THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS (2021)

THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS (2021)

Tagline: The choice is yours.

(Action, Sci Fi, Mindbender) [R]

Everything was simpler back then. People wanted to be free. It's different now. Sometimes it feels like people gave up. Like the Matrix won.

In this one, Mr. Anderson grapples with the thought of creating a 4th Matrix game as a famous programmer. While the real world behind the Matrix is trying to reach out to him and his alter ego. Can he trust the white rabbit or will he be tricked into continuing his life on the same spinning wheel.

First off I felt this was probably the most credible way to bring us back into the world of the Matrix. The movie does present some riddles as it takes place 60 years after the last installment only Mr. Anderson hasn’t aged much at all. The explanations offered are incredibly sound and well thought out while still offering some cool nostalgia for fans of the original. Oddly – this newer version is vastly updated from the original movies so as groundbreaking as those films were they almost look goofy compared to this one using updated digital filmmaking. 

I won’t get into spoilers in this review for those that won’t get to see this any time soon, but this film is amazingly beautiful in dozens of respects and there is plenty for hardcore fans to love. The sets are incredible and the design work as in the originals is exquisite. Cinematically I really liked this freakin thing and the pacing is impeccable. 

Acting-wise we have a return of both Keanu Reeves as Neo/Mr. Anderson and Carrie-Anne Moss as Tiffany/Trinity, but Morpheus is played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II who crushes it in this role. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is best known as Manta from AQUAMAN. We also get Jessica Henwick who is most famous for her role IRON FIST, but she’s been in a ton of stuff recently so what you might have seen her in will probably vary. She was also in LOVE AND MONSTERS for instance. Just know she rocks the role of Bugs in this thing. They also gave a critical role to Neil Patrick Harris who has proven he’s well versed at playing both really fun characters like in 8-BIT CHRISTMAS to diabolical characters in things like A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS. 

For me, this movie was one of the more amazingly satisfying movies regarding 4th installments. GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE for instance also fantastic but this movie is on par with that. If I had any critiques it would be that there were a few lulls for exposition and it probably didn’t need to be 2 and a half hours long. Having said that, the gaps filled to get this story moving, all do actually feel important. We even get a background on Zion and an introduction to IO what happened to it. 

This movie has gotten a lot of flak from fans and critics alike, but I think it will age well, especially if we get a few more installments (which this one seems to be hinting at). I think the central-most obvious message of the movie is probably what ticked some people off the most. The idea is that we are currently living in a real-life “matrix” situation, with people completely asleep on purpose, and with great "joy", in “not knowing or seeking the truth”. A world where freedom and empowerment are no longer valued, and that makes the world as a whole, "sheep". Sheep without a proper shepherd always end up slaughtered. That frightening prospect I think has some people putting up defenses against the message. It’s a ridiculous complaint, but I am sure there are some valid ones out there from a certain perspective. 

This is a 6 out of 7 for me. It’s nice to see some films out there in this political and social climate that have the guts to call it like it is from an ultra-creative perspective whether intentional or unintentional. 

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF VILLIAGE ROADSHOW PICTURES AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY. 

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