The Matrix Resurrections

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Jada Pinkett Smith, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Christina Ricci

Director: Lana Wachowski

The world's top video game designer Thomas Anderson (Reeves) is having a tough time distinguishing fiction from reality, unable to shake images from his brain that inspired his hit game The Matrix and their sequels. The feeling that everything he put in the game actually happened is a regular discussion between him and his therapist (Patrick Harris) who helps calm the thoughts with medication. Also not helping matters is Tiffany (Anne-Moss) who Thomas sees every day and feels a connection to despite never talking to her before. His world turns upside down when events from his game start to happen to him, as he is visited by the mysterious Morpheus (Abdul-Mateen II,) who along with Bugs (Henwick) wants to free Anderson's mind to what is really happening in the world around him. Soon, Anderson finds himself traveling down the rabbit hole once more, having to evade the treacherous Agent Smith (Groff) on his road to self discovery and the ultimate mission to save Trinity from the machines.

Ever since this movie was announced, I have been holding my breath in eager anticipation. The Matrix is one of my all time favorite films and while the sequels weren't ever up to par with the first film of the trilogy, the series has had a lasting impact not only on me but on cinema as well.

This might be a very divisive opinion, maybe my most since firmly believing The Last Jedi to be the second best if not the best in the Star Wars franchise, but I really enjoyed what Lana Wachowski and team have come up with for a sequel. It's been 18 years since the last film was released and while things seemed to have been wrapped up in a shiny bow, she has devised a way to cleverly bring the characters back to life and reinvigorate them into today's world. In fact, the first hour or so of the film is downright brilliant and reaffirms my faith that not all sequels are bad ideas.

With the exception of the final battle, the action mostly stays at a smaller scale and this suits the story wonderfully. While we do end up deprived of memorable sequences like the building shootout, the freeway motorcycle chase, and the battle for Zion, there is still plenty of visual spectacle to go around.

The film is also surprisingly meta, with many callbacks to the original films as well as discussions about the dangers of sequels and the greed that is behind their existence. Some may find it too on the nose but I enjoyed the references and it helped the tone feel more improvisational and real compared to some of the stilted dialogue in the previous trilogy (I'm looking at you sequels). I think the only real detriment to be found in the film is at one point it does start to be bogged down in philosophical babble that will probably lose some viewers. But like the previous films, there will be a lot to talk about after and on rewatches.

Keanu Reeves steps back into one of his most famous roles without missing a beat. His romance with Trinity, the beating heart of the original trilogy, returns to the forefront in a surprisingly romantic second half of the film. This movie should also remind Hollywood how talented Carrie-Anne Moss is and will hopefully inspire a career renaissance for her. She's incredible here in the quieter, character driven moments as well as in the action. Ditto for Jessica Henwick, who should be hearing her phone go off non stop from everyone wanting her to be involved in any upcoming project. Those disappointed by not seeing Laurence Fishburne or Hugo Weaving shouldn't be disappointed as their absence is explained and Groff and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II admirably step into the roles.

This could have gone terribly wrong, but I think spending so much time away from the franchise and characters has allowed for this fresh and awesome new take on The Matrix franchise to be born. I hope Wachowski gets to play around in this sandbox again and continue the adventures of Neo and company.

Grade: A-

The Matrix Resurrections is available in theaters and on HBOMax