The Matrix
1999, Village Roadshow Pictures et al
I have something of a love-hate relationship with this film: while I find aspects of it unappealing—its style over substance approach, fetishization of fights and glorification of violence—I cannot deny that it's also groundbreaking—technically, aesthetically, and creatively. In a way, it's a tangible example of lightning captured in a bottle, as evidenced by its undeniable influence on the film industry.
Its social influence, however, is another thing altogether, having spawned an almost cult-like following. Some cling to its vaguely philosophical messages as though they were passages from newly-minted religious tomes, even going so far as to suggest the film reveals a massive, heretofore unknown cover-up. People, it's just a movie. Thus, my rating is based purely on its quality as a piece of entertainment, and most definitely not an endorsement of any conspiracy theories.
DKS 12/17/17
Rev 5/10/22
GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:
The Animatrix
2003, Village Roadshow Pictures et al
In this anthology of nine animated shorts related to the Matrix universe, each one is done in a different animation style, and of varying quality and interest. Most satisfying to hardcore fans; sadly, even as an animation junkie, I was largely unimpressed. Not much more to say.
DKS 12/17/17
GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:
The Matrix Reloaded
2003, Village Roadshow Pictures et al
The original film established a fascinating premise, one ripe with potential. Sadly, the Wachowskis didn't do anything truly interesting with it. Reloaded kind of felt like an inflated balloon allowed to flutter away with a raspberry-like noise. It was certainly a technical achievement, with superior effects, but they were used for more of the same. Keanu Reeves still acts and sounds as though he's perpetually suffering from a bad case of strep throat, and shares virtually no onscreen chemistry with Carrie-Anne Moss; in fact, Trinity's infatuation with Neo sort of came out of the blue for me. Did I miss something, aside from a parade of designer sunglasses and cell phones?
DKS 12/17/17
GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:
The Matrix Revolutions
2005, Village Roadshow Pictures et al
Any hope that the Wachowskis might recapture their escaping balloon and infuse it with new life was lost; instead, they gave us what amounts to one painfully prolonged pointless fistfight. Gone was any sense that new philosophical questions might be probed. Even the immensely entertaining Hugo Weaving—who provided about the only reason to see Reloaded—failed to maintain one's interest, despite there being literally hundreds of him. About all Revolutions did was continue to mark the long, steady decline of the Wachowskis' careers, which has ended (for the time being) with their utterly embarrassing Jupiter Ascending.
Also see The Animatrix.
DKS 12/17/17
GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:
The Matrix Resurrections
2021, Village Roadshow Pictures et al
After their string of big burly box office bombs, it's surprising to think any studio would ever give the Wachowskis another dime, and yet Warner Brothers handed over nearly $200 million to milk a franchise one more time. Can we guess what happened? Yup, it bombed. While it had a promising premise—the previous three films were all video games created by our hero Nero—all hope of seeing something fresh and new soon dissolved into exactly what the games' producers advised against for the new sequel: a rehash of what's gone before. Let's review, shall we?
- Following a white rabbit, check.
- Red and blue pills, check.
- Waking up in an egg tower, check.
- Recovering in a submarine cell, check.
- Exposition in an all-white room, check.
- Riding around in a buzzing hovercraft, check.
- Motley ship's crew with cute nicknames, check.
- Hidden city of disheveled humans, check.
- Parade of designer sunglasses, check.
- Pseudo-philosophical mumbo-jumbo with an oracle, check.
- Plot hinging on indecipherable technobabble, check.
- Oodles of over-the-top kung-fu, check.
- Big burly climactic fight, check.
- Totally unrealistic love story, check.
And as sour icing on stale cake, we have a pair of new characters who assume the identities of long-gone Morpheus and Agent Smith inexplicably swapping, blending and changing roles unpredictably. Visual effects may have come a long way, but alas the same cannot be said of the Wachowskis' filmmaking—the cast in the bonus doc laughably painted director Lana Wachowski as the most gifted and visionary director the world has ever seen. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss jumped off the roof of a San Francisco skyscraper together for real—and for nothing.
DKS 5/10/22
GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating: