“The Matrix Resurrections” Chinese Theatrical Poster
Director: Lana Wachowski
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jada Pinkett Smith, Daniel Bernhardt, Christina Ricci, Michael X. Sommers
Running Time: 148 min.
By Paul Bramhall
Making a sequel to a trilogy that re-defined the Hollywood action aesthetic 18 years after the last entry was always going to be a tall order, however in 2021 The Matrix Resurrections landed with a welcome sense of nostalgia. I confess The Matrix was a big deal for me. Released in 1999, it was the movie that opened my 18-year-old self’s eyes to the world of Hong Kong action cinema, inadvertently kick-starting a (so far) life-long addiction. The Matrix Reloaded leaned into the HK action influence even more, and despite its shortcomings, the fact that it was packed to the brim with fight scenes made it’s more dubious choices forgivable (I can even enjoy the blatantly CGI parts of the multiple-Agent Smith fight scene). The Matrix Revolutions saw the anime influence come to the fore, however the decision to have most of it play out in the ‘real world’ resulted in a movie that felt tonally flat, easily marking it as the weakest of the trilogy.
Understandably, many were hoping that The Matrix Resurrections would capture the magic of the original. Returning to the directors’ chair is Lana Wachowski, this time without her sister Lilly, who she helmed all 3 of the original trilogy with back when they were known as the Wachowski Brothers. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss also return as destined lovers Neo and Trinity, however beyond a scattering of other returning cast members, this latest entry brings onboard a host of new faces. For the script Wachowski has teamed up with writers David Mitchell and Aleksander Hemon, all of whom have collaborated together before on the Wachowski’s Sense8 series. The plot this time around sees Reeves back as game programmer Thomas Anderson. His status as a programmer is legendary, having created the original Matrix trilogy 20 years ago, and he’s been toying with the idea of making a fourth.
If you’re scratching your head at this point, you’re not alone. Pulled away from his desk, adorned with figurines of Morpheus and Trinity, his boss (played by Jonathan Groff, Hamilton) lets him know that their parent company, Warner Brothers, are insisting on a sequel. Whether he likes it or not, The Matrix IV is going to get made. Cue a literal bombardment of meta-references as we join Reeves in brainstorming sessions with his colleagues (chaired by Christina Ricci in a blink and you’ll miss it role) – we get knowing references to if The Matrix was really about trans-politics, speeches about how a reboot would be more successful than trying something original, and quips about bullet time. When not talking about what a new instalment of The Matrix would need to deliver, Reeves is in therapy sessions with his analyst (played by Neil Patrick Harris, Starship Troopers) trying to decipher what’s real and what’s in his head.
If The Matrix Resurrections does anything right, then it grabs your attention from the get-go, taking a direction that’s both daring and dangerous, and likely to either alienate or excite. I was reminded of Wes Craven’s New Nightmare more than once during these scenes, however when dealing with subject matter as weighty as perceived realities and fantastical delusions, the script sometimes struggles to stay on the right side of pretentiousness. Are we really going to buy-in to the fact that the original trilogy was just a series of video games created by an anxious game programmer behind a desk? In terms of plot, to go into any greater detail would inevitably (as Agent Smith would say) involve going into spoiler territory, however needless to say Reeves doesn’t remain as Thomas Anderson for the duration, perhaps indicated best by one of his own lines – “I still know kung fu.”
There’s a lot to process in Wachowski’s latest, and the weight of committing to be something fresh and original while at the same time paying homage to the original trilogy (a number of split-second flashbacks to them are inserted at various points as if to enforce the connection) is one which is felt on several occasions. Ultimately though, stripped down The Matrix Resurrections is there to continue the love story between Neo and Trinity, now distant strangers to each other in their every day lives. Carrie-Anne Moss is now Tiffany, a busy Mum married with 3 kids (look out for Chad Stahelski – Reeves’ stunt double in the original and director of the John Wick flicks – cameoing as her husband), with Reeves left to look at her longingly in the café they both frequent for their coffee fix. When they finally interact they both feel a connection, but is it only because Reeves based the character of Trinity in his games on her appearance?
It’s not too much of a spoiler to say that proceedings eventually end up in the Matrix we know and expect. There’s a new crew to hang out with, of which Jessica Henwick (aka the best thing about Iron Fist) is placed at the fore as Bugs, and Morpheus has been reborn as a program played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (the Candy Man remake from the same year). As a replacement for Laurence Fishburne (who at least appears as a statue), Abdul-Mateen II does a worthy job of reimagining the character, replacing the “theatre” of Fishburne’s take with a more straight-talking approach. The decision to imbue the role with a level of self-knowing humour will likely be divisive, however for the most part it works. The rest of the crew remain largely interchangeable, now paired up with friendly machines that result in some of the narratives more cringe worthy moments – high fiving cybernetic stick insects anyone?
While the most glaring omission in front of the camera may be Laurence Fishburne, look behind it, and depending on how much you consider the action element to be an important part of what makes a Matrix movie, the other original alumni missing in action is Yuen Woo-Ping (although we do briefly get a flash of Fist of Legend playing on a TV screen, which Woo-Ping choreographed). The legendary HK choreographer left his stamp on Hollywood forever with his work in The Matrix, however no second unit was utilised this time around, with Wachowski directing the action herself and fight choreography duty going to Joshua Grothe, assisted by Ulrik Bruchholz. Both have worked with Wachowski before, with Grothe being the main fight choreographer for Sense8, and Bruchholz was a stuntman on both Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending. As painful as it is to say, the weakest aspect of The Matrix Resurrections is exactly that – the action.
