Written by Alexander Reams
73/100
Legend has it that every year after the infamous The Matrix: Revolutions hit theatres, Warner Bros. executives continually contacted the Wachowskis yearly to try and entice the duo to return to The Matrix franchise. For 16 years they were unsuccessful, until 2019 when Lana Wachowski lost both her parents and a close friend in a short period of time. Soon after she conceived the idea for Resurrections, and went to Warner Bros. with the idea. Lana returned to the series as the sole director, with Lilly giving her blessing to the production. Production powered through the COVID-19 pandemic, and soon we began to see footage from the film, that (thankfully) gave nothing away, only showing beautiful visuals and the return of our 2 favorite freedom fighters (fictional, that is).
Going into this, all I knew was Neo was back, Trinity was back, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was in it, more than enough to sell me on a continuation to one of my favorite franchises, and it did not disappoint. I won’t give away any of the plot, as it is key to know as little as possible. What I will tell you is that the film is visually gorgeous, and is a return to form for Lana Wachowski, not only as a director but as a writer. A film that could be as dense as concrete (and to a degree is) is understandable, succeeding in being meta, self-aware, and still propelling the original intent of the trilogy, the relationship between Neo and Trinity. Putting the characters first and action second has been a staple of The Matrix since its inception.
Not all is perfect in this new world, Resurrections frequently gets bogged down in heavy exposition that belittles the audience’s intelligence. However, this can be forgiven because it is delivered by a fantastic ensemble supporting the iconic duo of Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne-Moss. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as a Morpheus, Jessica Henwick (in a star-making performance) as Bugs, Jonathan Groff as a Smith, Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson if he were in The Matrix (The Analyst), Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe, and Lambert Wilson as The Merovingian. While the former did get on my nerves during his glorified cameo, it was a nice touch to see him again. Resurrections leans on a fantastic ensemble, truly breathtaking visuals, and allows us all to reenter the mesmerizing world of The Matrix.
The Matrix Resurrections Trailer
The Matrix Resurrections is in wide theatrical release and streaming on HBO Max.
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