‘The Matrix Resurrections’ – Take The Blue Pill! (Movie Review)
The Matrix Resurrections is obviously a movie that never had to be made, but I digress. I am happy it was. Not many trailers ever give me goosebumps, but Matrix Resurrections did. It’s odd too as I’m not even a huge Matrix fan. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t respect how integral the features are as one of the greatest science fiction trilogies. If you don’t believe me, then check out my 4K review of the trilogy HERE. The proof is all there in the pudding so to speak! Regardless of anything I just said to fill this paragraph space we have a fourth Matrix movie to behold and fall in love with. They said it couldn’t be done, but alas it has. And I’m here to walk you through (spoiler free of course) everything The Matrix Resurrections. So let’s take that red pill and get this party started.
Okay so obviously as you will read the rest of this review (at least I hope you do) you will quickly realize one thing that’s for sure. That first paragraph up above was written in advance of me seeing the press screening this week. I am not a fan of The Martix Resurections at all. I know as a reviewer I’m kind of breaking my code where I am supposed to be unbiased and deconstruct slowly throughout the review why I feel the way I do. However, I don’t like to lead people on. While I found some of the new film to be enjoyable what you are about to read is mostly comprised of things I did not enjoy. Now that I have that off my chest let’s cover the 411 of what Matrix Resurrections is, who are all the major players and then I will get into my nit picking of it all. Deal?!
The Matrix Resurrections was co-written and directed by Lana Wachowski (only she returned this fourth time out) and I guess you can say it is both a reboot and legitimate sequel to 2003’s Revolutions. Returning from the original cast are the main billings of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss plus Lambert Wilson and Jada Pinkett Smith. That’s it for the Matrix family cast reunion here. The rest of the cast includes new faces to the franchise and they are in no particular order Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Christina Ricci. And I wish they could have used the COVID halted break they experienced during filming in 2020 to redo the film’s convoluted and yawn inducing narrative, but it doesn’t seem like they did.
The Matrix Resurrections is set some 60 years after the events of The Matrix Revolutions. Neo (Reeves), who died in the 2003 entry, is back as Thomas Anderson. He lives in California as an infamous video game designer. The man is a loner and seems lost in the world. This much I was loving so far seeing all this unfold on the big screen. His video games are based on you guessed it…the Matrix movie trilogies. All of these moments were either nostalgia or being self aware making fun of the franchise. While the latter was very corny I was kind of getting into it. Nostalgia helps anxiety and let’s face it I was very anxious as to how this would all unfold to avoid another Crystal Skull like mistake with one of people’s most beloved franchises. Again, I will go on record saying I was having hella fun with all this.
Meanwhile Mr. Anderson starts suffering from flashbacks and questions his existence in this world. His therapist (Harris) prescribes him blue pills to keep him at bay (see how things are unfolding here). Things get a little more complicated when we realize Keanu’s character is fixated on a woman he sees almost daily in a coffee shop. That woman of course is Trinity (Moss) err I mean Tiffany. I could have followed this narrative for another couple hours. I was eating all of this up and then it came to a screeching halt once Morpheus enters Neo’s life.
So yeah there’s a more flamboyant version of Morpheus floating around here as ported by Mateen. I have LOTS of problems with this character, but I digress for the meantime. Needless to say as I don’t believe this ventures into spoiler territory at all that Morpheus finds Neo once again and offers him the red pill thereby freeing his mind. Yada yada yada. Yes folks the first hour of this film is sometimes almost a play by play remake of the first Matrix movie while some original and fresh moments do thrive. And I’m okay with that, however…
When Neo takes the red pill the movie literally goes down hill for me. The narrative becomes a convoluted mess full of plot holes, incoherent moments (where is a cool antagonist and why are they also so powerless at times…no Mr. Smith like moments to be found here), a version of Morpheus that I never want to see again and even cute robot sentinels. Seriously folks the Matrix is supposed to be a scary place behind the scenes not a return to Hogwarts to make the next cute BB8 robot or something. I don’t know. Maybe I am getting too old or maybe the elderliness of the onscreen characters of Reeves and Moss opposed to all the other teeny boppers was just too in your face. I just felt very uncomfortable at times and there were some moments in Act 2 that literally almost put me to sleep. I wanted more action, but this is NOT your typical Matrix film. The special effects were cool, but never mind blowing (at least for me and my by then checked out head).
The Matrix Resurrections for me was just a big, dumb, expensive movie that did NOT need to be made. I’m going to leave it at that because to go any deeper into the “rabbit hole” here would venture into spoiler territory and I’m not one to do that. I respect other people’s opinions and DO encourage you to check this one out for yourselves. Also, make sure you stay after the credits if you care about seeing all of the movie. However, be warned. I was not a happy camper waiting all that time to see what I saw after the credits. I felt like the filmmakers had the final joke on me after that. From here on out I will strictly be taking the blue pills. I’m done messing with the red ones. Enjoy!
