The Matrix Resurrections – movie review
Having not seen the original Matrix trilogy, I was totally lost for most of this fourth instalment. I took a while to understand what was going on. But it basically boils down to a simple premise – Neo has to rescue Trinity and they face many obstacles.
The action takes place two decades after The Matrix Revolutions, released in 2003. Neo (Keanu Reeves) is living a seemingly normal life as a revered gaming designer in San Francisco and goes by his original name Thomas Anderson. His visions have subsided, but his therapist (Neil Patrick Harris) still prescribes him blue pills to counteract the strange things he might otherwise see. Anderson has a chance meeting in a coffee shop with a woman who appears to be Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss), but is now known as Tiffany. She’s married with a family and still has a penchant for fast motorbikes.
Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), the hacker who freed Neo from the Matrix – a simulated reality created by sentient machines – gives Neo a red pill. Neo’s mind is reopened to the world of the Matrix, which is more dangerous than ever.
Matrix Resurrections is very much built around special effects and fighting. The plot continues the love story between Neo and Trinity. Co-writer Lana Wachowski directs (Lana and Lilly Wachowski wrote and directed the first three). The film also pays a great deal of reverence to Neo’s past achievements in saving humankind. The character remains a steady and humble presence.
I found the film bloated. Its two and a half hour running time is a real stretch. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss have certainly aged (haven’t we all), but acquit themselves well. Jessica Henwick (On the Rocks) has moxie as the hacker Bugs, and Neil Patrick Harris is polished as the analyst.
Notwithstanding the acting, unfortunately The Matrix Resurrections did little for me. Perhaps fans of the franchise will be engaged more than I was.
Alex First
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Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.