The Matrix Resurrections is the fourth film in The Matrix film franchise, produced, co-written and directed by Lana Wachowski. The film picks after the events of The Matrix Revolutions in 2003, offering us a peek into the fate of Keanu Reeves’ Neo. We have Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith reprise in their roles from previous films as Neo, Trinity and Niobe, respectively. Meanwhile, they are joined by new cast members including Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Christina Ricci, who play characters both old and new. The film has an approximate runtime of 2 hours 30 minutes.
– HBO’s The Matrix Resurrections review does not contain spoilers –
The Matrix Resurrections: Going Down the Rabbit Hole One More Time
The Matrix is an iconic cult classic that will never be forgotten. No matter how many sequels come one after the other, fans are always going to appreciate and find different ways to love the film. Yet The Matrix Resurrections seems to walk on a sheet of thin ice, waiting to break and fall or make it through, filled with a rush of adrenaline.
It’s been 20 years or, 60, depending on who is telling the story, when we meet Neo- a virtual game designer living within the Matrix world, again and has is now the designer of a game called ‘The Matrix’ which has won him awards, acclaim but, not ridden him of his despair. There’s Trinity too, now called Tiffany and Agent Smith, who isn’t an agent this time around but rather, with a new face, is Neo’s Business partner. Morpheus returns too, not quite the way you’d expect him to and there’s Sati, who does the most essential brain work in the entire film.
The Matrix Resurrections is not very different from The Matrix. From the way, it starts (Trinity and the phone call) to the way it unfolds to the ultimate end. A new bunch of people are trying to free Neo from The Matrix but, it isn’t as easy as it looks for Neo continues to disbelieve the fact that the world he is living in is a simulated reality. But, according to The Matrix Revolutions, Neo should have died and we already know that Trinity is dead- so how are they alive and walking within The Matrix, so close yet so far?
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To answer these questions and more, The Matrix Resurrections take you through a world of nostalgia, Kung Fu and the shimmering love story of Neo and Trinity that not only grounds pretty much the entire film franchise but also serves a bigger message of how love can make or break it all. Lana Wachowski puts her heart on a sleeve as she presents before us this fourth instalment and, if you are not someone who can see beyond the Matrix code lines and fight sequences and the War, this film will not live up to your expectations.
The Matrix Resurrections: The Anderson & The Smith of This Film
It’s been always known how Thomas Anderson (aka Neo) and Agent Smith have represented the two extremes of the same coin- a man with a choice and a purpose and a man with a purpose without a choice, respectively. In a simpler way, if Thomas is the white and Smith is the black residing in the grey of the Matrix- the positive and the negative. Let us have a look at The Matrix Resurrections along the same lines.
For The Matrix Resurrections, there are certain aspects of the film which serve us a delightful Anderson: The flashbacks that hit you with a rush of nostalgia that only true Matrix fans can experience; The brilliant actors who are delightful in their old roles, as well as new- Keanu Reeves, is vulnerable but faithful, Priyanka Chopra & Jessica Henwick are women who stand out in a crowded room and most importantly, Carrie-Anne Moss who shines as Trinity like never before; The fight sequences are outdated and the frequent slow-mo is too slow for this generation, but as they both are iconic and unique to the fill franchise it is acceptable.
The Smith areas of the film are rather evil on our brains and hearts: The entire narrative breaks like an undercooked cake around the edges and lacks flavour in the core; There is a lack of explanation for most things, be it how is the relationship of the Machine City with Io or, why is Smith fighting but also helping Neo; The dialogues are all over the place, just like the villain in this film and it is hard to recreate or bring back the panic, fear and the feeling of relief the first three films gave us.
The Matrix Resurrections: Final Verdict
Although The Matrix Resurrections fails to give a memorable film in terms of cinema, it does a great job of just reviving the characters and their memories in our heads. The revamp of Morpheus and Agent Smith are hard to accept but, they grow on you as the film progresses. With many intriguing ideas all put together, it felt the film had a hard time breathing sometimes. Otherwise, it felt like being close to home after a long time, if not exactly at home.
You can watch The Matrix Resurrections now in theatres near you. The film is also streaming on HBO Max for viewing.
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