The Matrix Resurrections Early Buzz: A Self-Referential And Joyously Irreverent Blast
Whoa.
Anticipation has been at a fever pitch for Lana Wachowski's "The Matrix Resurrection," and the time for feedback has come. As embargos lifted, critics who had recently seen the latest installment were finally able to speak their minds about the film and let the world know what they could expect. This film already looks brighter and more vibrant than its predecessors, and theories about what to expect have been rampant. The /Film team has already done deep dives into the first trailer, analyzed specific roles, relished its embrace of nostalgia in certain clips, and just generally gotten really excited.
So, will you take the blue pill, and go to bed believing whatever you want to believe? Or will you take the red pill, keep reading this article, and see how deep the rabbit hole goes?
He Knows Kung Fu
So far, the reactions are overwhelmingly positive. Our very own Chris Evangelista had nothing but positive things to say about it:
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS is a total blast. Weird, romantic, *extremely.* meta, and consistently funny. I kind of loved it. (Also, everyone in this movie is ridiculously hot.) #TheMatrixResurrections
— Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) December 17, 2021
Following that up with quite possibly the greatest feedback anyone could give:
It's the GREMLINS 2 of the Matrix series. I mean that in a good way.
— Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) December 17, 2021
GREMLINS 2, WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE, TEXAS CHAINSAW 2. It's that kind of sequel.
— Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) December 17, 2021
But he wasn't alone. Other members of the /Film team loved it, too. Hoai-Tran Bui called it "the best romance movie of the year," and Jenna Busch acknowledges its imperfections while unabashedly enjoying it regardless.
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS is the best romance movie of the year
— Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui) December 17, 2021
For the enemy to weaponize yearning and nostalgia, only for humans to flip that around and take it back? Perfection 🤌
— Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui) December 17, 2021
Keanu and Carrie-Anne in every movie please
— Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui) December 17, 2021
#MatrixResurrections combined nostalgia, self-awareness of how the franchise framed the entertainment world, & pure fun into a package wrapped with a Keanu Reeves bow. He and Carrie-Anne Moss bring back that incredible chemistry that I loved so much from the first films. (1 of 2) pic.twitter.com/R2plTTzFbj
— Jenna Busch (@JennaBusch) December 17, 2021
Jessica Henwick & Yahya Abdul-Mateen II kick ass, & are perfect additions. There were flaws -I don't know if everyone will like the self-awareness, but I did. The way back in is perfect, (too?) The film is less – impenetrable than the third film, which is a good thing. (2 of 2) pic.twitter.com/QLHcD4RqEr
— Jenna Busch (@JennaBusch) December 17, 2021
Overall, folks are loving it. Some are even going as far as to call it one of the best movies of the year.
For a moment there, when I left the #MatrixResurrections press screening in downtown San Francisco after the movie finished, I was like: Am I inside the Matrix?
— Patricia Puentes (@PatriciaPuentes) December 17, 2021
I'd definitely recommend watching the first three #Matrix movies if you can as the new film references them A LOT. Longtime fans w/ dig this film & the ways it twists the mythology. It also lays groundwork for not just more sequels, but also prequels. WB could go Matrix wild! pic.twitter.com/tk6zgy5hx9
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) December 17, 2021
The Matrix Resurrections is the most META thing ever! The first 30 mins are HILARIOUS but they WORK. It is full of stunning visuals, intense moments, phenomenal cinematography, and it begs to be seen on the BIGGEST screen possible! Fingers crossed for a Matrix 5!#Matrix pic.twitter.com/JtuOF6aYao
— Tessa Smith – Mama's Geeky (@MamasGeeky) December 17, 2021
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS is *perfect,* no notes; every bit as polarizing and obtuse as the other sequels and I'm elated it exists. Totally earnest Wachowski sci-fi silliness and jaw-dropping action. I will watch it 600 times. This is a sequel to the sequels. #Matrix
— Brett ________ (@BrettRedacted) December 17, 2021
The new #Matrix is about the raw power of feelings over facts, and that's just one of several ideas on display. It's got a satirical take on Today. Destined to be misunderstood and under-appreciated by non-'heads. Get excited! https://t.co/qHv2C8q2TA
— Brett ________ (@BrettRedacted) December 17, 2021
#MatrixResurrections was a lot of fun. The film course corrects many of the issues I had with 2 & 3. Lana Wachowski is so intentional with everything, right down to the comments about Warner Bros.
The concepts are far more grounded and accessible than the previous films as well
— Valerie Complex (@ValerieComplex) December 17, 2021
it appears the Matrix embargo is up and I would like to tell you that it's super fun and clever in places, quite self-aware in a pleasing way, and also has the greatest Lambert Wilson performance in history
— Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie) December 17, 2021
The Matrix Resurrections, despite (and because of) its infinite goofiness, is the boldest & most vividly personal Hollywood sequel since The Last Jedi. a silly/sincere galaxy brain take on reboot culture that makes peace with how modern blockbusters are now only about themselves.
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) December 17, 2021
Without a doubt, @TheMatrixMovie is my fave movie of 2021. It's easily the best film since the original, Keanu & Carrie-Anne are absolutely stellar, the action kicks all kinds of ass & the story blew my mind. It exceeded every single expectation I had. #TheMatrixResurrections pic.twitter.com/LpeVayTczI
— Heather Wixson (@MMEFXBook out 10/20!) (@thehorrorchick) December 17, 2021
#TheMatrixResurrections is a terrific, awe-inducing, meta mind-bender completely in line with the franchise's legacy. Finds an innovative, high-concept way to frame the new story. Keanu Reeves & Carrie-Anne Moss' chemistry burns. Jessica Henwick is a revelation! @TheMatrixMovie pic.twitter.com/xRawqiOcuu
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) December 17, 2021
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS is the most Gen X love story ever told. I love that I felt Lana Wachowski's journey and heart throughout- and was every bit as meta as a Matrix movie could get. Jonathan Groff is a DELIGHT. It's fun, heady, enjoyable, and just plain great.
