THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS (2021) *** ½

I was never the biggest fan of The Matrix, but the original remains a solid sci-fi action flick.  The less said about the first two sequels (especially Reloaded), the better.  Even after being burned by the last couple of Matrix movies, I was curious to see what Lana Wachowski had up her sleeve for this belated continuation of the franchise.  

I won’t go into the detail explaining the plot to you because the characters do a good job of explaining everything already.  Some may gripe about the over-explanation of nearly every crucial detail, but I kinda liked that, mostly because Lana finally had enough of people misinterpreting and/or co-opting her franchise’s iconography.  So, what she had to do is sit down and hold your hand and tell you flat-out, “This is what it’s all about.”  She lays out her intentions in big bold print, and if you walk away still confused, you probably have half a brain to begin with.  

I myself dug the overly meta first act, although I’m sure mileages will vary all over the damn place for many viewers.  You can tell Lana put all her angst and frustrations about the success of the original trilogy on full display.  Is some of it a little on the nose?  Yes.  In fact, much of it is straight UP the nose.  However, I enjoy a movie that wears its heart on its sleeve so unashamedly.  She said in interviews she began working on the script as a coping mechanism after the passing of her parents, and you know, large chunks of the film definitely feel like a form of therapy.  I can’t speak for Lana, but I have to say that she exorcised some demons with this movie all the while simultaneously expressing herself, which is what creating art is all about.   

Like Spider-Man:  No Way Home, its optimism is its strongest suit.  It features characters acting on faith and sacrificing everything for others.  Characters who are facing impossible situations don’t say, “I can’t do this,” they say to themselves, “I haven’t done something like this… yet”.  Touches like that help separate The Matrix Resurrections from most gloomy post-apocalyptic sci-fi cyberpunk flicks.

It’s not all great though.  Like most of the Matrixes, it kind of grinds to a halt once it enters the “real” world.  The scenes of characters riding around in crappy looking spaceships evading tentacle monsters aren’t nearly as much fun as the snazzy Gun Fu shootouts that occur inside the Matrix, but that kind of goes with the territory.  Even then, the action isn’t groundbreaking like it once was.  Then again, it doesn’t need to be.  Resurrections is decidedly less showy than its predecessors, and yet at the same time feels like the most refreshing entry, just for the fact that it dares to speak its mind.  

Sometimes the plot feels a bit rushed and choppy.  In fact, they might’ve had enough footage here for two movies.  It’s hard to say what Lilly could’ve brought to the table had she been involved.  It might’ve resulted in some crisper action, but then again, we might’ve lost some of the wonderfully heartfelt moments and gratuitous exposition scenes that I found so endearing.  

Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are both quite good.  Even for someone who isn’t the world’s biggest Matrix fan, it was nice seeing them together once again.  I do wish they could’ve gotten Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving back, but while their absences are adequately explained, their replacements are definitely a downgrade.  

Ultimately, The Matrix Resurrections is a love letter to the creator, and I don’t mean God.  I’m talking about artists, filmmakers, designers, etc. who are passionate about the worlds they create for themselves and others.  It’s about stories and why those stories are so important for not only the audience, but for the storyteller as well.  It’s about how the act of storytelling is vital to our very existence, even if you’ve already told that particular story before.