The Matrix: Resurrections

[Ubik]

Streamed this last night. Was somewhat surprised it wasn't awful after seeing so many 2/5 reviews. Perhaps my expectations were very low going in?

Really enjoyed the first hour of the film and found the tone quite interesting. Nice set up and some fun ideas. The second hour, not so much. What was a promising start quickly descends into cheap looking action scenes that compare very badly to the original film. There are no meaningful stakes, and therefore a lack of tension. We get none of those big spectacle action sequences that defined the original trilogy (perhaps this is intentional). I struggled to stay as engaged. The minute we exit the Matrix, it's all downhill and a bit nonsensical.

What I did enjoy were all the little quips and in jokes, and the generally deeply self referential tone of the film. Some of the social commentary is a bit on the nose, and the last 5 mins made me cringe a lot. The audience clearly needs THE MESSAGE SPELLING OUT IN BIG FLASHING LETTERS... Sigh... Lana definitely needs to learn that we don't need every point hammering home like this. The motifs are there for everyone to unpack, and it really doesn't need spoon feeding to the audience. Really quite off putting as a viewer.

I definitely enjoyed it more that Reloaded and Revolutions and fun to see some of the Sense8 crew in the supporting cast (that really don't do anything of worth, but it was fun). Not sure it needed making but it kept me lightly entertained for an evening. For a film that has seemed so polarising within the Matrix fandom, I was fairly 'meh' about it. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. 6/10 for effort. 4/10 for execution.

[Jan]

I'm surprised at how people seem to adore it or hate it. This is the first mixed review I think I've seen!

[Ubik]

I'm surprised at how people seem to adore it or hate it. This is the first mixed review I think I've seen!

I found it hard to really hate on the film when it's VERY aware of what it is, and even pokes fun at itself quite often. It definitely has more joy to it than Reloaded and Revolutions. It's a bit of a mess in terms of plotting, but I don't expect too much from the Wachowskis these days.

[Jan]

I found it hard to really hate on the film when it's VERY aware of what it is, and even pokes fun at itself quite often. It definitely has more joy to it than Reloaded and Revolutions. It's a bit of a mess in terms of plotting, but I don't expect too much from the Wachowskis these days.

Only one, of them, I thought? Just Lana?

[Ubik]

Only one, of them, I thought? Just Lana?

Yes, correct. I guess I am so used to them producing together, that it feels natural to use the plural when describing the overall quality of film output since the first Matrix, which has been patchy at best.

[Looney]

I definitely agree that I think I enjoyed the overall product more than I enjoyed RELOADED or REVOLUTIONS. Having more time to think about it I think this is DEFINITELY setup for bigger sequels and a rekindled war, but who knows.

[Ubik]

Having more time to think about it I think this is DEFINITELY setup for bigger sequels and a rekindled war, but who knows.

Good lord I hope not. Surely the central message of this film is that it's strongly anti-reboot / sequel. The film spends a lot of time railing against Hollywood going back to beloved franchises and nostalgia. It spends a good deal of its run time poking fun at itself. It felt like the perfect closer for the trilogy and a big middle finger to reboots. I think that's what pissed so many fans off, hence all the 2/5 reviews because it didn't do what fans wanted it to.

It was muddled as hell, but kinda cute... was my takeaway. I wish they'd committed to that tone in the first hour and hardly had any actions scenes.

I would have been fine with Neo and Trinity having a chat over a coffee for 2 hours, maybe having a Coffee IN BULLET TIME discussing college level Philosophy? ERGO..

[Looney]

Good lord I hope not. Surely the central message of this film is that it's strongly anti-reboot / sequel. The film spends a lot of time railing against Hollywood going back to beloved franchises and nostalgia. It spends a good deal of its run time poking fun at itself. It felt like the perfect closer for the trilogy and a big middle finger to reboots. I think that's what pissed so many fans off, hence all the 2/5 reviews because it didn't do what fans wanted it to.

I wanted to make the joke that you have to tell Warner Brothers there will be no more sequels, but I think the Box Office receipts already took care of that possibility.

