The Matrix Resurrections

20 years after the last “Matrix” movie (“Matrix Revolutions”), director Lana Wachowski returns to the dystopian sci-fi world of “The Matrix” without her sister as a co-director for the first time, resurrecting the story for the fourth Matrix movie, “The Matrix Resurrections.”

After Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Tiffany (Carrie-Anne Moss) save the city of Zion from the machines, forever changing the Matrix, they are presumed dead. However, the machines keep them both alive and plant them into a new version of the Matrix without any of their former memories, giving them new lives. 

Once again Thomas Anderson, Neo now a videogame designer who made the genre-defining game “The Matrix.” The game is the story of Neo’s life, which leaves him thinking that he is mad, unable to tell if he is just living in a fantasy world of his own making or actually being controlled by something much bigger. Neo once again must determine what is real or not and save Tiffany and the world.

With a much more understandable plot than “Reboot” and “Revolutions,” the “Resurrections” storyline fits perfectly into “The Matrix” universe, making it not feel like a cash grab like many recent reboots. The writing and pace of the film allow both old and new fans to enjoy the story and world-building that is The Matrix.

While special effects have evolved over the past two decades since the first Matrix movie in 1999 and the sequels in 2003, the “Resurrections” special effects are not much different than its predecessors. With more iconic bullet stopping scenes and Reeves’ martial arts abilities, the sequel brings a feeling of nostalgia for the original Matrix movie. 

Cinematically and plot wise “The Matrix Resurrections” largely resembles “The Matrix,” at times almost feeling like a remake of the 90s sci-fi classic rather than just another sequel. With looming, long shots of the city and iconic green code running through everything, “Resurrections” is a visually satisfying film with a nostalgic storyline.