Matrix Resurrections Discussions

Just saw Matrix 4 over the weekends. I am a big fan of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss and had high hopes for this movie. If you haven't seen the movie please stop reading to avoid spoilers.

Overall Feeling:

I can describe Matrix Resurrections in one word - Mid-life crisis. Like a middle-aged man trying to recapture the magic of his youth, by adding all the paraphernalia of youth. You don't look cool or bold or attractive. You just look pathetic. 

The first movie was a masterpiece. It was sure of itself. It trusted the intelligence of the audience. It did not explain itself. To me, it was not just an action movie. It was a masterclass in nuance and use of metaphors. Every person in the audience felt like they were being let in on a secret. It spoke different things to different people.

This movie had every element of that movie except its spirit. It felt like a Ferrari fitted with a Toyota engine. Once it starts moving, you cannot help but notice the difference.

I am disappointed.

Now down to the specifics:

1. The opening scene was cheap.

The opening scene would be the most important aspect of a movie, particularly a sequel (or reboot), and Matrix 4 did a poor job. I get it that Lana Wachowski is trying to link up with the first Matrix. But the female character who was replacing Trinity did not have the same presence. The mid-scene humor between Bugs and the 3 agents felt forced. And the revelation that agent Smith was the new Morpheus left me pulling my hair, which leads to the second point.

2. The plot was too convoluted, disjointed and unbelievable. 

OK so 60 years have passed between Neo's supposed death and present times. Somehow Neo hasn't aged. I may accept that. But Trinity hasn't either, while Niobe became an old woman while the old Morpheus died. Speaking of whom, I was surprised to find out that the only reason why Laurence Fishburne was not playing Morpheus in the 4th movie was simply because the Wachowskis didn't want him to do, especially when the actor was still active in Hollywood and had a keen interest in the series. And oh yeah, what is a modal [sic]?? It's supposed to be "a simulation designed to evolve programs." However, if this modal was written by Neo in his fake video game, why all of the real agents are in it?? As for the old Agent Smith who reincarnated to be Neo's video game boss, uh, why did the machines have to revive HIM?? To top it all, now Trinity can fly à la Captain Marvel, with Neo as her side-kick. No comments on that. Be sure to check out the post-credits scene, another empty, thoughtless scene.

3. The kungfu was terrible

This is the biggest letdown. While the first matrix 20 years ago revolutionized the action genre with its amazing stage combat and bullet-dodging techniques, the 4th installment didn't go past that. Neo felt too old to be doing kungfu and I swear to God in some scenes, I was afraid his hip bones might crack (in right life) due to the strenuous activities. Lana Wachowski probably had the some idea in mind, cuz she introduced a concept called "Bullet Time". Yeah, basically it's just slow-mo for everybody except the villain "The Analyst". This saves Neo the trouble of having to dodge bullets all the time.

4. Are you trying to raise theater attendance by including as many countries as possible??

First of all the inclusion of the Japanese shinkansen had no purpose whatsoever in the movie. It was just a "bridge" that allowed Bugs to drag Neo from his office' rooftop to the extraction location. The re-appearance of the French Merovingian and his Japanese swordsmen also felt forced. Why the heck do they feel a grudge against Neo? If it wasn't for him, the old Smith would have cloned himself into every single one of them. And the pretty Indian actress (Priyanka Chopra) was in it just for the laughs. Her acting was subpar and her influence to the overall plot was minimal (see point 2 above)

Which brings us to the last point...

5. The Matrix soundtrack (OST) was acceptable. 

Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer replaced Don Davis to score the soundtrack of Matrix 4. I would say their orchestral work was so-so. However, the song "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane was superb. "White Rabbit" was not in reference to the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland elements that The Matrix had previously used and which "White Rabbit" is based on, but also a nod to Jefferson Airplane themselves which was formed as a house band for a music club called "The Matrix" in San Francisco. I covered the song "White Rabbit" on the piano, mashing it up with another Matrix favorite, "Clubbed to Death" by Rob Dougan.