The original Matrix film was a game-changer for movies, but also for me personally. It changed what I could expect from standard genre flicks by challenging me intellectually. It’s been difficult (cinematically) to accept anything less since. When the sequels came out four years after the original, I even gathered together a group of friends for my Matrix-stravaganza watch parties. Even with an overblown philosophical diatribe at the end of Reloaded, I could not contain my excitement for the third movie. I had my theories for the perfect end to the franchise. Then, Revolutions was released and I felt a heartbreak I hadn’t felt since Jeff Goldblum’s daughter used gymnastics to kick raptors in The Lost World.
Revolutions brought a definitive end to the world of the Matrix, even if it was a complete whimper to a series that started with the biggest cinematic bang.
We’re now in a year where franchises are trying again for redemption. The list of franchises giving it another go is vast – Ghostbusters, Space Jam, and Coming to America have all been relaunched in an attempt to continue their stories. Even Snyder’s Justice League and Spider-Man: No Way Home are acts of redemption for the franchises that have come before. So really, why not allow The Matrix a shot at redemption?
Resurrections is as meta as a movie can be. Thomas Anderson has aged since the adventures we all saw 20 years ago, but as a game developer in a very corporate job, he’s stuck doing the bidding of his superiors. Life is monotonous, but he’s beginning to experience flashbacks and soon has visitors that will make Thomas question his reality again.
This is a direct sequel that does its best to utilize the Star Wars rhyming formula. Once again, we follow Neo as he learns about his role in the human resistance and why he’s so important. One of the huge drawbacks of the other two sequels is that Neo is Superman. He virtually couldn’t be beat and it took away the stakes. Once again, Keanu Reeves plays the role as a relatable anchor. He knows his potential, but so much of the world has changed, that he struggles to deal with his impact on the the real world.
Beneath the layers of action and world re-coding stakes of the previous movies, the true focus is the love story. Neo and Trinity’s connection has always been the tie that binds. Now, in Resurrections, beyond the over-the-top explanations of why the world is the way that it is, the love story is paramount.
There is an inside joke within this movie where the game development team is tasked to create a sequel to a series that doesn’t need one. As these office stooges brainstorm ideas to make a plausible plot in a wink-at-the-audience montage, I couldn’t help but think that’s exactly what happened as this movie came together. As with any Matrix story, the plot is overly complicated in an effort to explain itself and also provide a bit of depth. I was able to follow most of it, but another rewatch is in the cards.
Outside of Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss (and a few other familiar faces), there is a new cast, with some of them taking on established roles. Jessica Henwick has a very strong supporting role that feels like a replacement Morpheus. Meanwhile, the role of Morpheus is the weak link of the movie. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II takes over the role, that Laurence Fishburne perfected, to very mixed results. His influence feels superfluous, which makes him feel like a filler character. Jonathan Groff, on the other hand, takes on a very important role and he devours it. He is someone that I’d love to see in a potential sequel. Obviously, I’d like to see the original actors here, but the story does explain why so much has changed.
The biggest disappointment about this movie is that the action is less than memorable. There is still a great emphasis on wire stunts, but there just isn’t “That one scene.” There’s nothing novel like bullet time in the original, the freeway chase in Reloaded, or even the Dragonball Smith fight in Revolutions. I did enjoy the street siege at the end of this movie, but it lacks the inventiveness that the series finely crafted previously.
The Matrix Resurrections shouldn’t work. For many it won’t. It falls over itself trying to give a reason for its own existence. It doesn’t have the same magic of the original. However, for me, I enjoyed returning to this complicated world and seeing Reeves and Moss get redemption in a story that somehow justifies each of the sequels. I’m excited to watch this again, and possibly with more clarity, my love will grow. For now, I’d like to see memorable action scenes make an innovative return. C+
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