The Matrix Resurrections is far from terrible and it’s not the worst amongst the sequels, but it can’t recapture the magic of the original, however I did like the movie whenever Reeves and Moss were onscreen together.
The Matrix Resurrections
(2021)
Genre(s): Science Fiction, Action, Fantasy
Warner Bros. | R – 148 min. – $49.98 | March 8, 2022
Date Published: 3/08/2022 | Author: The Movieman
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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
Note: The screen captures were taken from the included Blu-ray disc.
THE MOVIE — 2½/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: To find out if his reality is a physical or mental construct, Thomas Anderson (KEANU REEVES), aka Neo, will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more. If he’s learned anything, it’s that choice, while an illusion, is still the only way out of — or into — the Matrix. Neo already knows what he has to do, but what he doesn’t yet know is that the Matrix is stronger, more secure and far more dangerous than ever before. In the process, Neo must also rescue Trinity (CARRIE-ANNE MOSS).
Quick Hit Review: When The Matrix was released in 1999, it was a culture phenomenon that has endured to this day, garnering a large following that was a transformative experience. Personally I liked it quite a lot though the film never really ‘spoke’ to me per se, but still appreciate its uniqueness in terms of both story and visual effects. Thanks to the box office success, making $466M worldwide ($171M domestically or ~$310M adjusted for ticket inflation), two sequels were produced back to back, and while certainly they made bank for the studio, the film’s themselves couldn’t live up to what the first set up, and in all honesty, it was all obnoxious philosophical gobbledygook. It was a disappointing trilogy and while a fourth movie was bantered about for a while, it seemed like something that would never happen.
And maybe it would’ve been for the best that it remained in a limbo… The Matrix Resurrections wasn’t all that highly anticipated in my book, to the point where even though I have HBO Max, I never bothered watching via the streaming service (as a comparison, I did manage to take the time to watch The Little Things, Those Who Wish Me Dead and The Conjuring 3). But having now seen it, while I don’t think it’s terrible and maybe even better than Revolutions, it’s still a far cry from the original though the whole meta aspect in the first 20-30 minutes did make it interesting. The rest just felt like a shell of the idea behind the original Matrix. On the plus side, some of the fight sequences weren’t too bad, with Keanu Reeves showing off his skills once again, though not quite as fluid compared to the John Wick franchise. Also, Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss do show some lovely chemistry while the supporting cast, while not terribly memorable, were alright, led by Jessica Henwick who shined as Bugs and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, following his villainous role in Aquaman, did alright channeling his inner Laurence Fishburne, though still not sure why he wasn’t asked to come back.
This go around, Lana Wachowski goes it alone and also worked on the script alongside David Mitchell (novelist behind Cloud Atlas) and Aleksandar Hemon (Croatian romantic comedy Love Island). The Matrix Resurrections while not bad was another ill-advised sequel that cannot compare with the original and with its lackluster box office, should mark the end of the franchise, at least in live action feature film form. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3½/5 |
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This release comes with a semi-glossy slip cover and inside a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. No One Can Be Told What the Matrix Is (8:52) — Members of the cast, including Keanu Reeves, attempt to recap the original trilogy. Resurrecting The Matrix (30:44) looks at how The Matrix Resurrections came to be and has concept art, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with members of the cast and crew. The San Fran Jump (7:56) examines the jump scene in the movie’s finale. Neo x Trinity: Return to The Matrix (8:16) — Interviews with Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, a few moments of them together; wish the entire thing was the one-on-one interview. Allies + Adversaries: The Matrix Remixed (8:27) is an introduction to characters new and old. Matrix 4 Life (6:19) — Pretty much more interview footage with the cast and crew on the endurance of the franchise. I Still Know Kung-Fu (4:56) is some behind-the-scenes footage of the training and filming of the kung-fu fights. Last is The Matrix Reactions (48:38) — Interviews from the cast and crew talking about nine different scenes. |
4K VIDEO – 5/5, BLU-RAY VIDEO – 5/5 |
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The Matrix Resurrections bullet-time onto 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, presented with a 2.38 widescreen aspect ratio and 2160p and 1080p high-definition transfers, respectively. No real surprise here, but the movie looks pristine on both formats, with a slight uptick for the 4K format with sharp and well defined detail. There is a noticeable film noise present giving it a good texture while colors, with maybe a slight boost with the HDR, is generally bright and vibrant with good balance with the black levels, which never appeared to be crushed and showed no signs of aliasing or artifacts. |
AUDIO – 4¾/5 |
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The movie includes a Dolby Atmos track which provides a near-awe-inspiring audio. Dialogue comes across with good clarity and the action sequences offer well rounded depth and an extra kick from the LFE channel, shaking the floor with every impact. I don’t feel it’s perfect when compared to other Atmos tracks I’ve come across yet still fairly impressive as a whole. |
OVERALL — 3½/5 |
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Overall, The Matrix Resurrections is far from terrible and it’s not the worst amongst the sequels, but it can’t recapture the magic of the original, however I did like the movie whenever Reeves and Moss were onscreen together. |