends the big machine-human war with a cease-fire!

Oh, and Zion was a conceptual mess. The secret city whose location was what the machines were after in Part 1 (but already known six times over by Part 2) is a giant coal mine inhabited by deeply-tanned anarchists/Unitarians, led by a council of trainyard hobos and stockpiling clanky robot suits armed with John Woo-style pistols to defend against a machine air force.

Thank Neo this series never turned into a religion like Star Wars.

[Lovye]

3rd film: Nothing at all happens in the Matrix. Even worse, the series ends the big machine-human war with a cease-fire!

That's not true.  What's his face, um, Smith takes over the Matrix.  Oracle, that big Neo-Smith climactic fight that we saw already in the previous movie, and, um, The Frenchman and the woman with the breasts -- in the Matrix.  Stuff happens.  We just don't really care..

[Darth Macho]

That's not true.  What's his face, um, Smith takes over the Matrix.

Off-screen. In fact Smith's most dramatic conflict with Neo happens in the real world.

that big Neo-Smith climactic fight that we saw already in the previous movie

Which is overshadowed by the giant baby head manipulating Neo's corpse in the real world to cheat and defeat Smith. Flying cartoon fight was moot.

The Frenchman and the woman with the breasts -- in the Matrix.

Here's the scene.
Merovingian: I'll give you Neo... but in exchange I want you to do something in the Matrix.
Trinity: We don't have time for this. *points gun at Merovingian*
CUT TO:
Neo reunites with Trinity. Cliffhanger from Part 2 effectively worthless.

By the third movie there was nothing accomplished in the Matrix that furthered the plot.

[palehorse864]

Woah, Neo can see and stop machines in the real world... wow how did he do that.. I gues we'll find out in the third film!...
(Matrix reload and revolutions spoilers, buuuutttt... you probably don't care at this point.)

Ok... where was the explanation... Yeah, he's the one but what... What does he have 802.whoah?  Does Neo have a blue tooth? WHAT!? Wait, even if he does why does banesmith give off energy like a machine... Isn't Bane a villain from batman? Why does trinity wear sunglasses under a tinted motorcycle helmet? Is The Matrix skynet's cousin? Why does everyone wear sweaters in the real world? Is it from the Fred Rogers collection?

[Trumpysgirl]

I actually was very entertained until I saw Keanu's naked white backside. Then I curled up in a ball and started eating my hair.

[Bob]

that big Neo-Smith climactic fight that we saw already in the previous movie

Which is overshadowed by the giant baby head manipulating Neo's corpse in the real world to cheat and defeat Smith. Flying cartoon fight was moot.

"giant baby head manipulating Neo's corpse" may just be the greatest thing ever written in this forum.

[MSTJedi]

that big Neo-Smith climactic fight that we saw already in the previous movie

Which is overshadowed by the giant baby head manipulating Neo's corpse in the real world to cheat and defeat Smith. Flying cartoon fight was moot.

"giant baby head manipulating Neo's corpse" may just be the greatest thing ever written in this forum.

Yeah, once you think about it, why didn't Neo just let Smith try to change him in the first place . . . oh wait, then they wouldn't have had all that padding with the punching and kicking and nonsensical dialog.