The Matrixis undoubtedly among the most impactful and influential sci-fi movies ever made, but the subsequent sequels have constantly come under fire for their underwhelming stories and deviation from the original narrative. The most recent sequel,The Matrix Resurrections, was particularly controversial because of how drastically it steered away from the first movie’s formula and changed certain aspects of this long-standing story. Ofall theMatrixmovies,Resurrectionsis certainly the boldest and most polarizing.
However, there’s still an excellent story underneath the surface ofResurrections’ lackluster execution that could’ve been something really special with a different execution. It’s certainly not boring or repetitive (which can’t be said aboutThe Matrix: Revolutions), butitadmittedly bites off more than it can chew at moments. Thereason whyThe Matrix Resurrectionsdoesn’t workis glaringly obvious to those who are more familiar with the movies that preceded it, because it lacks one thing that they excel at.
The Matrix Resurrections Needed Better Action Sequences To Be As Memorable As The Original
The Latest Sequel Doesn’t Even Feel Like An Action Movie
The Matrixmovies have always been experiments in action filmmaking above all else, butResurrectionsdidn’t have any of the dynamic set pieces or innovative technology that made the original trilogy so exciting. Instead, much of the action in this sequel felt bland and sterilized in comparison, using big-budget set pieces to create tension rather than tight, choreographed combat. While this certainly worked at times,it leaves the overall experience feeling quite underwhelmingin comparison to its predecessors.
The Matrix Resurrections: New Morpheus, Explained (& What Laurence Fishburne Thought About His Replacement)
Morpheus was famously played by Laurence Fishburne in The Matrix trilogy but the actor was replaced in the 2024 sequel, The Matrix Resurrections.
Conversely, the originalMatrixmovie was doing things that Hollywood had never seen before with its action camerawork. The “bullet-time” effects are the most obvious example, but there are countlessaction scenes in theMatrixfranchisethat break rules in equally impressive ways. Whether that’s Neo’s huge fight with Agent Smith inRevolutionsor the motorcycle chase inReloaded, there’s nothing that quite rivals these moments inResurrections.
The Movie Felt Like Too Many Ideas Without The Right Executions
The idea of aMatrixsequel that’s also a metatextual commentary on the film industry at large seems fascinating on paper, but it still needs to fit neatly into theMatrixfranchise as a whole. Instead,Resurrectionsfocused too closely on the specifics of its story, trying to weave a narrative web that has something important to say, thatit seemingly forgot about all the action and visual dynamismthat audiences love aboutThe Matrix.
Ambition is great in sequels, and arguably the only way a franchise can develop into the future, butResurrectionsfeels so ambitious that it forgot where it started.
The reason thatThe Matrix Resurrectionsfailed seemed obvious in hindsight; the film doesn’t have a target audience. It excludes non-Matrixfans by telling a story that requires a deep understanding of the previous movies, but it also excludesMatrixfans themselves by ditching all the stylish action and almost mocking the original trilogy that people have come to love so much. Ambition is great in sequels, and arguably the only way a franchise can develop into the future, butResurrectionsfeels so ambitious that it forgot where it started.
Resurrections Was A Reminder Of How Essential The Action Was To The Matrix
The Movies Simply Don’t Work Without This Important Aspect
The action scenes are more than visual spectacle inThe Matrix, but they’re also a method by which the Wachowskis are able to drive the story forward. Sequences such as the iconic “bullet-time” are moments of rich character development; these are the times when Neo discovers his abilities and learns to use them on his path to self-discovery as “The One”. Even thefights that Neo loses inThe Matrixserve a clear purpose, teaching him lessons about this fierce and dangerous world around him. None of this is present inResurrections,and that’s why the story doesn’t feel as powerful.
Ultimately, audiences were waiting for such a long time forResurrectionsto finally continue the story of Neo and Trinity that it was simply disappointing when the sequel barely resembled the original trilogy at all. The Wachowskis had developed a very engaging and compelling method of storytelling that goes above and beyond most action movies by weaving these fight scenes into the fabric of the narrative.The Matrix Resurrectionsreplaced these scenes with more philosophical, dialogue-heavy scenes that certainly offer some interesting insight into the film’s subtextual message, but leave it feeling wholly unfamiliar from its predecessors.
The Matrix Resurrections
Cast
Set sixty years after The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Resurrections is a sci-fi action movie that sees the return of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne moss nearly twenty years after the release of the previous film. Neo has become a game developer who struggles to grasp reality, and his concerns are validated when a new visage of Morpheus arrives to free him from his prison - a newly created Matrix. Learning that Trinity is alive and being held prisoner, Neo will join a new rebel force to save her and confront a new, dangerous foe known as the Analyst.
