As a kid back in 2003, when the sequels were announced I watched The Matrix for the first time on DVD. While I couldn't comprehend the expositions, I was blown away by the VFX and hyper-stylized action sequences, especially the famous "bullet-time". It was one heck of an experience and it changed blockbusters as we know it. With its kinetic cyberpunk aesthetic and some great technical filmmaking, it was considered one of the most influential films of the decade. But as the sequels were released, the product all of a sudden found itself having its quality giving diminishing returns. Reloaded had its great action set pieces but its infuriating cliffhanger ending, and the clunky expositions were kinda testing the audiences' patience. And the less we say about Revolutions the better as it basically was had one of the most anti-climactic franchise endings of all time. So, with all that said, there's a new Matrix sequel released, Resurrections, but this time only one of the directors, Lana Wachowski came back to helm this one. With the trailers teasing us a new and fresh take on the beloved characters Neo and Trinity's (played by Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss) love story, should we care about this one? Rather the most important question is, is it any better than the previous sequels, or even as good as the first one? Well... it's complicated, but this movie at the very least has something the previous movies do not have: it has a big heart... and a meta sense of humor. Oh, and a clever commentary about consumer culture especially how we've been handling nostalgia.

It's difficult to describe the plot of this movie without spoilers, so I could try my best to keep it intact. Thomas Anderson (played by Keanu Reeves) is now a critically acclaimed game designer who has had mental breakdowns to the point he displays suicidal tendencies. Trinity (Carrie Anne Moss) now goes by the name Tiffany, who is an avid motorcycle enthusiast and lives with a happy family with kids and a loving husband. But both feel something's off with this world,  and when you know it, figments from their past come back to convince them that they're in a simulation in the form of Morpheus (now played by Yahya Abdul Mateen II) and new characters lead by Bugs (Jessica Henwick).

...We know Keanu could be wholesome which he is here in the first act but Carrie Anne Moss displays a warmth we've never seen in the previous trilogy...

The first act or so happens to be the strongest portion of this movie where it establishes what the current mindset of our protagonist is, there's some great meta-commentary about making a sequel to an established franchise (Warner Bros getting a name drop for forcing a sequel to the Matrix trilogy is very cheeky) and also to my surprise some heartfelt conversations between Thomas and Tiffany. We know Keanu could be wholesome which he is here in the first act but Carrie Anne Moss displays a warmth we've never seen in the previous trilogy. Trinity was portrayed as this badass woman who's destined to fall in love with "the One" but here she's given more weight as a character who has so much to lose i.e. her family. The first act plays with the viewers with these scenarios, it reminded me of the great TV show Sense8 created and directed by the Wachowskis. It's only after Neo leaves the Matrix, it becomes your usual Matrix flick with high stakes and high action set pieces... the latter we would address later on.

While the first act displays some great ideas set in place, there are some key issues that could make or break this movie. Considering this is a Wachowski film, this is bound to have a divisive reaction (it has already begun BTW), while some of them personally I do not mind, while some I've found it a bit downgraded. The criticism which many had was the recasting of Morpheus and Agent Smith (played here by Jonathan Groff) whom many people found unnecessary. While Fishburne and Weaving were iconic as those roles respectively, it's understandable as to why there was a strong reaction from the fans considering they had an interest in returning back to their roles. But while Yahya's casting of Morpheus was justified (he's not exactly Morpheus per se but you'll see what they do with his character), I do admit Weaving's presence was sorely missed. Groff isn't bad actually but there are some moments between Neo and his character you swear you wish you wanna see Weaving do that alongside Keanu. Also, when it does get to the real world, the pacing kinda takes a step back and the overlong expositions the previous sequels had, make a comeback.

...the original trilogy had put up an impressively high bar in terms of how the action is done only to feel negated in this one. Plus, the original's iconic look feels missing here as well...

But the main issue for me personally is the action sequences. The Matrix trilogy while it does have flaws, they're acclaimed for changing action cinema for good. With its original craft which goes beyond imagination thanks to some groundbreaking VFX, it elevated the martial arts sequences with great camera angles, VFX, and innovative filmmaking. That sadly is missing here, where the action is now very shaky and a bit choppy. It's not awful, they're decently choreographed actually but Yuen Woo-Ping's work in the original trilogy brings kinetic energy, it seemed like you're watching an aggressive ballet. It sucks that the original trilogy had put up an impressively high bar in terms of how the action is done only to feel negated in this one. Plus, the original's iconic look feels missing here as well. Sure, the scenes from the previous trilogy are cleverly integrated into this one but they do not have the same aesthetic as those movies did. Take, for instance, the slow-mo sequences or "bullet-time"; they feel weirdly blurry almost they look like they're taken from a camcorder. And even the VFX, while impressively utilized especially at the end, doesn't have the gritty cyberpunk aesthetic that made the original trilogy so distinct.

But with all of that said, does this entry make it worse than the previous sequels? Personally, I don't think it does. It certainly is way better than Revolutions, even after rewatching, and Reloaded does have better action but the ideas are too confounding to comprehend, unlike Resurrections. But I can say this, it could potentially become a cult classic alongside other Wachowski flicks like Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas. Only time will tell and maybe go with an open mind while watching it. As Morpheus from The Matrix would say...