Those excited for the franchise’s return can breathe a sigh of relief.
The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth installment in the classic sci-fi film series, arrives in Irish cinemas this week and the good news is that the early buzz from critics seems to be quite positive.
After all, fans of the original 1999 movie can be forgiven for being apprehensive about the upcoming sequel. How can you top perfection?
The first Matrix film is widely regarded as being one of the best science fiction movies of all time, perfectly blending jaw-dropping visual spectacle with an intelligent, thought-provoking story.
Though some fans of the franchise will defend its sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions (which both came out in 2003 and were shot concurrently), the general consensus is they did not live up to the original, with the follow-ups feeling at times too complicated story-wise and in other parts too action-packed.
In fact, given the reputation of these sequels, it may not seem too wise on paper to make a fourth Matrix film.
That said, The Matrix Resurrections does promisingly see the return of the original trilogy’s stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, as well as one of its directors Lana Wachowski.
Plus, that first trailer for the blockbuster was incredible, further stoking cinemagoers’ excitement.
Now, reviews from critics for the new movie have dropped and thankfully, the general vibe is positive, with the film currently sitting on 71% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 65 score on Metacritic.
According to most critics, while The Matrix Resurrections may not reach the highs of the original, it manages to be a worthy follow-up, with reviewers describing it as ambitious, funny, inventive, playful and romantic.
Here’s a sample of the more glowing write-ups.
Indiewire: “Its emphasis on the romance between Neo and Trinity allows “Resurrections” to become a devastatingly sincere movie about how love is the best weapon we have to make sense of a world that fills our heads with the white noise of war and conflict on a forever loop.”
SlashFilm: “It would’ve been incredibly simple to give us a traditional “Matrix 4.” Instead, “The Matrix Resurrections” takes its big-budget and runs wild with it.”
The Atlantic: “Wachowski’s gamble is that viewers will enjoy a film that’s heavy on philosophising and introspection as long as it retains the emotional, romantic hook that powered the first movie. Reeves and Moss sell their reunion as Neo and Trinity persuasively, glowing with the overwhelming chemistry and affection that Wachowski needed to push the film beyond cynicism.”
The Independent: “The fourth ‘Matrix’ film offers a volcanic cluster of ideas with ambition – and a reminder that long black coats and tiny sunglasses are, indeed, very cool.”
The Seattle Times: “Wachowski has taken the familiar and modified it in such a way to make it seem new. It’s a brilliant act of transformation.”
That said, not all critics were totally won over by Resurrections.
The AV Club: “Where Resurrections really disappoints is in the staging of the action. The Hong Kong-influenced long shots that made The Matrix so revolutionary are all but absent, replaced by rapid cuts that render the fight choreography less legible than in previous installments.”
The Guardian: “This is a heavy-footed reboot which doesn’t offer a compelling reason for its existence other than to gouge a fourth income stream from Matrix fans, submissively hooked up for new content, and it doesn’t have anything approaching the breathtaking “bullet time” action sequences that made the original film famous.”
The Irish Times: “Every stretch of decent writing is undermined by lines so clunky you find yourself doubting reality.”
The Matrix Resurrections hits Irish cinemas on Wednesday, 22 December.
Main image via Warner Bros. Pictures
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