The Matrix Resurrections

[Deck Rickard]

Hahaha honestly I think that was my biggest problem with this new Matrix, is it felt like a weird step back from Sense8? Sense8 felt like a real creative evolution of Lana's vision and then for me, this was like a weird halfway point between the two works. Like she wanted to make the Matrix via Sense8? Matrix characters with more of a Sense8 aesthetic (and almost all the cast lol). That was one thing that stopped me from connecting to it for the most part. It NEVER felt like it was the same universe as the other Matrix movies to me.

Agree 100% with this. The Matrix is the Wachowskis’ most iconic property and it deserves to be, based on the strength of the first film and it’s influence on the action and sci-fi genres. But in terms of great storytelling and characters, Sense 8 surpasses The Matrix IMO. It won’t have the lasting impact that The Matrix did and the fan base is much smaller, but the S8 fan base is fiercely loyal for a reason. And loyal enough that, even after Netflix cancelled the series (which as I understood it was mostly due to the crazy budget since they filmed all over the world), the outcry was loud enough that they switched gears and allowed Lana to finish it with a movie that somehow managed to wrap everything up in the most beautiful way possible. Very rarely have I ever come across a TV series where EVERY main character is my favorite character, but it’s absolutely true about Sense 8.

So yeah, while it was nice to see little cameos by so many Sense 8 cast members, this movie really did feel like a step back. It honestly felt confused and disjointed like it didn’t know what it wanted to be, which made it kind of the antithesis of Sense 8. Plot threads just seemed to go nowhere and the meta stuff was funny but it really didn’t amount to anything more than poking fun at movie studio reboots a bit. The Wachowskis have always been hit or miss; as much as I loved Sense 8, I can’t defend the abysmal Jupiter Ascending or the messy Cloud Atlas. But I think maybe in this case, Resurrections suffered because Lana mostly did it to keep WB from making a Matrix film independent of her more than as a labor of love.

I hope Lana bounces back from this and gives us something better next time around. I think doing something more personal is the best way to go; you can tell that S8 was the most personal project that she has done and while it’s action packed and a great piece of sci-fi, it’s that personal touch that makes the show really shine. I hope she goes back to that in her next project.

I know that she said she made Resurrections as way of dealing with the grief of losing her mother and father and she wanted to resurrect Neo and Trinity. And she did call those characters her most important ones. AND there is the fact that the Matrix films are an allegory about being trans. So I don’t mean to say that they aren’t personal to her. But even with all of that, I still feel Sense 8 is her most personal project; she’s even likened the character of Nomi to herself.

 

[-Arya-]

I’m still blown away at how badly this flopped. WB probably lost 100M right?

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I’m still blown away at how badly this flopped. WB probably lost 100M right?

Same, I mean plenty was against the movie but not even $200 WW is rough.

 

[DarkKnight88]

It’s very odd. I knew the HBO Max thing would hurt, but it’s still freakin’ The Matrix and Keanu Reeves had his John Wick Renaissance.

At the very least it should’ve opened near Godzilla vs Kong box office numbers if at the very least Mortal Kombat numbers! lol

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

It’s very odd. I knew the HBO Max thing would hurt, but it’s still freakin’ The Matrix and Keanu Reeves had his John Wick Renaissance.

At the very least it should’ve opened near Godzilla vs Kong box office numbers if at the very least Mortal Kombat numbers! lol

Opening it against Spider man was ridiculous as well. But even so as you say, a bigger opening would still have been expected.

 

[henzINNIT]

I thought it had a pretty solid trailer too. The Matrix burned brightly but died out quick, like between Reloaded and Revolutions basically. Perhaps it was a one-two punch of over-exposure in '03 and then absolutely nothing afterward.

I'm still sore there was no big old boxset for all the films and other stuff.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I thought it had a pretty solid trailer too. The Matrix burned brightly but died out quick, like between Reloaded and Revolutions basically. Perhaps it was a one-two punch of over-exposure in '03 and then absolutely nothing afterward.

I'm still sore there was no big old boxset for all the films and other stuff.

I think a tv show and a game or 2 in the meantime would have at least kept some interest up.

 

[DarkKnight88]

I don’t know. If the interest is there it doesn’t matter how long it’s been ie Star Wars and Jurassic Park. Sometimes stuff in between just kills the hype as well.

 

[Filmfan93]

I’m still blown away at how badly this flopped. WB probably lost 100M right?

That's what you get for making a trash film.

Which is a shame, because it had really great trailers.

It wasn't a Morbius situation where it looked like an early 2000's straight to DVD mediocrity from the very first trailer.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Ok, but it's actually a good movie

 

[henzINNIT]

I don’t know. If the interest is there it doesn’t matter how long it’s been ie Star Wars and Jurassic Park. Sometimes stuff in between just kills the hype as well.

