A sequel that we don’t need, that I’m both glad we got and disappointed exists.
It feels good to be back in this world. And the film knows it. It’s very reliant on nostalgia that is hit or miss. Sometimes it made me smile, sometimes I rolled my eyes. Such as at the 4th wall-breaking meta-ness of it all. It’s funny and clever, but a little too clever and on the nose. It takes you out of the film.
The action is probably the biggest disappointment. Save one fight, the choreography and cinematography for the fights don’t hold a candle to the original trilogy. The wire work is a joke and the big finale has one scary moment but is also surrounded by a lot of CGI nothingness. Didn’t love the new powers either. Neo is robbed of a lot of his glory, and it’s mind-boggling to think that it feels like it has the most phoned-in-action scenes in recent years. It was teased that there was some neat camera work, and it’s ok. Just playing with frame rates and shutter speeds.
The new Smith does an admirable job but he’s no Hugo Weaving. Felt wrong without him and Laurence Fishburne and he. But I get it, I guess. The new characters are one-note save Bugs, and that one returning character is well served but they all get forgotten about in service of the new….story? That I struggle to remember the point of.
The ending is cool, and I appreciate it undoes some of the tragedies of Revolutions. I’m not sure if that’s fully a good thing but it is what it is. They can end it here or flesh out more from this that they glossed over. Things that need exposition or time to develop don’t get it, but other moments just happen and get glossed over.
When it’s good, it’s a fun time. When it’s not, it’s frustratingly lazy masked behind perceived wit. It won’t match the originals but it’s a decent time. Could’ve been so much more, and the hint at what the world has become has me excited at the new franchise prospects. Enough to have this review skew slightly positive.
No one does world-building quite like The Matrix. That’s on display here. Loved that portion. But did we need it? Oh well, at least it’s a happy ending. For now.
Why cover rage against the machine when “Wake Up!” Is already a perfect song?
2.5 out of 5 stars
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