The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/the-matrix-resurrections-spoiler-free-
review "The Matrix Resurrections is one of my biggest disappointments of the year. Lana Wachowski delivers a surprisingly meta, self-aware movie about the original trilogy packed with bold, fascinating ideas but an absolutely terrible execution. From the dreadfully unfunny, cringe-worthy brainstorming sessions about the previous films to the heavy-handed, headache-inducing exposition, the director constantly tries to tell the viewers how incredible the original trilogy is, forgetting to create a compelling, captivating story for this new installment. The gorgeous visuals and impactful score aren't good enough to elevate the shockingly average, choppy action sequences. Despite remarkable performances from Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and the standout Jessica Henwick, Resurrections just didn't work for me. If you're a fan of the franchise, I obviously recommend watching it. Just be aware that this isn't a new The Matrix movie, but instead a film about the actual saga." Rating: C-

SPOILERS!! If you believe that this story was written by Thomas Anderson in another Model, under the pressure of the peers with the help of the Analyst then it is worthy to give at least 4 stars to this movie. But I think I am not in Matrix. So just 3/5 is enough.

I was a bit confused at first, but be patient, it all sorts itself out and then it is nothing short of fantastic. The action scenes, the effects, and of course Reeves and Moss. They brought the chemistry and the bad ass - ness. The vibe was unmatched.

> The whole film is leftist TRASH! Its obvious Keanu is not behind this sham and simply did it for a paycheck! The story is terrible and BORING! CGI is the ONLY SAVE for this VERY SAD ENDING TO WHAT WAS (the first three films) the hottest and most exciting sci-fi shows ever filmed. NOBODY I KNOW thought this movie was worth the $14 Movie ticket! I actually felt dumber after having wasted money on a ticket! From now on, I'll be reading reviews for EVERY new film I want to see - before I go... What a total letdown! The last letdown was the new 007! What a JOKE! More total leftist trash! They're stealing all the best shows and turning them into a leftist socialist agenda and it REALLY SUCKS! The next 007 looks like a man, but its a WOMAN??! I MEAN, REALLY!? Get your own heroes! leave MY STAR TREK, The Matrix and JAMES BOND out of this political BS! As far as Matrix Resurrections goes... - Move along! NOTHING TO SEE HERE! Just being honest... I hate being right all the time.

Some interesting elements for sure and I still like the chemistry between Reeves and Moss was great, but everything else was pretty poor, including some of the effects. This is just another entry further proving the first film not only was special, but should've been standalone (and can still be viewed as such, just ignore 2-4). Won't say it was bad but ill-advised. **2.5/5**

I know it must be tempting to get the old cash cow out of the barn for one last miking, but this is just one temptation too far. It's not so much that the story is weak (it is), it's that it all takes far too long for the "Neo" (Keanu Reeves) and "Trinity" (Carrie-Anne Moss) characters to get up and running. Reeves has largely lost his freshness and vivacity and the baddies exude all the menace of a wet lettuce. At best the supporting casting borders on the bizarre - Jonathan Groff and Neil Patrick Harris are both far better sticking to their more familiar genres, and Jessica Henwick's "Bugs" character, though feisty, was just far too flat. The graphics are all old hat, as are the time-shifting themes and action scenes. There is plenty of gun totin', but nothing at all innovative. This was entertaining and escapist stuff first time around in 1999, but at 2½ hours this is slow and repetitive with some seriously wilting dialogue and the real time/their time narrative just bored me. It certainly looks good on a big screen, I fear what little it does have will not work at all on the television, but otherwise - sorry, this is poor.

**Nostalgia is the only thing that will make this mess enjoyable.** Welcoming exciting new characters, introducing new threats and alliances, and resurrecting classic characters seemed to promise the next chapter worth getting our hopes up. With the return of Reeves and Moss, we had even more reason to believe! And the movie was decent... but not what we had hoped. My biggest disappointment was the action sequences. What once raised the bar on choreographed fight sequences fell below its predecessors and landed in the typical shakey cam fighting we see in many lazy action movies today. Neo's force push powers also became a disappointing solution to every dangerous situation. It wasn't horrible, but in its attempt to be meta and self-aware, The Matrix Resurrections forgot what made the franchise great.

There's absolutely no reason for this movies to exist. It makes Reloaded and Revolutions look like masterpieces. For some reason, someone thought it would be a good idea to make a new Matrix movie with none of the core elements of the original Matrix. The original style is completely gone and the movie is visually generic and boring. The fights are messy and meaningless. The returning characters are forced into an extremely weak plot and are stripped of their original characteristics in favor of some new characters nobody cares about. There are lore inconsistencies all over the place and the overall goal of protagonists is pointless. Also, the meta jokes, the usage of footage from the original movie and the forced comedy moments are the worst things I've seen in recent history. What a slap in the face for Matrix fans.

This is another one of those movies where I hesitated quite some time before getting around to watch it. I was worried it was going to either be another woke Hollywood destruction of a franchise or just a mediocre money grab trying to squeeze the last drops out the franchise. I was wrong though. When the end credits started to roll I found myself having quite enjoyed the movie. Sure, it does not have the wow factor of the first movie but that one was the first with an entirely new story and concept so it is perhaps not so surprising. I would say that I easily enjoyed this one more than the third movie in the original trilogy though. They have made a story with a semi-plausible explanation as to why and how Neo is back in the Matrix and why he is alive in the first place. After a somewhat slow but not at all uninteresting beginning the movie takes of with the usual stunts, mysteries and cool special effects. The martial arts scenes are really not as impressive as in the first movie but the special effects are quite cool. There is a new bad guy, or should I say program, for Neo to confront and, again, he has some new and old friends to help him. I do miss the original Morpheus though. His replacement do not have the same carisma. Otherwise the characters are not bad. The weakest character and the only one I did not like at all was the new Smith. This guy was so cool in the original trilogy. The Smith they have in this movie is just your average mediocre Hollywood bad guy. Overall a quite enjoyable sci-fi/action movie and it was nice to see Keanu Reeves back as Neo.