So what sort of Matrix fan are you? Have you only ever seen the first film, do you only like the first film? Are you devoted to all three entries as a diehard fan, do you fall off immediately after the first one? Have you been torn apart in your our own head following debate after debate and reinterpretation and reappraisal? Truly what’s left to be said? And then now there’s yet another film in the fray to add into the mix, to discuss and be deliberated and poured over for years to come. With Resurrections, helmed this time solely by Lana Wachowski, although written by Lana, David Mitchell and Aleksander Hemon, the audience is given one rather simple question; what sort of Matrix fan are you? For me with this film in particular it comes down to two particular lanes; are you a fan who sees the first film as a masterpiece of action with some incredible ideas bolstering it as its foundation, or are you a fan who sees the first film as a complex pshyclolgical work with some great action scenes from time to time. Well whatever lane you’re in doesn’t matter in the case of Resurrections, afterall it is neither.
Let’s just say it as it is; the action in this film isn’t very good in the slightest, now for many Matrix fans completely sucked in by the sequels, this may very well be no shame at all, but for anybody whose sole enjoyment of the series remains with that masterpiece original than you will sorely disappointed here. The script from the three writers and Lana’s overall direction of the film leads one to absolutely every corner imaginable when it comes to ideas and themes that people had heading into the film, but however is constantly caught in a puzzling dilemma – it wants to break free from the original and be it’s own thing, more in line with the sequels, but yet frequently will insert footage of the first film, almost torturing fans of the original and painfully reminding us with direct juxtaposition how much of a lesser beast it is in comparison. I mean literally cutting from the beautiful grit and style of the first film, straight to this overly glossy tirade of over-sensation leads one to ponder why these clips were put in there in the first place. This film’s relationship to the original is also marred by a lack of consistency with casting, some original actors return, but some are re-cast (with very capable actors who do fairly solid work, but overall are naturally incapable of capturing the mastery and legacy of those original iterations). Now overly complex plot reasons are given, but ultimately leave one with more of a headache than anything, wondering about whether this was a casting issue or a genuine creative choice. Jonathon Groff in the role of Smith leads much to be desired when his imitation is broken out but is fun when doing his own suave villainous thing, whereas Yahya Abdul-Mateen II makes the role his own with an interesting meta element to the way the script brings Morpheus back – but in both cases you can’t help but long for Fishbourne and Weaving to return.
The longing for those missing to come back is of course only made more fervent by the fact that other actors are reprising their roles in all other areas of the film, from minor roles with Priyanka Chopra Jonas to Lambert Wilson, the latter of which seriously goes off the rails in one of the film’s most cringe-worthy, yet more enjoyable scenes (although one feels one is laughing at the films attempts to comment, rather than laughing with, and definitely not seriously admiring the writing). But of course the biggest returning actors are that of Keannu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss. Reeves does his usually obtuse yet brilliant turn as Neo, this time caught with a lot more complex dramatic confusion that doesn’t exactly suit his better traits, like the wide-eyed wonder and stoicism of the original trilogy did. Moss when she is on screen is rather stellar and really is one of the films stronger aspects in the performance arena, but is bizarrely this films damsel in distress and hence is time after time nowhere to be found or seen! I found Neil Patrick Harris to be absolutely enjoyable and entertaining and by far the best aspect of the film, however he too was frequently out of view and not in as much as I would like. However when it all comes to down to the bottom line, one cannot escape the fact that this films fundamental flaw is that its action is terrible, it looks like a big glossy mess and is needlessly over complicated as if it’s trying to prove how clever it is, when in the end of course, it can’t help but eat its own tail and come off as not nessecerilly pretentious, but rather instead just a little cringe.
For all its meta-ness, commentary and pshyclolgical ponderings, Resurrections ends up as a messy 5/10, with truly shoddy action, bizarre and remote dialogue and a major lack of a propulsive narrative to take you along the ride. The ride itself is a truly wild one, but ultimately stumps itself over and over again by just looking terrible, with shoddy CGI and an un ugly visual nature that only furthers how bad the action scenes were. One frankly can’t help but zone out and let the messy tide take you over. This then and again entertaining, wildly messy, frequently lazy in its writing, structure and presentation, tide of nostalgia and commentary and very bad action. A film that tries to be for everybody in so many ways, but fundamentally ends up being for nobody.
P.S. The idea that filmmakers finally get all the money they want and have near complete creative control and decided to make an intentionally bad film is some of the most stupid crap I’ve heard in some time, and also at the end of the day only leaves you with a bad film.
- - Thomas Carruthers
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