“I knew I was in for it the moment I saw the poster.”
– SamHaiNe
What can be said about the new Matrix movie that hasn’t already been said about Peeling paint, toe nail clippings, dripping faucets and hiking in the dark? The film is a yawn fest; a series of unimpressive scenes and bad cinematography built on the wobbly foundations of some interesting, although poorly executed, ideas.
Yes. It is bad. Although not as catastrophically bad as Wonder Woman 84, the recent Mortal Kombat or Bill&Ted 3, It still is bad and another reason for Hollywood to stop with the nonsense of rebooting films that need no rebooting or making sequels to films that need no sequels. They need to slow their own role and suppress their hubris. It’s not a factor of what Lana was thinking that is at fault. It is the factor of Hollywood wanting this to be made. In the Matrix Resurrections there is a scene early on in the film where (spoilers) the new Smith is in a meeting with Thomas Anderson instructing him that Warner Bros is interested in making another Matrix project whether the creators are involved or not. Yes, this movie is meta. If this was taken from an actual event in our reality and Lana had intention of sabotaging the franchise to keep it out of corporate hands then, by all means, she has my respect as a creator. Some of the earliest cringe moments that happen at the beginning of the film happen during the writers room montages; again possibly Lana letting us know how desk geeks, white shirts and corporate where brainstorming in a think tank on how to revive the franchise. Soulless hacks with not a creative bones in their bodies throwing around ideas based on algorithms, market testing and what works for other franchises such as the monolithic MCU.
The Matrix ended with Revolutions.
Resurrections attempts to reintroduce all those emotions and connections you had with the original film. Grave robbing you of your nostalgia while gaslighting you to accept the nonsense that follows.
Neo is now back in the Matrix. Constantly having to be rebooted every time he resists the new version of the matrix’s programming. How did he survive? The machines brought him and Trinity back. Why? because somehow his source code was imprinted onto her and together through the power of love can only exist close to each other but not too close otherwise the union would be catastrophic. The reasoning behind this? After Revolutions – a large number of humanity unplugged from the original version of the program resulting in an energy shortage and Civil War among the machines; many machines now sympathetic to humanity after witnessing Neo’s sacrifice to save Zion and the Machines work to help humans under threat of death while others have reorganized to maintain the system and supress humanity; Neo and Trinity are essential and repurposed to sustain the new fascistic machine power, they are super batteries.
The film had some promise and interesting ideas for I’d say the first 1/3 of the film. Ideas wasted. Bugs is a new character that could’ve been better served if not drowning in all these new characters, remixes and tech mumbo-jumbo.
Can’t say much else. The fight scenes are boring. The editing is choppy. The camera is shaky. The pacing drags along like a dirty mop. Nothing feels at stake. The Oracle is gone. The Architect is gone. However, Smith is still there, Morpheus is a program that Neo subconsciously creates and some of the exiles including the Merovigian still exist. Why havent these programs just been deleted. Especially Smith after all the havoc he caused in the previous two films. I don’t know. And the Merovigian, smh, is now an exile program dressed like he fell out of Oscar the Grouch’s trashcan that only serves as a comedic throwback during a throwaway action set piece the contradicts the climax of the film. Wasted and embarrassing.
Let’s talk about the fact that this is an R rated movie but, it feels like a PG cash grab. There’s cute machines, little machines that fist bump and lots of humor. Yes, humor in a Matrix film. Remember that film trilogy about a dystopian future where Machines have exterminated half of humanity and are growing them in vats to serve as fuel; locking them into a computer simulation without their consent or knowledge while the surviving members live in exile underground with the constant danger of genocide at any moment? Yeah remember that movie? Well here is a sequel but, this time with jokes and stuff.
Long story short: If this was a self-sabotage by Lana Wachowski then I salute her. But, if not then she is part of the problem in Hollyweird.
My Conclusion is – It’s bad. I can’t recommend anyone pay money to sit in theaters to see this. If you have to see it go home and watch it on HBO MAX or stream it illegally.
A big disappointment but, not the worse of the worst.
Be warned.
Keep it safe. Mask up. And always keep your finger on that REWIND button.
