The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

The Matrix Resurrections (2021) – L. Wachowski

Arriving approximately 18 years after the third film in the original Matrix trilogy and a good 22 years after the iconic first film, this fourth installment knows its place. As directed by Lana Wachowski (without her sister Lily this time), the film returns to the Matrix approximately 60 years (?!?) after the events of the original trilogy to find Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) now a star game designer being encouraged to revisit his biggest earlier success (called The Matrix, get it?). This self-reflexive gag extends to a discussion of why anyone would want to revisit an earlier success: nostalgia, money-grab, etc.  Although a bit too on-the-nose, at least it is amusing and in keeping with the franchise’s blurring of fiction and reality. And then, again, we are with Keanu as he tries to determine whether he is having a mental breakdown or really experiencing a visit from a new Morpheus (wherefore art thou Laurence Fishburne?). Take the red pill, man (even if it means leaving the half-recognised Tiffany, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, of course)! Although his therapist (Neil Patrick Harris) tries to hold him back, off he goes back to the dismal underworld. And here’s where I started thinking that I should have watched Reloaded and Revolutions again because I lost the plot – where was Zion, who exactly is that aged ruler? Unfortunately, the spew of exposition was pretty lost on me and the new characters, apart from maybe Bugs (Jessica Henwick), failed to make much of an impression.  But then, once we’ve returned to the Matrix, who cares? It’s all fighting, bullet-time, (or a new-fangled bullet-time, which wasn’t really too impressive) and the challenge of extracting Tiffany/Trinity, who may not really want to be extracted anyway.  Keanu does his job, with style (I had to ask how old he is – and he looks it, at times). To its credit, even at 140 minutes plus, the film flies by.  And just as easily dissipates from your consciousness after it’s done.