Just a money-grab. Sad action scenes, deplorable story.

Morpheus became a clown. Agent Smith a young punchable face. Neo a loser. His action scenes consists of just raising his hands (force field). Trinity being the "new one" as expected.

List goes on and on. The only nice thing from the movie was Jessica Henwick. They didn't bother with a cliff hanger since they know nobody will pay to watch a sequel to this crap.

I'm not a 100% through yet, but it does seem rather terrible. Seems like a whole lot of pointless dialogue and scenes that don't really add much to the movie. Most of the dialogue is like watching some kind of pseudo-intellectuals trying way too hard to have an intelligent conversation with each other and it comes across more like the village idiot arguing with the local doofus. The attempts at fan service also seem rather desperate. Does the Matrix really still have such a huge fanbase that they have to shove the new movie full of clips from the old ones? Besides, if they really wanted to please those fans why didn't they get the original Morpheus and instead went for the Walmart budget version? I haven't been following Laurence Fishburne's career very closely, but I assume he hasn't been churning out huge blockbuster hits recently so I would assume his price tag wouldn't have been too over the top.

I've had a couple of days to think it over, and the more I think about it the more I hate it. Maybe hate is the wrong word. I'm just deeply disappointed, because the story elements to make a good movie where there, it was all just done very lazily. I mean, did anyone even die? There were no real stakes or sense of danger from the villains in this. Even the music (or lack thereof) was bad.

And although I know it wouldn't have been made without him, I think bringing Keanu back was not the way to go. I think bringing Neo back in a new body (new actor) but he has all the memories of the old one would have been the way to go. I mean, given Lana and Lilly's transition I'm surprised they didn't just make Bugs Neo reincarnated.

What hurt me the most is absolutely horrible action scenes and fight choreography. I could forgive the idiotic story and the cute animal like machines straight out of Disney movies, but I can't forgive horrible action and fighting as if we are watching a cheap sy-fy channel action series.

@cswood said:

I've had a couple of days to think it over, and the more I think about it the more I hate it. Maybe hate is the wrong word. I'm just deeply disappointed, because the story elements to make a good movie where there, it was all just done very lazily. I mean, did anyone even die? There were no real stakes or sense of danger from the villains in this. Even the music (or lack thereof) was bad.

And although I know it wouldn't have been made without him, I think bringing Keanu back was not the way to go. I think bringing Neo back in a new body (new actor) but he has all the memories of the old one would have been the way to go. I mean, given Lana and Lilly's transition I'm surprised they didn't just make Bugs Neo reincarnated.

Come on even you know that Keanu Reeves and the Matrix films are one and the same and that mixed with his recent John Wick popularity... Forget it his return was inevitable. You may have had a point pre John Wick.

I know, you're absolutely right, but that's why it was doomed. Actually, no, that's not fair because he's done pretty well in the Wick films. I think what this movie needed was a writer/director with a vision that wasn't intent on aping off of the original films. And also hire a competent fight choreographer.

They wrote Matrix 4 having to undo that the main characters are dead. Somehow getting round those facts, what was left of the runtime the plot was lets rescue Trinity.

Worse still the film was just not that great.

You got the feeling by the end of the film with Neo and Trinity flying away "We now can make sequels".

Matrix 4 mocked the last three films and the action was not present. There was no purpose and the box office results showed this.

However if you analyse the small details in the film, like Neo and Trinity pods being at the CERN reactor, how the government system exploits our energies for their purposes, the conspiracy people like Max Spiers bring a lot of fresh details.

In this film, what was the drive, the motivation. In Matrix 1, once we find out the hidden truth that we are all enslaved, we are asking the whole time, is he the one? There was a need to keep watching, which is where the film played out the action sequences well.

Matrix Revolutions, you could walk away, have a coffee and not really give a damn.

If they do what they intended, which is to resurrect the franchise with more sequels, the subsequent films have to flow more like the first film.

We would keep watching them on HBO Max or the cinema preferably.

I did get more of a sense in The Matrix Resurrections of the illusion being payed out in our lives, how this evil corrupt system cons the everyday people.

We all want that mind-f**k again where we think this is just like our real governments tricking us financially with mortgages, working us to bone, all to be enslaved in the war machine, paying taxes to the man and just dying empty with the next generation lost in this paradigm.

I appreciate how people are inclined to not like this movie, but I'm compelled to toss in some counterpoint for the sake of discussion.

I do NOT think this franchise has become anything near the Prometheus / Alien: Covenant branch of the Alien franchise. While I can argue supportively and respectively for Alien, Aliens, Alien3, and yes, even Alien Resurrection (keeping in mind that there are few "perfect" movies in existence and perfection is an unreasonably high bar for most movies), what many had hoped Prometheus / Alien: Covenant ought to have been was so far removed from what they foisted on us, it seems Alien caught lightning in a bottle and even they couldn't quite capture the essence of what made it work, attempt after attempt.

