The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

Plagued by strange memories, Neo’s life takes an unexpected turn when he finds himself back inside the Matrix.

Review:

When I heard they were doing a fourth Matrix movie, I felt excited and worried. Given how the trilogy ended, I knew the producers would have to “pull a Marvel” to bring characters back. Their explanation felt lazy and forced.

But, the biggest problem with the movie is with its tone. Everything seems to be thrown at the viewer:

Let’s mock ourselves for a blatant cash grab.
Let’s mimic and recreate scenes from the original.
Let’s make this a love story.
Let’s change what it means to be the one.

This messy tone is due to a script with no clear story to tell. If someone asked me to explain the story, I couldn’t. Read the logline description for Resurrections versus the original Matrix. The logline for Resurrections is both blurry and inaccurate. It doesn’t describe the movie at all. The logline for the Matrix neatly sums up the entire story.

I wonder if this is a movie that you have to watch a few times to understand the story. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s that slick or sophisticated of a script. There are lots of callbacks and Easter Eggs, and those may be fun to watch for on multiple viewings.

As others have pointed out, the original trilogy used a green hue when inside the matrix. That’s missing here. Is that by design because this is an all-new matrix? Not sure. Likewise, the music isn’t as dramatic and impactful this time around. Also, the action scenes are all close-cut with fast edits. All of this, when taken together, makes for a very different experience from the trilogy.

I feel the producers missed a huge opportunity. The matrix is a unique world that could/should allow for endless storytelling. If you think about it, the entire concept is a “cinematic universe” that so many others try to build. They could have used de-aging VFX to incorporate Neo and Trinity into a different story, instead of having them older and needing to explain it. They could have rebooted a new Matrix with a new cast. They could have done a prequel with Morpheous on the hunt for other “ones” before finding Neo. I feel there were so many better – clearer – story ideas they could have pursued. Resurrections is too messy and too all over the place.

I wanted to write a few things that I liked about this movie to not make my review just negative, but try as I might, I just don’t find anything cool about Matrix 4. I could not suspend disbelief at all because from the start it seems like a joke. The movie is too self aware, making fun of itself, the studio, the fans, the characters… It simply didn’t take itself seriously. It was played as a joke/parody and guess what, it’s a completely different direction than the original trilogy.

It goes without saying that the things I liked about the first 3 movies should be found in the 4th one as well. This was branded as a sequel, not a spin off or a completely different thing. I watched Matrix 4 to get more Matrix, not something else entirely.

I was satisfied with Neo’s and Trinity’s sacrifice at the end of Matrix 3, I didn’t need them to come back at all. I loved their story and the chemistry the had and it was one of my favorite aspects about the first three movies. I rewatched those movies many times but their romance never got boring. It always kept me at the edge of my seat how Neo rescues Trinity in Matrix 3, I cry every single time, with no exception. The end of Matrix 3 when Neo is blind and Trinity sees the sky, was one of my favorite moments. They were partners and lovers and it felt sincere and I wish I had something like that, because that’s what love looks like to me. And that being said, I couldn’t get myself to care 1 iota about their relationship in Matrix 4. Their love story was over, I watched it so many times, you can’t get me anymore. It didn’t look believable, their magic was gone, they looked like a bunch of strangers with different lives.

And that’s what Matrix 4 was about, right? Neo’s and Trinity’s love story. Well, it did nothing for me.

The action was bland and cheap and it didn’t feel as epic as any of the previous movies. Not memorable in the slightest. There was no tension whatsoever, I knew the characters were going to be fine, they knew it too. The enemies were shooting and missing them point blank. What’s the point in even doing a fight scene without any stakes? For the martial arts? They sucked too! Not believable, they looked fake!

Too much cameo from the previous moves. Matrix has been out since 1999, we have watched it too many times, or the people who haven’t watched it then do yourself a favor and watch it. Don’t show it anymore! Do your own thing and tell your own story and push the envelope. A few subtle references are ok, but those were as big as elephants, effectively playing the old movie in the background. This is some shameful stuff.

There’s more to say but there’s no point. Matrix 4 had no positive effect on me at all, it wasn’t fun to watch, it wasn’t memorable and it wasn’t what I hoped to see from a Matrix sequel. It only made me disappointed. Thanks, Matrix 4.