"Because I Choose Too"
Choosing Not To Be In Love With All That The Matrix Movies Have To Offer
I'm currently watching The Matrix Revolutions.
I made the mistake of first watching #1 and then #4: Resurrections before making my way through this Wachowski binge. I have always liked The Matrix and concepts of dystopian futures, and luckily my better half has even more of a fetish for films like Mad Max and anything future and/or computer-related. We're a good match! She didn't feel like she needed to watch the other movies to jump into the IMAX and HBO Max released Matrix Resurrections. I agreed. I decided to do this extra homework on my own time!
I found the most recent offering confusing, somewhat of a cash grab, a way to add to the franchise during the pandemic (exploit existing IP!). Lana is the only sibling to return, and as much as I am critical about the reboot and sequel I did enjoy parts of it. I’ll leave that movie with more questions than answers. I won't pick apart or add to the many reviews online about the movie, except for that the hill I will die on is that The Matrix (1999) itself is a near-perfect movie.
The original Matrix was innovative for the time, with great special effects, and a Sixth-Sense-like twist to the plot. It's in the zeitgeist as it were as part of our speech and a cultural touchstone for nerds and nerds alike. Elon Musk and MAGA Red Pill-ers aside, the references to machines taking over a la Terminator were just as important to me as it was in 1999 on the rewatch.
I couldn't believe how much I remembered from Matrix #1. I practically know it by heart. I was a year out of college when it came out and unlike my podcast hosts, I don't tend to remember many pre-sober movie screenings of any films in the theatre. I've always watched a ton of Cable TV and had a decent DVD collection but I also don't recall ever owning this. But I've seen this MANY times. As many times as Star Wars perhaps. Maybe. Not sure. But I know and love it! I know and like 2 and 3. They are 'fine'.
I like these sequels that came out in 2003 but I hit a brick wall in making my way through Revolutions (#3). I like it, I do. I'm not sure if I have the 4K version that is improving my experience and makes the robots and CGI look as great as if it were to come out today, but it really looks good. These Mech Suits protecting Zion are influenced by Alien but also influence a more recent film, Edge of Tomorrow (or Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow) with Blunt and Cruise. I am not sure what I am trying to say here except that my usual "binge and get caught up" strategy makes me slow down with this one. I have no problem pausing a movie after 1/2 hour or an hour and then returning to it when, let's say, Stacey goes to bed and I can have the "Big TV" back, but I will make a statement that's bold and my review of the franchise.
Before I get there, I will say that I am really looking forward to revisiting the Animatrix next, the third piece of media (not including video games) that also came out in 2003. The second film is Rebooted, plus Revolutions was shot at the same time, Back to The Future 2 & 3 style. I get it. I like it. Don't love it (the sequels).
Animatrix influenced two other pieces of media that I like and maybe … started a genre? 2008 saw the release of Batman: Gotham Knight, with six segments of Batman stories to make a whole. Recently, Disney+ came out with Star Wars: Visions, another fun take on the concept. SW:V wasn't awesome but there were one or two that I liked. I do like animated movies and I remember really liking the backstory to The Matrix in those movies.
I set up these dumb challenges for myself. Maybe it's the quarantine or my sobriety or my desire to be a ‘critic’ that understands film and studies it on different levels beyond Easter eggs. But, as I'm writing this sentence, an army on Zion is blasting away as squids and I should be paying attention. I'm just not.
I just can't put the finger on what the roadblock is for me here with Matrix 2 and 3. I have some ideas that are more psychological and maybe apply only to me. For instance, before Ant-Man 3 comes out I may watch Ant-Man 1 and 2 to just appreciate any callbacks. I went along with watching Matrix 4 with Stacey because I wanted to watch as many NEW films over the "holiday break" and getting Stacey to watch a movie (instead of a TV show) is not hard, per se, but we prefer serial 1-hour shows with a 1/2 hour funny show as the come down on our binge-watch with dinner routine. There's plenty out there to keep us occupied for sure.
Had I, on my own, paced out The Matrix sequels with more space between them, maybe once a week leading up to the release of Resurrections, I might be excited and look at Resurrections differently. Or, I can just make my bold statement to close this out, my first 750-word challenge and I'm already 100 words over.
Here it is. I like franchises, but I don't think this one needed any sequels.
Find any evidence of me saying anything like this before and I'll give you $100. I like the MCU, Star Wars, Star Trek, and I am not even saying I dislike Matrix 2, 3, or 4. I just don't think it's necessary to have gone further with the story.
A one-off would have been just fine for me!
Positives on 2 & 3 - the effects are much better and don't really look very dated to me. The 1999 effects are great for 1999 and I don't need them to do a special edition to make it look better. The look and the grittiness of that movie are an asset to me.
Matrix 4 is ... fine. Though in a shorter version of this rant over email, unsolicited (sorry, Dursin!) I stated that (since his wife is a Matrix fan) that I might not necessarily recommend 4 to another Matrix fan. Let the memories live in your heart. But hey, we are stuck at home (again) so why not watch what HBO Max has to offer. The Suicide Squad, Godzilla vs Kong, Netflix' Army of The Dead... etc. Not great movies but maybe to some fans it was what they were waiting for. I'll watch anything. But I am glad I didn't pay money to see Matrix Resurrections in the theatre. Happy to watch at home but would have been just as happy if it didn't come out at all. The chain reaction of the film's release did allow me to revisit The Matrix and Animatrix, so 2 out of 5 ain't bad I suppose!
Do you know what's the craziest part of all this? I may just watch them all again soon. You know, because 'pandemic' and…I'm obviously crazy.
Check Out Sequels Explainer at Empire - a must-read! The Matrix Sequels Explained: What Actually Happened In Reloaded And Revolutions? | Movies | Empire