Thanks, and just to clear...in no way am I saying "people who didn't like it didn't get it", or implying anything like that. To be perfectly honest, it may still be by least favorite Matrix sequel in terms of pure enjoyment. I totally prefer the sleek and precise style of the first three. I think for me it's a mixture of appreciating the overall story Lana chose to tell with it, the go for broke/punk rock kind of swing it took, and her choice to allow the movie to be a product of the filmmaker she is today vs. any sort of attempt to recapture the style of the original films. For me it was a matter of meeting the movie on its own terms and respecting the way it was approached even if it was intentionally quite different than the Matrix I remembered. What the movie might've been had Lily come back as well... that's a big "what if" that we'll never know, but something I've wondered about as well.
The thing about the first Matrix is it was just lightning in a bottle. I think the Wachowskis knew there would be no point in trying to recreate that back when they made Reloaded/Revolutions and Lily definitely knew that when she made Resurrections. And that's one positive thing I can confidently say about this franchise. Regardless of what anyone thinks about any of the sequels, each one of them has its own identity and is adding something new vs. just trying to rehash the first movie. Whether or not it all works, that's up for debate, but I think that alone is quite admirable compared to a lot of other franchises. So I'm just hoping that trend continues with this fifth installment, even if it's a direction that the Wachowskis disagree with. I just hope it's interesting.