Comparing these, perhaps there is more 'evergreen' appeal to dinosaurs and your space fantasy. Technology based sci-fi tends to age less gracefully. The Matrix has a cool universe for sure, but trenchcoats and sunglasses, slow-mo and the mysteries of the internet are very much of their time, and imitated to the point of exhaustion. John Wick really took the baton for stylish action while the Matrix was dormant also.

 

[I Am The Knight]

I loved the film, but it serves more as a companion to the original trilogy than a full epic sequel that would have brought back the general audience. It was not that kind of movie, and I guess people just stopped caring about the Matrix universe a long time ago.

The Matrix has a cool universe for sure, but trenchcoats and sunglasses, slow-mo and the mysteries of the internet are very much of their time, and imitated to the point of exhaustion

That might be a factor, too. I remember looking at the posters and that whole look is not particularly cool these days I guess. It seems a bit dated?

 

[Filmfan93]

Ok, but it's actually a good movie

Glad you liked it.

I've never otherwise seen such a unanimity where critics hated it, audiences were pretty much split into loving/hating it, i hated it (nearly walked out of my screening), my partner hated it and all my friends hated it - whilst all of us being hardcore Matrix fans.

It fails as a Matrix sequel, it fails as a film, it fails as a meta commentary, it fails as 2 hours of entertainment.

That's simply my take on it

 

[flickchick85]

Glad you liked it.

I've never otherwise seen such a unanimity where critics hated it, audiences were pretty much split into loving/hating it, i hated it (nearly walked out of my screening), my partner hated it and all my friends hated it - whilst all of us being hardcore Matrix fans.

It fails as a Matrix sequel, it fails as a film, it fails as a meta commentary, it fails as 2 hours of entertainment.

That's simply my take on it

63% on both RT and Metacritic is not “critics hated it.” That’s a mixed/positive reception.

The audience response was indeed more divisive. I understand you and your circle hated it which is fine, but that doesn’t make it this universally reviled thing you’re trying to paint it as. There’s no “unanimity” here. It’s a divisive movie, simple as that.

 

[henzINNIT]

Glad you liked it.

I've never otherwise seen such a unanimity where critics hated it, audiences were pretty much split into loving/hating it, i hated it (nearly walked out of my screening), my partner hated it and all my friends hated it - whilst all of us being hardcore Matrix fans.

It fails as a Matrix sequel, it fails as a film, it fails as a meta commentary, it fails as 2 hours of entertainment.

That's simply my take on it

Resurrections has both a better critic score and audience score than Revolutions on RT. Divisive for sure but that's not new ground for this franchise.

The only surprise to me in terms of reception is how many people apparently loved the trilogy before hating this one.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

I can see why it flopped...it just didn't have that gritty feel of the originals OR the scale of the first trilogy. It felt very small and contained with no real stakes to anything, other than Neo, in the movie.

 

[Drizzle]

Regardless of reception to the movie itself, Resurrections always had an uphill battle.

Released during a pandemic? Check.

Being a day-and-date HBO Max streaming release? Check.

Opening up against the biggest Spider-Man movie of all time? Check.

The Matrix as a franchise being dormant for nearly two decades? Check.

The Wachowskis not having a hit since the Matrix sequels? Check.

Not even the Keanu Renaissance could save it.

I don’t know. If the interest is there it doesn’t matter how long it’s been ie Star Wars and Jurassic Park. Sometimes stuff in between just kills the hype as well.

I thought the same thing but franchises like Star Wars and Jurassic Park are also a lot more accessible to general audiences compared to The Matrix. I'm not just talking about merchandise and theme park rides either, they have that special kind of nostalgia that hits you as an adult because you remember watching the original films as a child. The Matrix just doesn't have that same effect being an R-rated franchise.

 

[DarkKnight88]

I thought the same thing but franchises like Star Wars and Jurassic Park are also a lot more accessible to general audiences compared to The Matrix. I'm not just talking about merchandise and theme park rides either, they have that special kind of nostalgia that hits you as an adult because you remember watching the original films as a child. The Matrix just doesn't have that same effect being an R-rated franchise.

That... actually makes a hell of a lot of sense and I never thought about it that way before.

You're right regarding R-rated franchises. Terminator, Alien, Predator, all have a harder time capturing that nostalgia than the more family-oriented films are able to do. Hell, even Rocky can be construed as a family oriented movie that got resurrected two times with great success Rocky Balboa and Creed yet Rambo struggles both times.

Unless it's a horror franchise lol

 

[Drizzle]

That... actually makes a hell of a lot of sense and I never thought about it that way before.

You're right regarding R-rated franchises. Terminator, Alien, Predator, all have a harder time capturing that nostalgia than the more family-oriented films are able to do. Hell, even Rocky can be construed as a family oriented movie that got resurrected two times with great success Rocky Balboa and Creed yet Rambo struggles both times.