[Jonas]

As someone who thinks that Reloaded and Revolutions are masterpieces, truly some of the greatest works of science fiction in the medium, I found Resurrections to be rather disappointing. The story was... not exactly terrible, but half-hearted, underdeveloped, and unnecessary. I appreciated that the achievements of the characters weren't entirely erased, but the story should have ended where it did, with Neo making peace with the machines. (And why they felt the need to poop all over Morpheus, especially after not having Laurence Fishburne in the movie... that almost felt like some sort of personal vendetta.)

The worst thing about it, though, is that it didn't have *any* of the incredible visual and musical flair of the originals. Every single scene in the original trilogy is breathtaking. Resurrections felt like an average episode of TV, far less visually interesting than an episode of Sense8. All the weight and seriousness and artistic ambition of the original trilogy is lost, which means that the parts of the story that do feel meaningful have nothing to back them up. I could not believe this was a Wachowski movie. Maybe the singular is the problem there, I don't know.

Parts of the movie did remind me of the problems I had with the Sense8 finale, though. It all felt too easy and kind of lifeless. Good sentiments, and good things happening to characters I like, but a story that feels more like fan fiction of itself.

[Ubik]

As someone who thinks that Reloaded and Revolutions are masterpieces, truly some of the greatest works of science fiction in the medium, I found Resurrections to be rather disappointing. The story was... not exactly terrible, but half-hearted, underdeveloped, and unnecessary. I appreciated that the achievements of the characters weren't entirely erased, but the story should have ended where it did, with Neo making peace with the machines. (And why they felt the need to poop all over Morpheus, especially after not having Laurence Fishburne in the movie... that almost felt like some sort of personal vendetta.)

The worst thing about it, though, is that it didn't have *any* of the incredible visual and musical flair of the originals. Every single scene in the original trilogy is breathtaking. Resurrections felt like an average episode of TV, far less visually interesting than an episode of Sense8. All the weight and seriousness and artistic ambition of the original trilogy is lost, which means that the parts of the story that do feel meaningful have nothing to back them up. I could not believe this was a Wachowski movie. Maybe the singular is the problem there, I don't know.

Parts of the movie did remind me of the problems I had with the Sense8 finale, though. It all felt too easy and kind of lifeless. Good sentiments, and good things happening to characters I like, but a story that feels more like fan fiction of itself.

I'm still waiting for them to make a GOOD film outside of the original Matrix film. Beyond that, I see very little proof they have anything of worth left in the tank. I still don't buy that the Matrix wasn't supposed to be a 'done in one' film. The Trilogy feels tacked on, and was made primarily because The Matrix made so much money and was a surprise hit. But, apples and oranges... loads of people dig the following two... and they are totally entitled to that. Just, not for me!

[Jonas]

The original is kind of standalone. But Reloaded and Revolutions aren't more of the same, they really question the premise of the original in profound ways. They are far more politically and philosophically complex. (And the visuals... there's nothing like that being made nowadays. And I don't mean effects, I mean aesthetics.)

[AstroBoy]

I watched this over the weekend. I'm glad I had it on streaming, as I'd have been upset if I spent the money for a theater experience on this. I found it underwhelming and unnecessary. There was no magic to it like the original film. I do like how they poked fun at the idea of sequels and reboots, but in that case why make this film? Was it just because WB was going to weather the Ws were involved or not? If so, I'd have just left it alone and let someone else do it and fail (or not).

I found the visuals meh, and I HATED being beat over the head with the whole Meta self-aware BS.

I'll condem this to the dustbin of history.

[Ubik]

I HATED being beat over the head with the whole Meta self-aware BS.

.

I've always found that a problematic aspect of Lana's writing / film making, the astounding lack of awareness that an audience can fully grasp the message without having it spelled out in block capitals. The last 5 mins of Resurrections was pure cringe. Sense8 was also guilty of this same kind of black and white moralising and for me, diminished the power of the central message a lot. I'm still astounded that with 3 writers on the script and it turned out so poorly.

[Looney]

I definitely need to watch it again. I'm hoping to have a better reaction the 2nd time around. I didn't hate it the first time around, but I also wonder how much of my enjoyment was tied to a few of the things they did right, like add so many SENSE8 cast members, versus actually quality. I have since watched HAMILTON (2020) again. Jonathan Groff is soooo great in that as King George.?