Two movies that started out with no one really paying attention to them managed to breed and reproduce themselves into massive franchises. The Matrix stayed at the theater while Stargate infiltrated television, but both begot books, comic books, video games, and animation. They’ve got spunk. I hate spunk.
Stargate spawned two television series on the Scifi Channel and overall has a really cool concept that’s wide open for possibilities. The right combination on the Stargate lead to that desert planet (but is it really? we only saw a few square miles), reason says that other combinations on the stargate would lead to other planets. That may be the basis of the TV show, but I wouldn’t know because I’ve never watched it.
The Matrix spawned two dopey sequels that I would rather forget. I think Neo’s encounter with The Architect in The Matrix Reloaded is where the Cylons got that “all of this has happened before” crap they keep spouting to Starbuck. I have to remember that when The Matrix came out in 1999, it was full of stuff I’d never seen. It influenced the way action movies, and even Gap commercials, were shot. That black leather bad ass look permeated movie wardrobes.
Despite it’s groundbreaking special effects, that’s not why The Matrix is winning this match. I hate distilling a movie down to that. The Matrix is a better story than Stargate and poses the philosophical accusation that the entire human race is living in a dream world. The Matrix is more thought provoking, which is why it wins over Stargate.
That’s it for our second round. We’ve narrowed down the field to our final four candidates (we can’t call them the Final Four™ as that is copyrighted by the NCAA). Join us tomorrow for the next two matchups – Batman Begins vs. Superman: The Movie, and The Matrix vs. The Iron Giant.
Previously in the PRGAAMWA Tournament. . .
Batman Begins tramples Serenity in Game #1 of Round 2!
Superman gets Jimmy Olson to do his dirty work on Star Trek: Nemesis in Game #2 of Round 2!
The Iron Giant takes out Ladyhawke with a giant robot hug in Game #3 of Round 2!
Related Stuff:
Lisa Fary's earliest influences are Princess Leia, Rainbow Bright, Astronaut Barbie, and her 6th grade teacher, Ms. Palmer. She's angry that it's 2011 and she still doesn't have a hovercraft, but will accept a jetpack as consolation. That jetpack had better be pink with a rhinestone monogram. 
Yes, definitely The Matrix.
But Batman Begins vs Superman? That’s a really difficult one. I’m looking forward to see how you come up with a victor here.
In terms of mythology, for its iconic power, and for Christopher Reeve, Superman probably wins it by the merest sliver for me.
Superman vs. Batman Begins is one the hardest in this entire tournament. It would be much easier if we were dealing with Tim Burton’s Batman.