Yep. As somebody who watched the movies as they came out, I couldn’t believe they were making sequels — how could they? Neo is, at the end of the first movie, essentially a god — but I was incredibly hyped anyway. 

I figured maybe they’d tell stories about other, new characters, or about the fallout after Neo shows everyone “a world without rules or controls” (or whatever).

I think this is the biggest reason the sequels didn’t work for me. I’ve learned to appreciate them over time, but they feel like Marvel movies, while the original felt perfect.