The Matrix Resurrections ⋆ Vibe The Nook

Whoa?

While The Matrix revolutionized what modern sci-fi cinema can be, the following sequels, Reloaded and Revolutions…for the lack of a better word, didn’t. Were they fun? In a way, yeah, but the story went off the rails and took a back seat to logic that didn’t quite compute.

So you can understand, then, that not many people were rushing out to see what The Matrix Resurrections had to offer. Even with Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie Anne-Moss) making a welcome return, there were still a lot of questions in place…namely, “How?!” Thankfully, the movie hits more than it misses, and, while it’s not quite the epic return that we expected, it’s still a welcome shot in the arm that makes up for Revolutions, at least.

Mister Anderson!

The movie follows Tom Anderson (Reeves), a programmer for a local video game team where he’s been toiling away on a virtual world, while at the same time taking pills (surprise, blue) and talking with his therapist (a game Neil Patrick Harris) about what’s been happening inside his head.

As you might guess, not all is as it seems. A younger version of Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, taking over for Laurence Fishburne in style) pops up, along with a young gunslinger named Bugs (an awesome Jessica Henwick), both of whom seem eager to guide Anderson back to his true destiny. Intertwined in all of it is Tiffany (Anne-Moss), who may or may not have a connection to it all.

Other favorites show up as well, but I dare not spoil them here. However, I will say Jonathan Groff is awesome when he appears on screen, and you can even see the likes of Christina Ricci and Chad Stahelski if you spot them quickly enough.

So how’s it do?

Directed by Lana Wachowski in a script written by her and two others, The Matrix Resurrections doesn’t always have the greatest story. Like Revolutions, it can go off the rails in certain parts; and some may even be offended by the representation of a “perfect” game studio here. It does take a bit to get going, with early action scenes that can’t measure up to the later ones.

Here’s the thing, Matrix Resurrections pulls off a nice trick. Even if it does get a little lost along the way, it surprisingly sticks the landing. That’s not to say it’s completely stylish as it does so, along the lines of the first Matrix. Even so, it does pull off some neat tricks, such as a fun fight on a bullet train, an unexpected skirmish with some exiles, and an explosive finale that completely rocks the place, right down to reintroducing Neo to his bullet-stopping. He even takes it to a new level.

The jump-cut directing can get a little jumbled at times, but Wachowski and company have their hearts in the right place. It’s still fun to watch during the second half, and you may even see some cool nods to the Matrix universe, particularly if you watched Animatrix. It kind of fills in some gaps, though it certainly leaves some questions for a sequel, if it happens.

This ties back to the performances. The new actors are totally worthwhile here, but Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne-Moss make it their show. They jump right back into their roles without missing a beat, and it’s fun to watch their romance crackle back onto the screen – perhaps on a whole new level towards the end when they have to work together against unseen forces. It would’ve been nice to see Fishburne pop up as well, but oh well, two out of three certainly aren’t bad.

In the end, how much you enjoy Matrix Resurrections really depends on your stance. If you were fine with how the trilogy ended and brushed it off, for the most part, you shouldn’t rush to this one in theaters or on HBO Max. However, if you’re looking for some level of vindication after viewing the last two sequels and left scratching your head, this movie will make you feel a little better. It’s hardly the epic goodness that we were expecting after two or so decades, but at least it didn’t land with a thud as other revamps of this type did. There’s still plenty of room for “Whoa” here, depending on your perspective.

Also, did I mention how great it is to see Keanu and Carrie Anne-Moss again? Because it so is.

VIBE Rating: 3.5/5