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 Hollywood Film Review

Johnson Thomas

The weakest link in the Matrix universe

Film: The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

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

Director: Lana Wachowski

Rating: * * ½

Runtime: 148 min.

The first “Matrix” movie since 2003's “The Matrix Revolutions,” “The Matrix Resurrections” is a refashioned reboot with Neo (Keanu Reeves), also known as Thomas Anderson, a brilliant video game programmer, sitting in a board room and under pressure from his boss, trying to come up with ideas for a sequel. His game “The Matrix” was a hit and “bullet-time” an awe-inspiring high that every geek character seeks to top. What’s unique about this attempt to expand the franchise is the merging of the real with the imagined.

You now have to buy into a new-fangled idea that frames “The Matrix” as a simulation, created by Thomas Anderson inside the actual Matrix. It’s basically taken from his dreams arising out of taking a blue pill every day. Whatever happened to the eye-opening red pill he took in the original 1999 film, one might ask?

 Well, it’s been several decades since that film so most of those watching this ‘resurrection’ would have either not had the opportunity to watch the original film or even if they have watched it, would have forgotten about it by now. Morpheus though, does kick open a door and tries to offer Neo the red-pill of enlightenment.

Written by Wachowski, David Mitchell, and Aleksandar Hemon, this effort basically involves using familiar characters and plot elements to create a more with-it world of geeky creators who follow the same old beats in an updated universe. It’s convoluted no doubt but there are striking moments too.

Bugs (Jessica Henwick) is a witness to Trinity’s(Carrie Ann Moss) famous telephone escape, so it isn’t long before she too gets her own swooping, bullet-dodging getaway. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II replaces Lawrence Fishburne as Morpheus, but despite looking the part his purpose of existence here is not very clear. Neo and Trinity return, even though “The Matrix Revolutions” had killed them off. But here, they do not know each other. She is named Tiffany and has a husband Chad (Chad Stahelski) and a couple of kids. The attempt here is to rely on nostalgia to showcase Neo and Trinity as fated lovers. But the ploy fails to find traction, can’t turn up the intensity, mystery or give us any strong reason to care. That sense of desperation of yore is completely missing here. Then there’s Neil Patrick Harris as Neo’s therapist helping him make sense of recurring daydreams (basically repeats of events that happened in The Matrix movies) – a sort of break from reality that previously had Thomas attempting to walk off a roof. There’s a new version of the villain, Smith ( Jonathan Groff) and several copies of agents swarming around, impeccably suited, chasing the good guys. Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) from the underground land of Zion and Priyanka Chopra in a rather inconsequential role, though competent, fail to lend weight to their respective missions.

It’s the action and the FX that clearly holds sway here. Vigorous and flashy fast-paced kung-fu mired with acrobatic gunplay, all in varying degrees of slow motion. You get to see that along with dozens of flying extras and hundreds of bullets in the same frame. The grand finale is an action showpiece and as explosive as they come – but the adrenaline rush garnered from it doesn’t stay with you for very long. This is a showy piece of action cinema but there’s no real depth or value to its myriad philosophical or geeky ruminations.

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