Matrix Reloaded spiked by Egypt's censors

Matrix Reloaded
Keanu Reeves as Neo, a chosen one come to save Zion. You can see their point Public domain

The Matrix Reloaded has been banned in Egypt on religious grounds and because of its "excessive violence".

The head of the Egyptian film censorship body, Madkour Thabit, said that the country's highest film committee had taken the decision based on the sequel's subject matter and not because it objected to any scenes in particular.

The committee, made up of 15 critics, academics, writers and psychologists, released a statement saying that despite the movie's panoply of special effects, it was at its core a film about the religious issues of existence and creation.

The statement said that these religious issues of "the creator and his creations, searching for the origin of creation and the issue of compulsion and free will" had "caused crises" in the past.

Violent scenes were also cited in the committee's decision to ban it: "Screening the movie may cause troubles and harm social peace," the statement said.

The Wachowski brothers' Matrix franchise is certainly no stranger to controversy in Egypt - the first instalment in 1999 was criticised by some Islamic newspapers after they claimed it espoused Zionism.

"The press launched a campaign to stop showing the movie, saying that it reflects Zionist ideas, and promotes Jewish and Zionist beliefs," said Wael Abdel Fatah, an Egyptian movie critic.

Mr Abdel Fatah added: "That is why [the censors] are very cautious, to avoid any criticism this year."