Matrix Resurrections has been out for a while now. This movie has been the talk of the sci-fi and matrix community for a while. And why wouldn’t it be, I mean its Matrix. Matrix was the beginning of action sci-fi movies. Resurrections, the sequel to Matrix Revolutions, was hyped and didn’t turn out as expected.
The Matrix Resurrections is up there with the other Matrix films, but one that’s more reliant on nostalgia than being good or enjoyable. It tries to be self-aware, but then it becomes like a parody of itself. Directed by Lana Wachowski instead of the typical Wachowski-sister duo, Resurrections has a rather intriguing start before diving into an apathetic sequel. The movie tries to build around the accolades of the matrix universe that got it the pedestal without the masterful craftsmanship that earned it accolades. The action was abysmal, considering this being a sequel to Revolutions.
The concept and some of the ideas Resurrection had were not bad, but the execution was not up to the mark. And it relies so heavily on nostalgia. Most of the first half was built upon clips from the original trilogy. It tries to make it seem it was for the plot but it turned out unnecessary in that it's really just kind of taking a victory lap at how great the first three were the entire first act.
Matrix Resurrections had a very good concept to work on. Instead of building on that they relied on movie goers' sentiments. Even the jokes they made in the first half, end up becoming exactly what the movie is. It just feels like a very generic action movie. That's very not well done. And it tries to create shot for shot scenes from the original trilogy because this movie again relies so heavily on nostalgia, and it just feels so lifeless and flat. One thing really stood out as weak in this movie.
In the trilogy, when an agent appeared, that’s when things went from zero to a hundred real fast. But in this movie, when there's an agent there, you just laugh at them. They don’t pose much of a threat and they rely on zombies. Agents have the ability to make the people become zombies. So the main thing our beloved cast is fighting is just normal people who jump at them and scratch and bite. And the final action sequence is really silly and a lot of times it doesn't even look good. It feels like it was made in a rush.
The recasting feels like an act of desperate and cynical attempt of Marvel-style storytelling where viewers can only care about a new character if they’re a reincarnation of an old one
Trinity and Neo were the only great things about the movie. Their relationship was very well explored and they both were represented extremely well at least in the stand alone parts where the film didn’t glorify its original trilogy. The new Morpheus was a great addition. I think he does a great job, and I also do like a new character. They introduced bugs, but this is a new Morpheus, and there is Smith. They both are the same characters but in a different way. They could have just been entirely new characters. There was no reason to have them being Morpheus and Smith.
The reveal of the aftermath of Revolutions was satisfying. You get a piece, a glimpse as to what's going on in current period. But most of the movie is spent in the past where it's just showing you clips from the other movies. When they do show you what's happened as a result of this It brings it all together and gives purpose. There is progress that was made as a result of Neo and Trinity's sacrifice, and I think that's good. The movie is at its best when it actually works on its narrative and not its predecessor’s.
The recasting feels like an act of desperate and cynical attempt of Marvel-style storytelling where viewers can only care about a new character if they’re a reincarnation of an old one. Given the explicit narrative of the film, I’d even believe the awkwardness of it is intentional. The entire film feels so uninspired that it feels like a hollow byproduct of corporate coercion dressed up as an innovative reworking of a classic. Matrix Resurrections had a good concept that was executed poorly. It could have worked. And maybe if they do make other Matrix movies going forward, they could make it better because the framework is there for something interesting. It's just this movie didn't do it.