— Yolanda Machado (@SassyMamainLA) December 17, 2021
I can't stop thinking about The Matrix Resurrections.
It brilliantly reinvents the franchise while increasing the importance of the first 3 films all while being touching, exciting and gorgeous. It's very trippy and complex, but I loved it. Can't wait to see it again and again. pic.twitter.com/SsPhli7KWy
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) December 17, 2021
The Matrix Resurrections: best movie of the year? So angry, so joyous, so fun.
— Matt Patches (@misterpatches) December 17, 2021
#TheMatrix Resurrections is one of the most thought-provoking blockbusters ever made since it grapples with real-world legacy. It has all the elements you want in a Matrix film, but its central love story is where it shines. I also hope WB considers a Jessica Henwick-led spinoff. pic.twitter.com/nDZ0HWYRgL
— Brian Davids (@PickYourBrian) December 17, 2021
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS: Requires Ultra Stefon Voice: This sorta-sequel has *everything*: MRA jokes, cute stingray robots, corporate WB digs so meta they self-destruct, Jonathan Groff's shattered jaw, and ~15 mins of footage from the previous Matrix movies stitched in. I dug it.
— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) December 17, 2021
Ironically, I posted this mere hours before seeing #TheMatrixResurrections, a legacy sequel that met all my expectations and then some. It honors the extant trilogy's resolution and finds a way to meaningfully move past it while preserving so much of what I love about this world. https://t.co/iP5n7fRoOB
— Zaki Hasan (@zakiscorner) December 17, 2021
#TheMatrixResurrections ROCKS. Ambitious, sci-fi metafiction sure to be divisive, it's Lana Wachowski's meditation on why she didn't want do another Matrix movie...via another Matrix movie. Creator vs. destroyer, revival, and the illusion of choice in a brand new context. pic.twitter.com/CbIsgOwhgJ
— Jeff Zhang 张佶润 (@strangeharbors) December 17, 2021
The Matrix Resurrections is Lana Wachowski's New Nightmare, and that kicks ass.
— Katie Rife (@RifewithKatie) December 17, 2021
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS is very good :)
— David Sims (@davidlsims) December 17, 2021
There is No Spoon!
Not everyone was up for the ride, unfortunately.
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS is very flawed. Long, plodding, and exposition driven. But it's also directed/acted with so much sincerity and eagerness to do something new. It takes all the swings a Matrix sequel should make. It's MANY things, but "safe" is NOT one of them. #TheMatrix pic.twitter.com/pUcxbCkUed
— Kevin L. Lee (@Klee_FilmReview) December 17, 2021
I am deeply happy for those who will enjoy #TheMatrixResurrections. I am, regrettably, not among them. It's leagues better than Reloaded and Revolutions – which let's be clear are really not good – but has bad stakes. Nothing matters, and not in a cool nihilistic way. pic.twitter.com/RnbQutdkKR
— Alison Foreman (@alfaforeman) December 17, 2021
#TheMatrixResurrections is an almost 2.5-hour exposition dump with choppy action scenes reminiscent of the Bourne movies. It reuses far too much footage from previous installments and is meta to a fault.
— Jeff Nelson (@SirJeffNelson) December 17, 2021
#TheMatrixResurrections is a Matrix sequel, that's for sure. Better than the last two, it still pales in comparison to the original. Some of the ideas bandied about are interesting, and the cast is game to be back, but not enough feels new here. Solid, but a letdown.#TheMatrix pic.twitter.com/fbsDhEzrO3
— Joey Magidson (@JoeyMagidson) December 17, 2021
Whoa, Deja Vu
Others, meanwhile, had a more mixed reaction to the film.
#TheMatrixResurrections is a high octane nostalgic thrill ride w/ a little too much self awareness & an unnecessarily convoluted plot.
With any reboot the question is why. Sadly the reason for this feels more like a mulligan than a fresh start. #Matrix pic.twitter.com/OjtS2QGvbI
— POCculture.com (@POCculture) December 17, 2021
You'll probably see it on the Oscars shortlist for Visual Effects but it might 50/50 for something like sound.
Franchise rankings:
The Matrix
Reloaded
Resurrections
RevolutionsAll this needed to do was be better than the last one. Mission accomplished? #Matrix #Oscars pic.twitter.com/fj6UwiAxhO
— Clayton Davis (@ByClaytonDavis) December 17, 2021
#MatrixResurrections helps some of the issues with the sequels. Neo and Trinity get a touching story to and visuals get a hefty upgrade. Action sequences are OUTSTANDING and the trip back into the Matrix is TRIPPY! I didn't like some character choices but, I NEED a rewatch. pic.twitter.com/bEpQ6rX2vt
— Leo Rydel – Geekly Goods (@Leo_Rydel) December 17, 2021
#TheMatrixResurrections is a comedy. The action is disappointing and the new characters are thin. But the metatextual commentary is biting. It wrestles with its own legacy in that JURASSIC WORLD/BAD BOYS 3/RP1 fashion. I prefer the first three, but this is a wild swing. pic.twitter.com/7i3n5qUvOq
— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) December 17, 2021
They promised to throw down the "Matrix" gauntlet again, and boy howdy it seems like that's exactly what Lana Wachowski and the team have done. Even when it presumably swings and misses, it's the audacity that seems to be winning people over.