The first attempt to reclaim the trilogy’s glory may feel inadequate, but it provides an optimistic sense about where the franchise can still go.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Actors: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, Jada Pinketh-Smith, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Brian J. Smith, Erendira Ibarra, Lambert Wilson, Christina Ricci, Telma Hopkins, Chad Stahelski
Genre: Sci-fiction, Action, Adventure
Premise: A video game creator has to deal with flickers of his past and to find a way back to the Matrix, where his past reality resides, in order to defeat old and new enemies alike.
Running Time: 148 minutes
Director: Lana Wachowski
Watch it on: Cinema, HBO Max
Why You Should See It:
For every successful movie franchise, there is always this thing called ‘fatigue’, which sees moviegoers becoming weary of seeing the same story over and over again. Genre fatigue is a more general form, but the franchise one is undeniably scarier—for the filmmakers and producers, at least. Time takes a crucial part in keeping the cinematic phenomenon going for an indefinite period, although a few ingenious screenwriters have somewhat eluded this curse.
‘The Matrix Resurrections’ is a gamble, and with practically the same set of lead actors returning to reprise well-loved roles, a much taller order must be confronted. The Wachowskis have been in shortage of hits in the past decade, with the original Matrix trilogy remaining as their most commercially-successful project, to date. Although the two have come up with relevant titles like Sense8 and Cloud Atlas, none of their subsequent attempts has ever come close to the cinematic glory of the megahit film series.
It’s not surprising that the Wachowskis are going back to their biggest brainchild. They needed some form of resurrection, but that does not necessarily mean they are the only ones to take pleasure from it, as moviegoers have long wondered what is in store beyond the trilogy. Now that it’s back, a new era begins, although it remains vague how much substance can still get squeezed out of this extension. Of course, one must remember that the last two installments didn’t do well as the first one, albeit still being commercially triumphant.
There is no denying that ‘resurrection’ is indeed within arm’s reach for The Matrix.
Lana, being alone, in making this effort come to fruition, had to be more imaginative than she and her sister, Lily, combined.
The world she created with Resurrection displays an enormous update of the old setting. To return to the original narrative, however, and to ensure the legacies remain intact–it still seems to be the wise choice to do, to make this attempt succeed.
Reeves’s Neo may look older than the first trilogy’s almost naive but physically capable version.
He didn’t have to pull off grand tricks given the modification in the character’s realities (I mean, he is supposed to be 60 years older, but in the film, he looks just twenty years older).
There is a minimum balance between the philosophical and sci-fictional themes of Resurrection with the latter being understandably stronger. Humor finds a place within the film’s intimate fabrics, which naturally provide some sense of nostalgia, albeit weaker than most would expect. Neo has the most transformative character development among the matrix returnees, imparts a more tangible sense of growth and power. For a solid franchise devotee, that aspect feels like a fitting homage to a character who may never see another iteration, regardless of the success this new installment may bring.
The Matrix Resurrection inevitably finds equilibrium between the old and the new, the good and the bad. Audiences still have to figure out what part of it matters more, but for the time being, that seems enough. Still unable to deliver the same thrill as its original material, there seems still room to grow, although what comes next ultimately depends on the producers who may deem the commercial output of this film, unflattering.
5 – Excellent
4 – Very Good
3 – Good
2 – Tolerable
1 – Terrible
The Matrix Resurrections is now showing in cinemas nationwide. Watch the official full trailer, below:
