The Matrix Resurrections

Almost 20 years after the Matrix sequels - Reloaded and Revolutions - were released, comes the fourth film of the franchise, The Matrix Resurrections. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss return as Neo and Trinity, but Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving are noticeably absent (apparently scheduling issues for Agent Smith and no contact for Morpheus). Joining the cast in place of these guys are Yahya Abdul-Mateen 11 and Jonathan Groff, and despite the size of the shoes, they fill them well. Another casting success is Jessica Henwick as Bugs, best of the bunch here for my money. As a nerdy sidetrack, I wonder how many other actors have been in Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Marvel and now Matrix franchises. 

So, I've been stalling, as you may be able to tell. This is mainly because I can't quite remember what the hell happened in the previous films, especially the aforementioned sequels. Even a quick Wikipedia plot summary didn't help much. This middle-aged amnesia shouldn't detract from the enjoyment of this film, though, and for the most part, it stands on its own feet. As far as I can tell, Neo has been back in the matrix for some time, living as a video game designer, occasionally bumping into Trinity, as family-woman Tiffany. Let's rewind a bit, because the opening shows us Bugs and her crew chancing upon a strange code or something, replaying old scenes on a loop (I think). After a bit of a scrap, she confronts a program of Morpheus and they realise that Neo is still alive and inside the matrix. But did he make the 'modal' program so they could find him? Does he know he's in the matrix? These are not rhetorical, leading questions - I actually have no fucking idea. Help me.

If you can live with the confusion, there's enough to like about this film. Writer/Director, Lana Wachowski clearly knows her IP (maybe too well) and the constant visuals from the first film are a nice touch. They act as reminder for the viewer, while also helping Neo remember his past life. Pretty clever doubling up. The whole round table brainstorming session in Neo/Anderson's office is a knowingly self-referential dig at the zeitgeist around the franchise, and the intercutting of Anderson slowly cracking up is well done. Making Anderson the creator of a video game called The Matrix allows for all this surface sagacity, but also gives the story the freedom to (sort of) explain how and why he's able to 'recall' things that he maybe shouldn't.

The fight scenes are suitably fine, especially the multi-player brawl with the new Smith and a returning Merovingian (Lambert Wilson, who, in fact, does pretty much bugger all, aside from spout indiscernible shite). The subsequent Neo vs Smith fight in a toilet block is top drawer, mainly due to Groff's excellent performance - I'm putting this down to only seeing him before as Holden Ford in Mindhunter, quite the polar shift here. The stuff with Morpheus manifesting in the real world as 3D pin art and the flying synthetics helping the humans add style to the film, but, much like me, it gets a bit flabby around its middle, and crucially, the beats of the film seem all a bit too familiar.

Keanu is still a ropey actor but I feel bad about saying that, as though I'm slightly missing the point. He seems likeable fella and this is HIS role. Moss is great and I'm kind of surprised she didn't get better parts post-Matrix. Aside from Memento and perhaps Red Planet, there's not much else to speak of on her CV. I have more questions about machines interacting with humans and other machines, as well as how Neo and Trinity are able to do stuff, but I'll let them lie and just be mildly satisfied with the overall product. Look, I don't know how my phone works, what hope do I have with the Matrix?

The Matrix Resurrections opens Boxing Day in Australia.

See also:

The animated fill-in stories in The Animatrix (2003, various directors) are worth looking at, and you could try to make sense of the previous three films, should the mood take you.

(Film stills and trailer ©Warner Bros, 2021)