The Matrix Returns
The franchise had a long break, but The Matrix Resurrections has once again returned us all to a digital world, to question what is real. Neo and Trinity are back, and once again played by Keanu Reaves and Carrie-Anne Moss. Morpheus and Agent Smith also make a return in this latest installment, but they have been re-casted.
Resurrections kept my attention for the full two and a half hours. I was glued to my seat as I once again got lost in the world of The Matrix. Without spoiling anything, I can say that I really enjoyed the film. It was really cool to see many of the actors and actresses return, and the continuation of the story made sense canonically.
Story Review of The Matrix Resurrections
Neo and Trinity’s bodies have been resurrected and reinserted into the Matrix. They once again find themselves plugged in, and unaware of the real world outside.
Neo, or Mr. Anderson’s new story is that he’s a successful video game designer. He built a 3 part video game called the Matrix, which he based off the events of the first 3 films. Trinity on the other hand, is just a motorcycle mechanic.
Humans in the real world wake Neo up again, and show him the new city of IO. They then work together to rescue Trinity, and in the end it is actually her that saves them.
Resurrections did not feel like a cash grab movie. From the acting, to the story, and especially in the interviews surrounding the film, it became clear to me that this latest installment had a lot of hard work and passion in it’s making.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I feel like the story did not progress very much. They also left a lot of room for more movies to be made.
What’s next for The Matrix?
There is no confirmation yet on a 5th Matrix movie, but Resurrections definitely left room for more story. With Neo and Trinity flying off into the digital sunset, we did not get a whole lot of closure. Robot, aka sentinels, are still fighting humans in the real world. The city of IO remains intact, and Neo and Trinity are still entering the Matrix for some reason.
Neo and Trinity are more powerful than ever now, and it has been made clear that they have always been the centerpiece to what keeps the Matrix functioning. The writers and directors will have to get creative with any more films. Over 2 hours of screen time has not progressed the story very far beyond what we already knew from the first 3 films.
What is real? Is perception reality?
The original 3 movies made us question reality. Not only that, but they made us question if perception of reality was indeed also reality. If someone feels and believes something to be real, is it not then real?
However you feel about this question, this latest installment only adds to the question. When does perceived reality become real, or does it never? Is true reality the only life worth living?
I can safely say that I recommend watching The Matrix Resurrections. It was fun to return to one of my favorite franchises, and I hope that we see more movies in the future.
Rated: R
Runtime: 2hr 28min
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Starring: Keanu Reaves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff, Jessica Henwick, Neil Patrick Harris, Jada Pinkett Smith, & more
HFR Rating: 8 out of 10