Unless it's a horror franchise lol

With Terminator, I actually believe that Dark Fate could have been a success if the franchise hadn't been marred by three bad-to-mediocre sequels prior to that with Terminator 3 (Let's just rehash T2 but this time the T-1000 is a sexy model!), Salvation (Arnold only makes a CGI cameo but Batman is John Connor!), and Genisys (Arnold's back but let's retcon everything and recast everyone!). They fell victim to going back to the same "Chased by an evil Terminator" formula instead of doing something different and giving us the future wars, which Salvation shockingly failed at even though Cameron wrote the playbook for it years earlier.

Regardless, franchises like Terminator and Alien have written themselves into a dead end creatively as far as films go, but funny enough I don't see The Matrix having that same problem. In this case, though, I think two Wachowskis are better than one. Resurrections could probably have benefitted if they were both at the helm.

 

[Vaibow]

I can see why it flopped...it just didn't have that gritty feel of the originals OR the scale of the first trilogy. It felt very small and contained with no real stakes to anything, other than Neo, in the movie.

I agree with this, when I watched it, it felt too... I described this before for another movie, but sometimes when you watch a movie from the 80's/90s they felt more raw.... maybe its HD or something, but it looks very studio-ish. Like I was really aware I was watching a movie, a production. The whole game idea was just so boring to me... I lasted 30 minutes then turned it off and I paid good money to home rent it. I was confused at Morpheus being younger too I just felt like a cheap dvd version.

I can see why some people would also swerve it, the trans allegory(and behind the scenes changes) for a few took the wind out their sails.

I just didn't like what I saw, how he made a game and was famous etc

Too bad as I wanted another trilogy.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

That... actually makes a hell of a lot of sense and I never thought about it that way before.

You're right regarding R-rated franchises. Terminator, Alien, Predator, all have a harder time capturing that nostalgia than the more family-oriented films are able to do. Hell, even Rocky can be construed as a family oriented movie that got resurrected two times with great success Rocky Balboa and Creed yet Rambo struggles both times.

Unless it's a horror franchise lol

I mean the Nostalgia for Terminator, Alien, Predator are all there and people want them to do well, the sequels have just sucked ass.

I agree with this, when I watched it, it felt too... I described this before for another movie, but sometimes when you watch a movie from the 80's/90s they felt more raw.... maybe its HD or something, but it looks very studio-ish. Like I was really aware I was watching a movie, a production. The whole game idea was just so boring to me... I lasted 30 minutes then turned it off and I paid good money to home rent it. I was confused at Morpheus being younger too I just felt like a cheap dvd version.

I can see why some people would also swerve it, the trans allegory(and behind the scenes changes) for a few took the wind out their sails.

I just didn't like what I saw, how he made a game and was famous etc

Too bad as I wanted another trilogy.

Yeah I don't know if its the new camera tech or what, but movies from the 90s and 2000s all have a much more raw/visceral look/feel to them, most new movies just seem too polished and clean. I didn't mind the meta aspect of it, the movie was just so boring and not nailing the execution didnt help.

 

[Sithborg]

Okay, finally caught this on HBO Max (and then a few extra minutes finding this thread, wth search?). Really regretting not seeing this in theaters.

Yeah, I loved this. I can definitely understand why people would not like it, as it is different. Yeah, not as epic states as the last two movies, but definitely a good personal journey film in the way of the first movie. Sure, the action is different. I loved it, loved the way it was shot.

I loved the world building, the future of the world after Revolutions. I liked the new characters, and how the old characters have changed.

Here's hoping franchise starved WB gives Lana another chance.

 

[MOVIELORD101]

Okay, finally caught this on HBO Max (and then a few extra minutes finding this thread, wth search?). Really regretting not seeing this in theaters.

Yeah, I loved this. I can definitely understand why people would not like it, as it is different. Yeah, not as epic states as the last two movies, but definitely a good personal journey film in the way of the first movie. Sure, the action is different. I loved it, loved the way it was shot.

I loved the world building, the future of the world after Revolutions. I liked the new characters, and how the old characters have changed.

Here's hoping franchise starved WB gives Lana another chance.

I really enjoyed this myself, and I honestly felt people were being unfair towards it. This wasn't meant to be the start of another trilogy; it's an epilogue showing where everyone is now.

 

[Filmfan93]

63% on both RT and Metacritic is not “critics hated it.” That’s a mixed/positive reception.

The audience response was indeed more divisive. I understand you and your circle hated it which is fine, but that doesn’t make it this universally reviled thing you’re trying to paint it as. There’s no “unanimity” here. It’s a divisive movie, simple as that.

If there wasn't, this movie surely wouldn't have flopped as bad as it did, would it?

 

[henzINNIT]

If there wasn't, this movie surely wouldn't have flopped as bad as it did, would it?

Good films flop all the time. A lot of successful films aren't all that good. etc etc.