“The Matrix Resurrections” (2021) / Z-View
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Jada Pinkett Smith, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Christina Ricci and Freema Agyeman.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…I loved The Matrix. It was a genre-changing film that’s impact spread throughout pop culture. The Matrix was well-written, well directed, featured the perfect cast and told a complete story. Any sequel would be hard-pressed to live up to the original.
The two Matrix films that followed were entertaining but didn’t (couldn’t) match what came first.Eighteen years later we get a fourth Matrix movie aptly titled The Matrix Resurrections. Thankfully Lana Wachowski (who co-wrote & co-directed the original Matrix trilogy with her sister Lilly Wachowski) returned to co-write (with a new team) and direct The Matrix Resurrections. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, the stars of the original trilogy, also returned. Surprisingly word leaked out that had not Wachowski agreed to return Warner Bros. was still prepared to create a fourth film.
When The Matrix Resurrections begins we find Thomas Anderson (Neo) is a middle-aged man working for an entertainment company. His claim to fame is that years before he created an interactive video game called The Matrix that revolutionized the industry. Now the company wants a new version. (Sounds like film imitating reality, right?)
Wha-? Wait a minute. Neo is a middle aged computer gaming programmer? But? But? And what about Trinity? What about -?
Hang on. All will be explained.
The set-up of The Matrix Resurrections places Thomas Anderson/Neo in a situation where he begins to remember all that came before, but questions the memory’s reality and his sanity. Mr. Anderson is seeing a therapist to work out his issues, but the therapist may not have Anderson’s best interests in mind. As Anderson/Neo comes to grips with true reality, he realizes that his decisions will save or kill Trinity… and perhaps the world.
The Matrix Resurrections is very self-aware with in-jokes and nods to the first films. That along with seeing Neo and Trinity back on the big-screen are the things I liked best about the new film. There are good action scenes and it’s interesting to see how self-referential they’ve made the movie.
The problem for me is I didn’t want to see a film where Neo and Trinity didn’t live happily ever-after. We’ve spent three movies watching them fall in love, sacrifice all for the other and finally got the chance to be together in a more perfect world. In The Matrix Resurrections we learn that sixty years have passed, Neo and Trinity are not together. That’s a pretty off-putting set-up. At this point after three movies we don’t want to learn that all that came before was for nothing. Still, the concept, action, love story and good will the characters have developed over four movies keep me invested.
Over all I enjoyed The Matrix Resurrections. It’s not on the same level as the original, but is as good as the second two films in the series. I rate it 3 of 5 stars.