Filmed too close, choppily edited, and lacking any real impact, Woo-Ping’s touch is sorely missed. Wachowski inexplicably sets herself up for failure from the get-go by having the opening scene be a re-creation of Trinity’s first fight from The Matrix, which also marked the first time for audiences to get a taste of bullet time. None of the awe is there this time around, and bullet time isn’t even used, so we just watch a second-rate re-tread of the original version. At its worse, a brawl against multiple agents sees the return of The Matrix Reloaded’s The Merovingian (played by a returning Lambert Wilson, Catwoman), and the fight continuously cuts away to him yelling about the virtues of the arts, breaking up the already choppy flow even more. Poor editing choices aside, the hits here feel soft and powerless, and while bullets are sprayed liberally, they frequently seem inconsequential to whoever it is they’re being aimed at.
Resulting in a final reel that takes more than a leaf or two out of Yeon Sang-ho’s Peninsula finale, the lack of any standout moments is The Matrix Resurrection’s biggest detriment, failing to add anything significant to the overall Matrix lore, and delivering action that feels distinctly uninspired. In one scene Jada Pinkett Smith, who returns as Niobe, tells Neo that part of why the Matrix is so dangerous is that it fills our heads with noise. It feels like the same criticism could be applied to The Matrix Resurrections – it’s almost 2:30 hours runtime is filled with a lot of noise, and its only underneath all that noise you realise that, at its core, it’s a love story between a guy and a girl. Perhaps Wachowski’s biggest mistake is thinking that the story she wanted to tell needed to be a Matrix movie at all, as if it had just been allowed to be the story it wants to be, minus all of The Matrix baggage, it would arguably have been a much better one.
Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 5.5/10
I am a big fan of Matrix trilogy. I watched Matrix Resurrection this evening and it missed the Mark big time. This was a waste of film, digital media and should have never been done. I was not expecting it would be as good as the first three, But I at least thought it would be worth watching. I could not have been more wrong… This was the biggest disappointment of the year!
I probably would have hated the movie if my expectations were high, and despite feeling somewhat satisfied, I generally agree with most of the criticisms of this flick.
I thought Jonathan Eusebio was the main fight choreographer, but it makes sense that Wachowski would work closely with her Sense8 people. It was pretty annoying to have that action scene constantly intercut with a complaining Lambert Wilson who’s return was ultimately a huge waste. (At first, I thought he was the train man from Revolutions.)
Some people say this movie was meant to be a middle finger to the fact that a fourth movie would have been made even without Wachowski’s involvement. It seems like one could have a several hour conversation about any scene in the movie being a metaphor for whatever.
There’s no plans on there being a follow-up but, who knows what could change.
Yeah I also kept my expectations in check, but the more it trundled along through the epic runtime, the more it seemed to derail itself after a promising start. Eusebio was on stunt coordinator duty, more than likely a creative choice since he was the fight choreographer for the ‘John Wick’ flicks, and having him in the same role may have resulted in too many similarities between the franchises action scenes (not to mention the fact that Keanu Reeves is basically sporting his John Wick look in this movie!).
The return of Lambert Wilson as The Merovingian was the lowlight of the entire production. I mean he was only really tolerable in ‘The Matrix Reloaded’ thanks to the presence of Monica Bellucci, and the decision of how to use his character here was simply insufferable.
Leaving out Yuen Woo-Ping dragged the flick down even before filming. It’s fate was practically sealed.
Paul, it seems like we felt the same about all aspects of this film.
I was expecting it to be a mixed bag at best, with some cool moments, but was still let down. The last thing I ever expected to feel during a MATRIX film was “How much longer ’til this is over? I’m bored.” But that’s exactly how I felt.
Of all things, for this filmmaker to do everything wrong with the action scenes… I’m left dumbfounded by the choices that were made,
Couldn’t agree more KFB. The original trilogy was never just about the action, but I don’t think it could ever be said that action isn’t an intrinsic part of what makes a Matrix movie. I always thought Chad Stahelski’s interview with Collider last year was very cautiously worded when it came to his and David Leitch’s involvement, limiting their scope to providing input on the “creative concept of some of the choreography”. Now that the final product is out there, the tactful distancing makes a lot of sense. Wachowski isn’t an action director, and it shows through in every one of the action scenes.
First bullet time ever = Saint Seiya: The battle with Eris (1987).
I wanted this to be a worthy addition to the trilogy but this is just way off the mark. Introducing WB as the bad guy for the first act and the doing a cosplay remake of the trilogy for the rest of the film. Oh dear. This is definitive proof that Master YWP did more than just choreograph on the OT. The action in this film is shot and edited by people who say they are action film fans rather than people who know how to make action films
Great review – I would have preferred more Neo and Trinity screentime – they were easily the best part of the film.
I didn’t hate this, But it’s shocking how bad and choppy the action is here. It’s almost criminal considering it’s a Matrix film.