Reinier_Zouw’s review published on Letterboxd:
One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
A déja vú is a glitch in the Matrix, it happens when they change something
That first trailer with "White Rabbit" got its hooks in me like few trailers ever have. I joked to a friend the other day that I might have watched that trailer enough times to exceed the runtime of the actual movie, but I may have not been joking. Every tantalizing image, every visual wink to the original, every action beat teased all seemed to hint at something truly incredible and I'm pleased to report that The Matrix Resurrections basically meets the sum I had calculated for all these disparate parts in my head and even surpassed them in some aspects. Because every element that hooked me in that trailer is present here, but the way it all fits together frequently goes beyond what I imagined. Which I guess just means you can tell it’s a Wachowski movie, even with only Lana taking place on the director’s chair this time around. What we have here is a movie that opens with new characters watching and critiquing what is essentially a remake of the first Matrix movie that only goes deeper down it’s own rabbit hole as the runtime progresses, rounding up enough concepts some filmmakers would build an entire trilogy out of before the first hour is even done.
And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you’re going to fall
a dèja vú is a glitch in the Matrix, it happens when they change something
Because yes, large parts of this are essentially Lana Wachowski commenting on the state of the industry, the nature of reboots and remakes and the nature of this film itself. All those parts are delightful, brilliantly written and beautifully acted by both new and returning cast members (with Neil Patrick Harris and Jonathan Groff being my personal favorites in the former category) and I would’ve been perfectly happy if this film was just that. THE MATRIX REBOOTED, a self-aware, winky reflection on its own franchise. But it’s also a sequel to two of the most ambitious and frequently inscrutable blockbusters to ever come out of Hollywood and luckily for me (who likes both those movies a lot), the film never lets you forget that.
When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
a dèja vú is a glitch in the matrix, it happens when they change something
So there are scenes of endless philosophizing, sci-fi concepts that would be difficult to parse after minutes of exposition tossed off in a few seconds, scenes of plans happening while they are being described and heaps of backstory that sometimes raise more questions than they answer. All those scenes set off my “I can’t believe that they let anyone make this and that I’m watching it on a gigantic screen with a rapt crowd” alarms, which is one of my favorite feelings to have during any movie. But the times where these two sides of the movie - the meta, referential side and the wildly ambitious sci-fi epic side – collide is when this film truly soars. A monologue about the Bullet Time concept popularized by the first film that happens, you guessed it, in Bullet Time, is already a contender for one of my favorite scenes in the entire franchise, as are few pivotal others I can’t mention without spoilers.
And the white knight’s talking backwards
And the red queen is off with her head
a dèja vú is a Glitch in the matrix, it happens when they change omething
There are some scenes here I don’t see the purpose of just yet, and entire elements of the plot or character motivations I absolutely did not understand, but I can’t wait to re-enter this particular Matrix again and again to find out the answers. The fact that a major studio blockbuster this dense and full of ideas even exists is one reason to celebrate, the fact that it is a film I already love and can see myself loving even more is another.
Remember what the dormouse said
Feed your head