The Matrix: Resurrections (2021)

[Immortan Jonesy]

The only one that I liked from beginning to end was the first movie. I think I like the concept more than the franchise: the idea that our world is part of an artificial simulation, and I think it can be used for cosmic horror in place of man-made machines enslaving men themselves. Also I like Agent Smith. 

[Voodoo Magic]

Opening night, I remember walking out of the theater soooo annoyed with the second one. It started when Neo lost his awakening and all his god abilities to disrupt programs with one through away line. "Huh, Upgrades."  Haven't watched that sequel since 2003, but I still love the original!

[Kimarhi]

He still had godlike powers in the sequel tho.  He knocks the upgrades out in seconds. 


The only things that give him problems are programs that on their own are "glitched" themselves in the Matrix (like the blade leapers).   And he still destroys them to. 

I actually enjoyed all three of them, but in decreasing order.  I found reloaded to be a pretty solid bridging film between the starting and finishing chapters. The third film to me is the anchor that drags the series down.  Some cool things but not enough to override the disappointment of the finale. 

I maintain, and have always maintained, that the best entries in the franchise have been The Matrix...........and then the Animatrix though. 

[BlueMarsalis79]

You are absolutely correct my son.

Oh yeah.
https://youtu.be/y-xjtBRA4ck

[KiramidHead]

Yeah The Animatrix is cool.

[Rankles75]

Haven't seen the Animatrix in a looooong time, but that and the original film are the only entries in the series that I liked. The two sequels were trainwrecks.

[Nightmare Asylum]

Just rewatched The Matrix yesterday. I've probably seen it half a dozen or so times, but it's probably been about five years or so since my last viewing. Loved it just as much now as I did the last time I watched.

I've only seen the sequels once each, probably about a decade ago. Going to rewatch them tonight/tomorrow, I think. I remember finding them to be incredibly messy/convoluted, but also pretty damn fascinating (not unlike Prometheus in that regard, I guess). I look forward to checking them out with my mind pretty open and fresh, since I am incredibly hazy on most of the specifics of each sequel.

I watched The Animatrix for the very first time early this year, and because it had been so long since I'd seen the film trilogy, I treated it essentially a standalone anthology, and I loved it. I look forward to checking it out again after finishing the trilogy, with any context that I likely would have missed during my viewing early this year.

I really can't wait for Resurrections. Even if things are messy (and I'm sure they will be), the Wachowskis (well, just Lana in this case) always take massive, interesting swings (I even have a bit of a soft spot for Jupiter Ascending, even if only for being so earnest about what it is and what it set out to be ). This is probably creeping up as one of my most anticipated films for the remainder of the year, to be honest. Who knows, maybe Resurrections will be the Alien: Covenant to Reloaded/Revolutions' Prometheus.

[Voodoo Magic]

He still had godlike powers in the sequel tho.  He knocks the upgrades out in seconds. 

Nah. At the conclusion of the first film Neo could fly into programs and destruct them from within.

Then, in the second film, back to fighting programs with Kung fu because... upgrades!

It all just felt like to me a writer not knowing where to go.

[Highland]

He still had godlike powers in the sequel tho.  He knocks the upgrades out in seconds. 

Nah. At the conclusion of the first film Neo could fly into programs and destruct them from within.

Then, in the second film, back to fighting programs with Kung fu because... upgrades!

It all just felt like to me a writer not knowing where to go.

Woulda been a bit of a shit film. I didn't mind it, the "upgrades" fit with the theme of the movies since the programs would never have to be written to beat anyone other than a regular human.

[Nightmare Asylum]

Revisited the sequels. The structure and pacing of Reloaded is an absolute mess, Revolutions is basically a two hour long third act for the previous film... and I don't hate them! In fact, for all of their many, many issues, I find them incredibly captivating in what it is that they're saying about the nature of control and autonomy within systems explicitly designed to counter such notions of free will.

These are also movies that aren't afraid to use a bowling pin sound effect in the middle of an action scene so you know, there's that. 

Getting incredibly curious to see what Lana does with this new one now, 'cause I think there is a lot that can be expanded upon with that idea in today's world.

[Voodoo Magic]

He still had godlike powers in the sequel tho.  He knocks the upgrades out in seconds. 

Nah. At the conclusion of the first film Neo could fly into programs and destruct them from within.

Then, in the second film, back to fighting programs with Kung fu because... upgrades!

It all just felt like to me a writer not knowing where to go.

Woulda been a bit of a shit film. I didn't mind it, the "upgrades" fit with the theme of the movies since the programs would never have to be written to beat anyone other than a regular human.

Nah, to me, better writing was called for here. Since Neo could fly into programs and destruct them within, the machines needed an Anti-Neo, a human that they were able to somehow infect, recruit and patch in the Matrix to fight back Neo from bringing the truth to the human race. Then we could have still had our Kung fu, Superman versus Superman battles and it wouldn't have been a sh*t film. 

[Nightmare Asylum]

Smith is essentially that "anti-Neo" in the sequels. He's an anomoly that transcends his original programming, breaks free of his restrictions and gains free will, and can control/manipulate the Matrix as he sees fit. An AI "One" in opposition to Neo as the human "One" that is reborn/recreated in each iteration of the Matrix. I think making the "anti-Neo" someone firmly aligned with the machines wouldn't have quite gelled with the theme the sequels were playing with.

There's absolutely some really wonky writing in the sequels that doesn't work the way it should, but I don't mind the quick "Upgrades" comment to level the playing field a bit between Neo and the Agents, especially when, like so much else in the sequels, it ends up playing into this idea of humanity and the machines/AI as two sides of a coin in a system built upon cycles of controlled, repeated violence throughout history, throughout numerous reboots/iterations of the Matrix. The simulation keeps the fight going by any means necessary (including some quick "Upgrades," I guess, to counter Neo's growing powers) because that's what the system intends to use to keep the "free thinkers" in line, the belief that the conflict they are engaged in is the real fight while keeping their eyes off of the true issue at hand that is pulling the strings behind the curtain and orchestrating these repeated cycles.

[KiramidHead]

I honestly wish there were more bowling pin moments and fewer pompous speeches.

[Nightmare Asylum]

In that regard, "Upgrades" is also a quick way to just throw another fight at the audience in between Philosophy 101 lessons.

[Master]

I liked the Upgrades comment.