The Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Action-packed, but fails to take franchise forward

A still from The Matrix Resurrections

The Matrix Resurrections
A: Sci-fi, action
Dir: Lana Wachowski
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Ann Moss, Priyanka Chopra
Rating: 3/5

It's been 18 years since the last Matrix movie. And while, I leave you all to process your age at this point, I couldn't help but quickly come back to marvel at how clever the idea of the new movie is. It's even charming, but that's about it. Matrix Resurrections fails to take the promise and make something breathtaking with it. That doesn't quite amount to saying that director Lana Wachowski hasn't made an enjoyable film. There are plenty of ingenious moments, massive well-mounted action sequences and a fine ensemble who've clearly invested in making their characters stand out beyond the written word.

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At the heart of this boom-wham extravaganza is Neo and Trinity's (played spectacularly by Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss) love story that works. As a former game designer who gave the world a brilliant game series, Neo is now leading a drab existence. Having settled into the mundaneness, Neo, who now calls himself Thomas Anderson, is busy sifting through his delusions to make sense of reality. Somewhere amidst all of this is Trinity, now known as Tiffany, who is a soccer mamma unable to recognise the boredom of her existence. Brownie points to the makers for not replacing the original actor with a younger lady.

In parts, Wachowski's brilliance shows when the self awareness reflects on screen, when they discuss about the Matrix reboot trilogy and Warner Brothers on screen. Their ability to make fun of themselves is a big win. Someone even called The Matrix "mind porn" which had everyone in the packed hall chuckling. It is sincere, funny, and a tribute to the legacy of the franchise, but what it fails to do is take it forward and offer diehard fans something more. It is almost as if this film is too busy living in the shadow of its predecessor rather than creating a distinct identity of its own. The cardinal issue is that the villains fail to evoke a reaction from you. This is no hit at Jonathan Groff or Neil Patrick Harris, who are both solid actors, but the haphazard editing takes away from the brooding quality they are expected to create. I even enjoyed watching Jessica Henwick and Yahya Abdul-Mateen a lot.

Lastly, as a journalist writing this in Mumbai, let me answer the question on everyone's minds. How is Priyanka Chopra in the film? She is very good and has a brilliant screen presence. While we don't believe that screen time is the yardstick of gauging anyone's performance, it also cannot be denied that Hollywood is yet to tap into Chopra's full potential. She is a meritorious actor and in the hands of a great director, she is capable of being exceptional. You see flashes of that in how she builds Sati, who has a key part in the film. It requires an actor of Chopra's calibre to do so much of it in such little time and that too effortlessly. One can't help but wonder, what if she had more to do. Her Instagram tells me that she has just shot a series for the Russo Brothers, so they can't escape our Desi Girl for too long. As for this film, watch it regardless. Some action and some Keanu Reeves can never hurt in the holiday season!