There hasn’t been anything truly original in Hollywood in years. The film industry is rife with sequels, prequels, and reboots, with very little emphasis on original ideas. And unfortunately, this leads to lackluster movie releases.
Despite this pervasive problem, audiences had high hopes for “The Matrix: Resurrections.” The fourth installment of the franchise releases soon after 18 years since the last movie. Plus, “The Matrix” has taken on a cult following with diehard fans eager for more content.
But now that momentum may come to a screeching halt. Some early critic reviews for “The Matrix: Resurrections” are quite terrible. Reviewers describe the fourth movie in the franchise as being, “another truly horrible sequel.” Even fan-favorite lead Keanu Reeves isn’t enough to save this movie.
The Daily Beast called “Resurrections,” “sillier than Zuckerberg’s Metaverse.” Reviewer Nick Schager wrote, “Devoid of its trademark style, action and depth, it’s a pointless follow-up that falls back on cheeky self-referentiality in order to justify its existence.”
IGN reviewer Amelia Emberwing had a similar take. She wrote, “‘The Matrix Resurrections’ is the kind of film that will go down in cult history because it is so laughably bad. Truthfully, I can’t even say it’s unenjoyable because I spent so much of its overly long runtime giggling over how jaw-droppingly misguided the majority of it is.”
The Times blasted how it ruined the legacy of “The Matrix.”
“An ingenious, inventive and era-defining sci-fi movie from 1999 has now, with this latest and long-awaited misfire, produced yet another truly horrible sequel,” Kevin Maher wrote. “The Matrix Resurrections’ doesn’t even have the excuse of narrative exigency to hide behind. There is literally no reason for it to exist.”
The new storyline follows Neo (Reeves), Trinity, (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (originally Laurence Fishburne but now replaced by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) as they try to save humanity from an Artificial Intelligence system that’s holding them hostage.
The popular phrase “taking the red pill” comes from “The Matrix,” though the ultra-liberal Wachowskis balk at the insinuation that the movie has anything to do with defecting to conservatism. In a 2020 interview, co-creator Lilly Wachowski insisted that “The Matrix” is actually “a trans allegory.”
What was seen as edgy and original in 1999 is now a tired concept for fans and critics. It’s worth noting that this film is Lana Wachowski’s first solo effort at “The Matrix” franchise. The original “Matrix” films had the Wachowski siblings working together.
But not every reviewer has despised “The Matrix: Resurrections.” As of now, the film’s overall rating on Rotten Tomatoes stands at a decent 68%. Randy Myers of San Jose Mercury News said, “’Resurrections’ can’t compare to the original film, but it is a lot of fun.”
Meanwhile, David Sims of The Atlantic claimed the film had enough nostalgic elements to make it worthwhile. He wrote, “Lana Wachowsk has made a film that addresses the discombobulations of contemporary life, critiques Hollywood’s general reboot culture, and serves as a surprisingly sweet work of nostalgia.”
“The Matrix: Resurrections” is available simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max beginning December 22.
This article has been revised for clarity and emphasis.