Next up - and the last I'll be seeing before I go back, it seems, as no new films seem to be opening - was The Matrix: Resurrections (Omniplex again, of course). My original plan was actually to see this first, until its ratings plummeted! So, it's a kind of sequel to the original Matrix trilogy, with Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, both of whom were killed in the last film, back to life. Which, of course, is never a problem with the construct of reality that we get in these films - anything goes. I did wonder whether their resurrection would be explained - and whether we'd understand it if so! Neil Patrick Harris (as Keanu's analyst) and Christina Ricci (as Keanu's contact to the real world - yes, he needs one) also show up, as does Jada Pinkett Smith, reprising her role as a pilot of one of the rebel ships. Only now she's kind of running the place. Anyway, I'd heard some complaints about the CGI.. We'd see. As mentioned, it was all that was left for me to see here, anyway. I made sure to review the plot to date, before embarking on the next chapter.. aimed to see this today.
And I did. Got in on time again - nice big screen for once (Screen 5); it's showing in two separate screens. For all that, it had only a handful of other people in it. Now, not only the backstory, and the link to the new film, are made apparent - but also, it seems, the reason for making it. Picture the scene: Tom Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is now a videogame designer, fabulously successful following his development of a groundbreaking new game called - The Matrix. Following a psychotic episode some years back, however, where he tried to jump from a high building because he thought he could fly, he's now seeing an analyst (with a cat, appropriately called Déja Vu), and taking pills. Blue. One daily. To keep his grip on reality. He keeps running into Tiffany (Carrie-Anne Moss) at the local coffee shop. Feels a strange connection to her. Now, one day there's a glitch in the Matrix - and it turns out to be all down to a little program he kept running in the background.. one that has a character in it called Morpheus..
Anyone who's a Matrix fan will have picked up some clues in that paragraph.
Things come to a head when his business partner informs him that Warner Brothers (makers of the film, too) want a fourth instalment of The Matrix - a sequel to the original trilogy, which as Tom points out, he swore he'd never return to. Sundry headwrecking meetings follow, where marketing types argue over what version of the game will be most successful, and some want to return to the original format. You can see where this is going..?
Anyway, you can choose to believe this version of reality. Or you can go with the complicated version: Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) should have been destroyed, but were secretly kept alive and plugged into the Matrix. Christina Ricci finds Morpheus, and they go hunting for Neo.. and that analyst is more than he seems. As is Tom Anderson's business partner - the new Agent Smith. Who is not the only one with a vested interest in the status quo. Not by a long shot.
Really, that's not too much of a spoiler. And actually, I really enjoyed this - I didn't think it quite deserved its meteoric fall in ratings, which I'm putting down to the sheer volume of repeat clips from past Matrix films that are included here: perhaps as reminders for those who might not have seen them? They did irritate me. However, for once I agree with the marketing guys that wanted a return to the original - back to basics is good, I found the last two films just way too philosophical and confusing! We got the original idea - it's nice to get back to it. As for the CGI, I'm no expert, but it looked all right to me. The constant addition of old film clips aside, what the hey, I appreciated the nostalgia!
I fly back to London on Monday. And after that, again, we shall see.. I'd like to go to one of the much larger choice of films there on Tuesday, but the sodding film list hasn't been updated yet!
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