Matrix Resurrections

Directed by The Wachowskis, the first three installments of the Matrix film saga (The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003)) were impressive sci-fi films in terms of their creativity and revolutionary special effects, to the point of having a real impact on the Hollywood industry in terms of blockbusters in the early 2000s. The Matrix Revolutions saw the death of the two central characters Thomas Anderson (Neo) (Keanu Reeves) and Trinty (Carrie-Anne Moss). We had to wait eighteen years to discover this fourth part, directed only by Lana Wachowski, which manages to keep the intact and much appreciated flavor of the first three parts. For this fourth part, we find in the cast Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Lambert Wilson and Jada Pinkett Smith but unfortunately not Laurence Fishburne replaced here by a younger Morpheus and played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. New actors complete the cast as Christina Ricci, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Following the worldwide success of the film saga John Wick, it is easy to understand the desire of Warner Bros. to give Keanu Reeves an important role and above all to relaunch the Matrix universe by putting it back on a solid footing to develop a new film saga.

The script by Lana Wachowski, David Mitchell, Aleksandar Hemon is certainly a success as it does not try to apply and exploit without any contribution the rules set up in the three previous films. On the contrary, Matrix Resurrections takes up the course of the story almost twenty years later and shows that despite the many years Neo and Trinity are not dead anymore and above all have not aged (the rather skillfully brought explanation easily cements the solid base of this film). It is not a coincidence either that the first minutes of the film seem to be a repetition of the first scene of Matrix in which the character of Trinity appeared.  Thus, in order to know if his reality in which he evolves is a physical or mental construction, Thomas Anderson (Neo) will have to choose again which pill to take and especially whether or not to follow the white rabbit once more. Neo does not remember clearly his past while he has become for many humans a true messiah and the last bulwark against the androids and the artificial intelligence that rule the matrix. Whereas Neo was practically invulnerable and appeared as a superhero able to fight on equal terms with the guardians of the Matrix and especially against agent Smith, in this new opus he seems to be only a shadow of his former self, a simple designer of a video game called Matrix whose worldwide success seems to have attracted the attention of Warner Bros. (the idea of a movie within a movie is not new in itself but is here well brought). 

Certainly the nostalgia effect operates here to perfection as the Matrix universe still occupies an important place in our hearts and thus to be able to find the intact on-screen chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss on the big screen certainly allows to spend a good moment. In the same way, Lana Wachowski delivers here a real questioning of the Hollywood industry and does not only deliver a simple blockbuster full of special effects and even if Matrix Resurrections does not manage to equal the first Matrix by its originality, its breathtaking fight scenes and its spectacular special effects, it does not demerit. We would have just liked to have the same visual shock as in the first film and especially to have less the impression to have a film with a faster rhythm and less contemplative. In the same way, the numerous scenes from the first film that are repeated here are in some way detrimental to this one, as they show that for the director Lana Wachowski it is impossible to do better even with even more spectacular special effects and important financial means. 

Conceived to be a real intense cinematographic experience, a science-fiction film putting forward many concepts and ideas, notably the link between men and machines, the question of the future of artificial reality and the intelligence of machines. Matrix Resurrections is also a romantic film based on the strong relationship between Neo and Trinity and above all gives the latter the importance it deserves. In the same way that Spider-man No Way home gains in importance if you have seen the previous films of the Spider-man cinematographic universe, it is essential here not to miss any detail to see the previous films beforehand. However, we regret that this movie is released in theaters one week after the Spider-man event movie No way home as it may lose viewers especially if they have access to HBO Max the movie coming out at the same time in the United States in theaters and on this streaming platform. The Matrix Resurrections is certainly not the best blockbuster of this end of the year but certainly one of the best sci-fi movies of the year and a good way to wait for the next John Wick still with Keanu Reeves. 

The Matrix Resurrections
Directed by Lana Wachowski
Written by Lana Wachowski, David Mitchell, Aleksandar Hemon
Based on Characters by The Wachowskis
Produced by James McTeigue, Lana Wachowski, Grant Hill
Starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jada Pinkett Smith
Cinematography: Daniele Massaccesi, John Toll
Edited by Joseph Jett Sally
Music by Johnny Klimek, Tom Tykwer
Production companies : Village Roadshow Pictures, Venus Castina Productions
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date : December 16, 2021 (Toronto), December 22, 2021 (United States)
Running time : 148 minutes

Seen on December 21, 2021 at Gaumont Disney Village, Room 8 seat A19

Mulder's Mark: