‘The Matrix Resurrections’ roars to life thanks to Lana Wachowski, who produced, co-wrote, and directed the film without frequent collaborator and sibling Lily Wachowski. The movie was made by Warner Media who gave it a limited run in theaters and released it on the HBO Max streaming service.

Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is a video game programmer who is famous for creating an RPG titled “The Matrix.” He is still recovering from a mental breakdown, but his business partner (Jonathan Groff) wants him to do a fourth game. He visits his analyst (Neil Patrick Harris), who prescribes him a mysterious blue pill. One day, Anderson runs into Tiffany (Carrie-Anne Moss), a married woman who seems familiar. After this, he is greeted by Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and Bugs (Jessica Henwick) who tell him that his reality is not what he thinks it is. The Matrix is real and he has been trapped inside it for reasons unknown. Is a red pill the cure for it?

First of all, most of the cast was pretty great. Reeves and Moss returned to their roles with ease, picking up right where they left off. I also liked Harris, who is one of the most underrated actors of our time. The supporting cast was decent, but a lot of them were not given enough for their characters to evolve so they were difficult to connect with on a human level.

I said “most” of the cast. Laurence Fishburne should have returned as Morpheus. The new actor just was not convincing enough to be the character and while they tried to force it on you, it failed on so many levels. They should have made him an original character. The same goes for the new Agent Smith. Hugo Weaving had scheduling conflicts, but I think they should have worked with him because his replacement just did not fit.

Now, I do not need to go into a deep dive of all of the ridiculous meta-humor they tried to make funny, complaining about nostalgia while grifting on it, or slow pacing to tell you that this movie was just mediocre. The movie felt like one long build-up, but when it gets to climax, there is no payoff. It just kind of ends and leaves it wide open for a sequel. Now, it is better than its immediate predecessor, but that is a low bar. It was just one long revisit of the first trilogy with no standing on its own. It was also too long. So much could have been cut or some scenes sped up, but it wanted to get everything in there.

Bottom line, The Matrix Resurrections is a missed opportunity. It wanted to rely so much on the past, while also trying to force the audience to accept the new reality. It was not as bad as other attempts to revive older IPs, but it could have been so much better with a few story tweaks.

FAVORITE QUOTE: This is where the dream ended.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Strong foul language, Sci-fi violence, Adult situations

Check out the trailer below:

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my reviews of Last Night in Soho and King Richard. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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