Warning: Slight spoilers

First off, in my opinion, The Matrix: Resurrections is probably one of the best sequels I've ever seen. The way it simultaneously feels like a loving return and embrace of the original trilogy, while also being an intense deconstructionist is fantastic.

However, in addition, a key theme of the film is how revolutionary struggle is commodified by the oppressors as a way to placate the masses. In the film, Neo, now back inside the Matrix, has had his past as a revolutionary hero - all his exploits and feats in defeating The Matrix and the Machines - rewritten in his memory to be the plot of a video game trilogy he was the creator of. The program itself has turned his fight and struggle into a product, a fiction, that now imprisons Neo. He is even being forced by his boss at his company to dredge up the Matrix IP and make a forth game, despite thinking doing so feels diluted and pointless. The villain in the film goes on to describe how this sheen of revolution, of progress, that the games have, is intentionally used to give the people trapped inside the matrix at false sense of hope and entertainment, all while keeping their unaware minds in control. I think Lana Wachowski chose to very overtly set the film in San Fransisco, amid the capitalist, controlling class world of the Silicon Valley tech/video game industry.

I highly recommend you all go see this new film, especially if you're a fan of the original. It continues the story in an incredibly creative way that feels like an antithesis to the glut of cinematic universes and IP products fed through the film industry in the last 20 years. Not to mention it's still fun as hell and full of great style and action.

Also, if you're interested, on the podcast I do with my friend, we covered the trans-revolutionary politics of the original trilogy in last weeks episode and the episode we put out today, so check that out if you want: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6m4X8kWbVbyucC5QM1hQgk https://open.spotify.com/episode/2mdoEvOHnxgya3CovXcgT5

  • bananon [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    In the film, Neo, now back inside the Matrix, has had his past as a revolutionary hero - all his exploits and feats in defeating The Matrix and the Machines - rewritten in his memory to be the plot of a video game trilogy he was the creator of.

    Should’ve just gone all the way and made it a canonical movie trilogy. Much more fun to have the real Matrix and actors as a direct in-universe inception. Yeah it’s cliche, but it also would’ve probably had more “woah” factor since that’s the medium we’re watching it through.

    • blly509 [he/him,any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      I think there is a point to be made here because I'm pretty sure the general understanding before release was that Keanu was playing Keanu Reeves: Star of the Matrix Trilogy in this new film. Even in the movie, they keep showing old Matrix movie clips and now we're supposed to assume they're cut-scenes, I guess? The new Unreal engine did that big advertisement for the movie, so I guess one of the stipulations of getting their tech involved to make the effects look great was changing the concept from a movie to a video game?