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The Matrix: Resurrections (2021) Review

What Was I Expecting?



SCORE: 22/100

Directed by: Lana Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick

Synopsis: Return to a world of two realities: one, everyday life; the other, what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more.


****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD****


REVIEW:

No witty sentence or intro needed. The Matrix: Resurrections is awful. And I was so, so excited to see it. I now understand those left behind by the hype train on anything else. 

Let's go over my few good points before I rip into this film. The new additions to the cast here are great. Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff, and Jessica Henwick are all having loads of fun, especially Harris. It's fun to see Moss and Reeves together again, and their dynamic and chemistry are what make a lot of their scenes work. There are some cool visuals, and I like the ideas presented in the new human city. There's also a fun fight sequence between Reeves and Groff. That's it.

The story here is nonsensical drivel, attempting to justify reasons for these characters still being around. Any of the philosophy seems thrown out the window in favor of telling this ultra-meta story that doesn't work. For a Matrix movie, the action feels stale and the effects seem run of the mill, with some sequences just looking flat-out awful (the sequence in Trinity's bike shop for example?). The directing and editing feel exceptionally sloppy, given the director's history. Even then, it doesn't feel like she wanted to make it, given the narrative that's communicated to us in the first 30 minutes.

However the biggest sin this film commits is that it is absolutely, 100% BORING. I'm no fan of the Revolutions, and I do enjoy Reloaded, but neither of them were ever boring. I was checking my phone every ten minutes during this film to see how much time is left. It's two and a half hours, TWO AND A HALF HOURS! It feels like ten! 

I've talked before about how I feel like films don't need to exist or don't have a purpose. This exemplifies that sentiment, as the Matrix trilogy already felt complete. This is the sort of "kicking a dead horse" idea that most people often worry about with sequels that don't need to be made. It also cements that the Wachowskis were a one hit wonder with The Matrix, as every film they've made to date is just awful. Now if Lilly releases a movie on her own, we'll know it's just Lana, but until then nothing can change my mind that the Wachowskis are completely overrated. 

I'm done talking, I've just wasted these hours of my life and I don't want to get angrier. However, if you want to check it out, I'd advise it. It's proving to be one of the most divisive movies of the year, so maybe you'll really like it. I didn't. 

Final Thought: The Matrix: Resurrections is an awful, boring, and altogether unnecessary film that tries so hard to tell you it doesn't want to exist, yet here we are.

Score: 22/100

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