Netflix Gets Controversial Sci-Fi Epic Blockbuster Sequel That Takes Biggest Swings In Entire Franchise
It is not often that a series can go from having a huge impact on our culture with its first movie to becoming one of the most divisive movies ever with its most recent entry. And yet, that is exactly what has happened with The Matrix franchise that forever altered the action movie genre with the original movie, but left many scratching their heads with the fourth movie in 2021. But perhaps some movies just need more time to be appreciated, and if that is the case with The Matrix Resurrections, it is now available on Netflix for reevaluation.
The Matrix Resurrections
When it comes to the original 1999 The Matrix, it has endured for so many reasons. The over the top aesthetic of all the characters in sunglasses and leather trench coats. The hyper-stylized cinematography complete with slow motion and freeze frames to better appreciate the action.
And the subversive, thought-provoking plot that makes you question the meaning of what reality is. The Matrix Resurrections continues with all of these elements, but goes even further beyond in challenging audience expectations.
Killing Morpheus
For one, The Matrix franchise ambitiously tried to make every piece of its media canon. This includes animated projects based on the world and even the video games. For those not aware, Morpheus winds up being killed in one of the video games, and The Matrix Resurrections sticks with that development.
Obviously not many Matrix fans are dedicated enough to consume every piece of media surrounding it, so it is jarring and confusing to those who just wanted to watch Resurrections that such big changes happened off screen.
Fourth Wall Breaking?
The other major challenge of The Matrix Resurrections is that The Wachowskis openly did not want to do any more Matrix movies.
However, Warner Bros. had the film rights and were determined to use them with or without the creators of the franchise. So Lana Wachowski signed on to direct, but included many meta references within Resurrections that felt antagonistic towards the studio.
At one point in the movie, Neo and Agent Smith even have an open conversation about how Warner Bros. is making them do another Matrix movie. Audiences could not decide whether this was clever fourth wall breaking, or just open hostility about the movie.
Confusing
Ultimately, The Matrix Resurrections came our during the peak pandemic era, so it failed to recover its budget in the box office. But worse, critics and fans found the movie muddled and questioned what it was really adding to the franchise.
Everyone could acknowledge the ambition of the movie, taking a big swing by going in a direction few would have anticipated. But many felt the movie’s attempt at what it was trying to do was more interesting than the finished product.
Stream It Now
If you have not yet formed your own opinion on the controversial Matrix Resurrections, you owe it to yourself to give it a watch to see which side you land on. You can stream it on Netflix now to form your own opinion if it was better left as a “what if” or if it is a worthy successor to the original trilogy.
