And I, for one (and Karen, for two), thought the conclusion to “The Matrix” trilogy was pretty outstanding, in spite of the critical drubbing it has taken.

First and foremost, the guts of what made “The Matrix” a sensation in the first place — the action sequences — are amazing. The two big set pieces — the battle in Zion and the final showdown between Neo and Agent Smith — are both fierce, mind-blowing, edge-of-your-seat jawgapers. To the extent that anyone disagrees, they are simply spoiled; no “Matrix” sequel could have the same impact the original did. You can’t do anything again for the first time.

The other major criticism I’ve read here and there is that the conclusion to “The Matrix” trilogy is insipid and illogical. Huh? Were these people paying attention to the first film? Remember, when Trinity brings Neo back to life by kissing him passionately and declaring her faith in him as The One.

Yeah, that was totally consistent with the proclamation earlier in the film that if a person is killed in the Matrix he’s dead in reality as well because “the body cannot live without the mind.”

All Movie Guide’s Jeremy Wheeler, in a very insightful review linked above, sums it up this way:

In no way will ‘Revolutions’ please everyone — some have walked away completely disappointed, while others came in looking for flaws — but if you stand back and look at the entire trilogy, there’s an undeniable theme that each film completely embraces and is the backbone of the series. … ‘The Matrix’ ends with love causing a miracle. ‘Reloaded’ ends with love causing a miracle. ‘Revolutions’ ends with love affecting everything and creating a new world.

All of the people who have lambasted both “Reloaded” and “Revolutions” — critics and fanboys alike — seem to have forgotten the “rules” constructed by the Wachowskis from the very beginning. Those rules are that love, faith and the human will to choose freely one’s own destiny are ultimately more powerful than any external control. That may or may not be true, and it may or may not be logical in the strictest sense, but those rules are strictly adhered to across all three films.

By juxtaposing the hard, cold mechanical worlds of the Matrix, Machine City and even Zion with the ultimately transformative power of faith and love, the Wachowski brothers argue that those latter qualities can overcome anything — even an unconvincing temporary truce with the machines. Love conquers all, don’t ya know?