[6] The video game Enter the Matrix and The Animatrix, a collection of short animations, supported and expanded the film's story.

It grossed $741.8 million worldwide, breaking Terminator 2: Judgment Day's record for becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, until Deadpool surpassed it in 2016.

As the Sentinels catch up to them, Neo realizes he is able to sense the machines in the real world, and telepathically destroys them but falls into a coma from the effort.

Zee was originally played by Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash on August 25, 2001, before filming was complete, requiring her scenes to be reshot with Nona Gaye.

[8][9] Pinkett Smith declined her role in Nutty Professor II: The Klumps in order to star in The Matrix Reloaded.

[13] MythBusters would later reuse the Alameda location in order to explore the effects of a head-on collision between two semi trucks, and to perform various other experiments.

[15] Around 97% of the materials from the sets of the film were recycled after production was completed; for example, tons of wood were sent to Mexico to build low-income housing.

[16] Following the success of the previous film, the Wachowskis came up with extremely difficult action sequences, such as the Burly Brawl, a scene in which Neo had to fight 100 Agent Smiths.

Having before used real photographs of buildings as texture for 3D models in The Matrix, the team started digitizing all data, such as scenes, characters' motions, or even the reflectivity of Neo's cassock.

One of the collaborations, "Mona Lisa Overdrive", is titled in reference to the cyberpunk novel of the same name by William Gibson, a major influence on the directors.

As with its predecessor, many tracks by external musicians are featured in the movie, its closing credits, and the soundtrack album, some of which were written for the film.

Rob Dougan also re-contributed, licensing the instrumental version of "Furious Angels", as well as being commissioned to provide an original track, ultimately scoring the battle in the Merovingian's chateau.

composed a song called "Sleeping Awake", with a music video which focused heavily on Neo, as well as many images that were part of the film.

[23] The Matrix Reloaded also surpassed Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones to have the highest Thursday opening.

[27][25] With a total gross of $146.9 million, The Matrix Reloaded held the record for having the biggest six-day opening until 2004, when it was surpassed by Spider-Man 2.

[29] Then, The Matrix Reloaded collected $15.6 million for its third weekend, ranking fourth behind the latter film, Finding Nemo and The Italian Job.

[32] The Matrix Reloaded and Finding Nemo both teamed up with Bruce Almighty, X2 and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl to become the first five films to make $200 million at the box office in a single summer season.

[33] This was also the fourth R-rated film to cross that mark, just after Beverly Hills Cop, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Saving Private Ryan.

[36][37] Grossing over $113.2 million, the film scored the highest international opening weekend, breaking the previous record held by The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

[38] In Japan, it had the biggest opening of any film in the country, earning $18 million and smashing the previous record held by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The site's critical consensus states: "Though its heady themes are a departure from its predecessor, The Matrix Reloaded is a worthy sequel packed with popcorn-friendly thrills.

He described it as "an immensely skillful sci-fi adventure, combining the usual elements: heroes and villains, special effects and stunts, chases and explosions, romance and oratory" and praised the fact that "it develops its world with more detail than the first movie was able to afford, gives us our first glimpse of the underground human city of Zion, burrows closer to the heart of the secret of the Matrix, and promotes its hero, Neo, from confused draftee to a Christ figure in training."

He also compared the choreography of the "Burly Brawl" fight to that of Yuen Woo-ping in the 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and called the scene "one of the three great set pieces in the movie" (along with Morpheus' announcement to the people of Zion and the freeway chase).

[53] Negative comments included the sentiment that the plot was alienating,[54][55] with some critics regarding the focus on the action as a detriment to the film's human elements.

"[63] Mike Clark of USA Today gave the film three and a four stars and said, "Salvaged by its rally, Reloaded seems less tired than X2, its current sequel rival.

"[64] A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote, "Relax, the staging of the action sequences is as viciously elegant as you've been primed to expect, though there is a dispiriting more-of-the-same aspect to the picture.

"[65] In a mixed review, Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal said, "In this second installment of the trilogy, lithe bodies endowed with superior brains do all sorts of spectacular things, but the movie has the dead soul of a video game.

"[66] The film was initially banned in Egypt because of the violent content and because it put into question issues about human creation, "which are related to the three divine religions.