'The Matrix: Resurrections' Is Really Good

I can't believe that's a friggin hot take but here we are.

I mentioned in a previous article that I felt like I was going insane because the reviews for this movie are so largely middling or un-positive. Some people even seem to be of the opinion that this movie is somehow an attack against the older Matrix films which...no it isn't? I partially blame this on the landscape of Youtube film criticism popularizing hyperbolic negativity for clicks over real criticism (The Matrix 4 is a DUMPSTER FIRE, it's THE WORST MOVIE EVER MADE, The Last Jedi ASSAULTED MY CHILDHOOD, etc.).

The funniest part is that the movie not only knows that a portion of its audience isn't going to like it, it knows exactly WHY they aren't going to like it (there's a roundtable game design meeting that takes place early on in the film that has a very meta conversation about "what the Matrix is"). But that hasn't stopped critics from playing into those things (and a few other, stupider complaints like "the effects are bad". No they aren't.) without a whiff of self-awareness. This movie was not made to pathetically, pleadingly pander to series fans (and their wallets) like so many other, lesser sequels. As far as studio mandated sequels go, this is an intensely personal project about the people who made the Matrix, and the people who grew up with it, and it has a surprising amount to say.

Now, it's virtually impossible to discuss this movie without discussing the one central "spoiler" that makes up the basic premise so if you have no interest in knowing what that is, please look away now knowing that I recommend the movie and I think it's a lot of fun.

Right? Ok? Here it comes.

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Alright so yes The Matrix is back, and Neo is stuck in it again (unbeknownst to him at first, and yes the movie does answer the question of how he and Trinity are alive after the third film), this time in the form of Thomas Anderson (but different), a man who is famous for making the classic 1999 video game...The Matrix. That's right, his memories have been made into a video game so that the machines can keep him convinced of this reality. In case you're wondering, yes, this plot device allows the movies cast to have a hilariously unsubtle series of conversations about "what The Matrix is", and it allows Lana to vent about how Warner Brothers was going to make this movie with or without her, but it's also more than just a base for metatextual jokes.

It allows us to explore Neo as a man who's grown up from the edgy youth that we knew in the original trilogy. I mention in my mini review that the movie has grown with its audience; the same Neo that was all about fighting the power and thought that maybe he was starting to make some reasonable headway is now shocked to have very recently (*cough subtle cough*) learned that his fight, while it did lead to peace for a time, is still going on. He is now older, tired, disillusioned, and wondering if fighting the power actually got them anywhere, if it was worth everything he sacrificed, and if he still has it in him to fight for what's right. Sound familiar to anyone? So, what do you fight for when everything seems pointless? Well, in case the previous films didn't make it clear, love. That's essentially this movie's central conceit; love is worth it.

Yes, it's played exactly that corny, and the last act of the movie is basically an action-romance starring Reeves and Anne-Moss, but I kinda loved that. Call me a sap but the last half hour or so of this movie is nothing short of heartwarming, and I didn't realize how much I would enjoy that until it was unfolding in front of me. It's always refreshing to have a movie with an unabashedly happy ending.

Lana is here to say that The Matrix isn't just an action movie, it's not just the fresh new thing, it's not just bullet time, it's not just a critique of capitalist exploitation or a rumination on gender identity; it can be all of these things, but mostly it's a storytelling device through which we can examine our shared human experience, and in this case, it's a story about trauma, loss, hope, and love. To have a studio mandate that you create a follow up to a genre-defining trilogy 20 years down the line, and to then turn that into something so personal, so full of heart and meaning, is nothing short of incredible. When I think of how thoroughly steeped in cynicism this movie could have been under any other director, I'm blown away by just how upbeat and uncompromised the whole affair feels.

Alright, very light spoilers to follow here.

This isn't to dance around the other things that are important to a Matrix film, of course. While the Matrix may not be solely defined by the things mentioned above, they are still an important aspect, and this movie doesn't skimp on them. The action ranges from serviceable to quite exciting, especially once Neo starts rediscovering himself. While none of the action scenes are as memorable as the first film (again, few action scenes are), they are all enjoyable in their own right, and the older members of the cast clearly still have the chops.

The acting is pretty great across the board; Reeves and Anne-Moss handle a lot of the heavy lifting, but the newcomers are excellent all around, with John Groff likely being the standout, able to capture a rejuvenated, more energetic Smith. My goodness, the scene where he first begins to remember himself almost gave me chills, he really captures the spirit of Hugo Weavings character. Who really ends up stealing the show, however, is Neil Patrick-Harris as the Analyst, able to convey a snarky overconfidence that plays to phenomenal effect whenever the movie sets him loose (and he really sells the thinly-veiled critique of late-stage capitalism that his character spouts off without making it sound like a joke).

The plot moves along at a good clip, with very few areas even beginning to drag (the scene with the exiles goes on for a little longer than it should as we keep cutting back to The Merovingian, a character whose entire role in this movie is to play a painfully on the nose Boomer proxy, complaining about how much better the Matrix used to be). The clever ways that the movie uses its plot to inform its metatextual elements, and vice versa, makes all of the unsubtle commentary feel a little more earned and a little less intrusive. The story itself is fairly simple and doesn't really tread any new ground, but as a reintroduction to this universe it gets the job done well. I love that the vibe inside the Matrix itself has switched up from "bland, dull, logistical corporate nightmare" to "modern, energetic semi-dystopia in which capitalism subtly permeates every aspect of life with fake positivity to keep people complacent", very subtle Lana, I like where you took it.

Alright that was a lot of good, but I do have to be fair, it's not a perfect movie after all. Some of the obviously well choreographed action is kneecapped by quick cutting or confusing shot composition, so the action scenes aren't always up to snuff with those in previous films. There are a few scenes where the dialogue that we cut away to during important moments doesn't always feel necessary, especially so during that exiles scene (it's a real mixed bag, that scene, torn between an exciting fight and a group of characters that we just do not care about). The exposition to get us up to speed on what's happening can feel like a bit much at times. Also, while it didn't bother me personally, I can understand why some people may have thought that the meta commentary was a bit heavy-handed (I mean, The Matrix has never been a series that I would associate with subtlety, but to each their own).

And so, there we have it. Lana has released what is sure to be a pretty divisive film, a film that (kinda) challenges the common perceptions of an established series (again, this depends on what you think makes a Matrix film) with mixed results. Does it ever top the subway fight or the training bout from the first film? Heck no. Does it top the Smith/Morpheus interrogation scene from the first film? Definitely not. I'm not sure that it's trying to. But, it's a good movie, and one that brings so much fun and heart to the affair that it's really hard not to like. Oh and it's way better than either of the original sequels.

4/5, a solid return to form and a ton of fun to boot.