At any rate, I did find it interesting how the Matrix created a facade for Neo to think that his possible memories of previous experiences were just a manifestation of his being a video game programmer who made a game of the name, as an effort to keep him trapped within the Matrix.

Not that I'm saying they got that right. Questions abound for sure. And, yeah, there's curious tensions — Niobe seems utterly miserable and mad at everyone. There's plenty to criticize, but others in this thread are covering those bases.

The movie isn't great...but then, after The Matrix itself, I was increasingly unimpressed with both Reloaded and Revelations, such that it's hard to say this 4th installment is that much of a let down — the previous two did nothing to raise my expectations...but, that's (apparently) just me, though I'm not sure why. As a trilogy, The Matrix ain't The Godfather, or Austin Powers, or Blade. These all produced at least two great movies (and I liked Godfather 3, but Blade: Trinity sucked and its reel should burn in the flames of hell).

Call me crazy (and you won't be alone if you do), but this wasn't the worst installment in the franchise. I'd watch it again before either 2 or 3, which I suspect I'm unlikely to ever see again, ever ever ever.

PS. for all those who did hate it, be of good courage — the Wachowskis may have run out sublime Matrix: R word combos, greasing the slide to more ridiculous words to staple onto the back of the word "Matrix". Are we flocking to theatres to watch Matrix: Recycled, Matrix: Rehabilitated, Matrix: Recidivists, Matrix: Recalcitrants? Hopefully, the money-losing financial performance (or, lack thereof, as the case is) will discourage them from even thinking about going back to this dry well to milk this dead horse.

@cswood said:

I will say that it wasn't quite as bad as I was expecting it to be. I didn't hate it.

But it was bad. It makes a parody of the original films, references those films far too much, feels A LOT like a TV show pilot, and has a lot of miscast actors (the two main villains being the biggest).

There are a few interesting parts (like carrying over the idea of some machines working with humans), but NONE of the action sequences are any good. Badly framed, a lot of jerky slow-mo/dropped frames, and ultimately I kinda just didn't care all that much. And the "comedy" was SNL-tier.

It looked made for TV with yawn inspired archive footage and the fight scenes were time to end the Matrix for good. Nothing can be salvaged from that wreck. And whoever dressed the new Morpheus replacement should be tied to the back of two trucks and ripped apart as they drive off at full speed.

@Adammm said:

It looked made for TV with yawn inspired archive footage and the fight scenes were time to end the Matrix for good. Nothing can be salvaged from that wreck. And whoever dressed the new Morpheus replacement should be tied to the back of two trucks and ripped apart as they drive off at full speed.

The biggest sin by far were the lackluster action scenes. I know a lot of people still don't like Reloaded all that much, but that car chase is one of the best put to film still to this day.

Keanu riding bitch on a motorcycle while waving his hands can not compete with that.

@DRDMovieMusings said:

PS. for all those who did hate it, be of good courage — the Wachowskis may have run out sublime Matrix: R word combos, greasing the slide to more ridiculous words to staple onto the back of the word "Matrix". Are we flocking to theatres to watch Matrix: Recycled, Matrix: Rehabilitated, Matrix: Recidivists, Matrix: Recalcitrants? Hopefully, the money-losing financial performance (or, lack thereof, as the case is) will discourage them from even thinking about going back to this dry well to milk this dead horse.

They could always turn it into a trilogical Lucas saga and release the next trilogy, Matrix: Ripoff, Matrix: Racket and Matrix: Regurgitated Rubbish 😉

Kidding aside, I like your approach. Aside from the 1st, The Matrix films were never that much of a big deal for me, enjoyably forgettable. I haven't watched this installment but if I do I'll have low expectations and probably have fun.

Is it a cash grab? Sure, but even the most shameful cash grab is based on audience demand. In other words, we asked for it. We might as well take what they dish out.

I think you're our resident Stephen King expert so I'm sure you caught the creative metaphor he gives us in Misery. The author "Paul Sheldon" had wrapped up his series and was too happy to move on. But Kathy Bates ("the fanbase") wasn't ready to let the story end there. Sledgehammers optional...

In recent years we've seen a lot of these nostalgia sequels suddenly pop up: Peewee Herman, Hocus Pocus, Bill & Ted, Matrix. And across the board they've been weak compared to the originals. Going back to Misery, notice how the character Paul slapped together the most preposterous plot, something about a bee sting making the main character look dead but lookee she's alive again for another book...? Again I think that's a great metaphor for the way these weak sequels are slapped together. It's not because the art demands it but because the audience does. With that in mind, they can be kinda fun to watch. You can practically picture the writers, with their busted ankles, brainstorming how to give the fans what they want so they can go home and sleep it off.