Caffeine Induced

Finally got a chance to see Matrix Reloaded about a week ago.

Is it just me or are there a lot of overlapping themes in Matrix Reloaded and Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time Series ...? For example :

First similarity - the whole concept of the recurring, cyclic struggle between the savior and the bad guys (according to the Architect, Neo is the 6th Anomaly - the 6th "One"). This concept of a repeating cycle is a very overt theme in the Wheel of Time series. The first chapter in each of the 10 WOT books starts off with the same passage (something like this) :

"The Wheel of time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again." In the Matrix, Neo is "The One". In the WOT, Rand is "The Dragon Reborn". Both were foretold through prophecy to essentially save the world. The concept of a Messiah character is very common theme in literature, but the part which is a little too similar to me, is the concept of the cycle repeating itself over and over. Neo is not the first "One". Rand is not the first "Dragon". They are both destined to fullfil their role in the enternal, recurring struggle between good and evil, and unless something breaks the cycle, the same struggle will be repeated by a future Messiah character some time later.

Second similarity - Agent Smith is Padain Fain. Smith started out as an agent, but something happened to him at the end of M1 that turned him into "something much more than an agent". He is a renegade from the other baddies in the Matrix world, and he is obsessed with Neo. Padain Fain started out as a Darkfriend. He was given special powers by the Dark One to become his "hound" (his sole purpose was hunt down the reborn Dragon). Then Fain became something much more through his Shadar Logoth ordeal (he's now some wierd mixture of Padain Fain, Mordeth and something else). Fain is now a renegade from the Dark One (and has been ordered killed by the Forsaken and/or the DO). Fain is definitely obsessed with Rand. Fain is nutso about his Dagger - I found it funny that the human character Smith possessed was also a little nutso about his knife (cutting his own hand, etc).

Other similarities - The Matrix and the Pattern...?

All in all, I enjoyed the movie... Can't wait for Revolutions...