Matrix Refurbishings

 

I reviewed this when the blu ray disc came out. (Yes I'm old, I like discs...and I can still watch them when the internet goes down, you rotten kids.)

Then a million "important" things premiered.  Its been pushed off so often I'm not sure when it is posting anymore.

Executive Summary: I would have preferred my self created Tron/Matrix/Terminator (and a bunch of other stuff) cross over, but I liked this one.

It seems movie traditions have shifted away from remakes and gone toward "revisiting." They bring back the old cast, either as the main focus, or more often as a trade off to the people going on new adventures. This doesn't always work, and much of the reason for that comes from pretending the characters haven't seen each other in the same span of time as we haven't seen them on the screen.

The problem with that is the invalidation of happy endings to get a new story:

Luke Isolated, Han and Leia split over their evil son.

Egon hurting all his friends and never seeing them while the station closes.

In an older, weirder, example where the cast changed but the characters stayed the same- Superman becoming a deadbeat dad.

This is an area where Matrix Resurrections succeeds. 

(Like No Way Home did showing the other Peters were still Spideying along.)

[This was an extremely recent reference when I wrote it, to highlight how far I pushed this one back.]

The original Matrix film was mind-blowing.

(Unless you had seen Dark City already, then it was still cool but very familiar.)

The two sequels had cool ideas and scenes, but suffered from the lack of editing that is almost universal when two films are made at once. 

Plus Neo and Trinity died at the end.

Pllllbbbbbbtthhhhh! on that.

In this case, instead of an invalidation of a happy ending, we get a correction of a sad ending.

We find out Neo and Trinity...or rather Mr. Anderson and Tiffany, are two ordinary people, living separately in a world where Mr. Anderson has created "The Matrix" video games.

Or are they?

Spoilers: 

OF COURSE THEY AREN'T, YOU NINCOMPOOP, IT'S A MATRIX MOVIE!

However, the film does use the setting to brilliantly satirize its own franchise and others' comments on it.

Only the actors for Neo, Trinity and Niobe returned. However, that doesn't mean many other characters haven't returned. The nature of the Matrix, and the use of old film clips, allowed them to transition seamlessly. 

Normally I'd complain about actor changes, when the initial ones were as talented as they were. However, Jonathan Groff and Neil Patrick Harris were both hilarious...

and terrifying.  

The rest of the cast was outstanding too.  

Its fantastic to see Jessica Henwick kicking all kinds of butt again, since it's unlikely any aspect of the Iron Fist show will survive the transition from Netflix to Disney Plus.

[However, in the span since I wrote this, Finn Jones has been campaigning to get her as Iron Fist in the Shang Chi sequel. I support this whole heartedly.]

Since it is a Matrix film, any detailed spoilers will ruin the viewing experience. 

I will say, again, that I did find it better than parts two and three. 

Overall it was a entertaining, thoughtful, and action packed return to the world of the first film.

The decision to switch from mostly CGI to practical effects was also a distinct improvement over the sequels and made everything look more "there" there...y'know?