The Matrix: Resurrections (2021) Dir: Lana Wachowski
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So, here we are. The turn of one of the most iconic sci-fi trilogies ever to be rebooted - how ironic. Going into this, I was more than ready to see a substandard repeat of the first film with some weird recasting thrown in.
Now, that is, to an extent, what we got. However, there was actually a lot more to like about this film than I, or indeed most people I suspect, expected or hoped.
As you would imagine, the film is visually stunning - it manages to pay homage to the original trilogies aesthetic whilst simultaneously blending in a new one of its own - something I feel is a welcome development.
The sound design was, for the most part, well executed. It just about managed to tow the all important line between too loud action and too quiet dialogue.
As far as the action scenes went, I would've liked it if they had stuck to their Hong Kong roots a bit more. They're still very well choreographed, thanks to the return of Yuen Woo-Ping as fight coordinator, but the camerawork itself is counterproductive and leaves the scenes feeling a little over-produced and jumpy.
The meta commentary, whilst funny at points, was so frequent and so on the nose that it became just a little much.
Narratively, the story is not exactly the strongest, but then again, what should we expect from a nostalgia-fueled sequel made twenty years after the fact?
It must be said, there is a functioning narrative to this film - though it does seem to cling desperately to the prior films at times.
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss return as their iconic characters - their performances aren't amazing but honestly, I don't think it matters, it was still really cool to see them back - which I guess is the whole point of making this film.
Jessica Henwick's character was definitely included for younger or newer audiences to enjoy more. I don't dislike her or anything, but her character felt a little too forced down our throats at points.
Neil Patrick Harris features pretty heavily in this film and honestly, I'm undecided about how I feel about it. His character is fine, my issue is more with his casting. I don't really rate him as a serious actor if I'm honest - I would've preferred someone else.
Jada Pinkett Smith is another returning actor, her performance is alright, she does well enough with the evolution of her character I would say. And now we come to the recastings.
Jonathan Groff comes in as Mr Smith, formerly played by Hugo Weaving. I think Groff is a pretty underrated actor, and he does pretty well to be honest. Obviously, he's not the same, but I don't mind the change that much.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II also comes in as a replacement, this time as Morpheus; originally played by Laurence Fishburne. I really don't know what I think of this. The character felt like a strange step away from the previous one.
He had some positive moments; I quite liked Abdul-Mateen's oozing charisma at points - though this was noticeably absent from other parts of the film. I would've preferred if he was an entirely separate character if I'm honest.
He would've been much easier to enjoy. Overall, I'd say this film was doomed to suffer the same fate as the 2003 sequels in that it could never truly compare to the 1999 original. It relies heavily on nostalgia to make its way, though it definitely has some real positives to it.
To be honest, as long as you can accept that the film was realistically never going to match the original's lofty standards, you will likely enjoy this one.
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