(A rare, signed and non-watermarked version of this image is available at: https://creary.net/movies/@jaichai/musings-about-the-matrix-resurrections)
I watched "The Matrix Resurrections" today.
While viewing the film and munching on a variety of empty/high-calorie food poison, I still couldn't believe that the original movie was released in 2003.
I kept thinking, "Where the Hell did those 19 years go?"
I'd always heard that when you're young, an hour feels like eternity. But when you get older, the years fly by and before you know it, you feel like someone stepping out of a time warp!
Damn, that reminds me.
At the end of this month, I'm turning 59 years old.
Seriously?
Didn't I just retire from the military? No wait. That was in 2004, a year after the first "Matrix" movie came out.
Holy sh*t! That means I've been retired for 18 years!
[Enough with this rant. Getting back on topic now.]
"The Matrix Resurrections" was released in theaters on December 12, 2021.
The movie purportedly cost Warner Bros. and HBO Max over 190 million dollars to produce and as of early January, has yet to make a profit.
Box Office Stats:
As of January 9, 2022, The Matrix Resurrections had grossed $34.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $90.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $124.6 million.
Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 64% based on 297 reviews, with an average rating of 6.20/10.
In spite of the lukewarm-to-negative reviews from most of the critics (i.e, The NY Times, The LA times, The Independent, Metacritic, CinemaScore and PostTrack), I agree with Gizmodo's appraisal:
"Resurrections is an excellent Matrix sequel that knows what you think you want in a Matrix sequel, and gives it to you in ways you aren't expecting. Sometimes those things don't work, but mostly they do, and as a result I'm confident to say: The Matrix is back."
(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix_Resurrections#Reception)
TBH, I actually enjoyed this movie more than the second and third installments of "The Matrix" films.
It was cool to see Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Lambert Wilson again as their young selves from someone's memories or as the older versions in the present.
But the biggest reason I liked this film was not the awesome action scenes and special effects.
To most of us, a lot of great stunts and realistic computer graphics is a foregone notion that if omitted, would've disappointed everyone.
For me, the most enjoyable and significant aspect of the movie is the way it treats all the controversial topics (and the societal, cultural and philosophical questions arising from them ) that the original movie injected into our culture over 19 years ago.
For example, "What is reality?"
"Is the universe and true reality made of information?"
"Or is it an infinite and eternal expanse of quantum-entangled consciousness?"
"Who or what will protect humans when the next critical worldwide network goes down?
"Will it take WWII - a Cyber War that annihilates power grids, renders public and private networks useless, destroys water, food and medical supply chains, dissects regional comm infrastructures, eventually killing billions AND get this: The whole war lasts three milliseconds! - before the global power eggheads realize that perpetuating a Cyber Cold War makes everyone vulnerable and less prepared to deal with the very real threat from any one of several malicious, organized and privately funded Black Hat Hacker Groups. - not to mention undeclared chip design flaws, undiscovered bugs, hibernating viruses or just plain, poorly written code in the algorithms that run crucial services.
[Say that Uber Run-On Sentence in one breath. Go ahead. I dare ya. Lol!]
RE: Emergence of General Artificial Intelligence -
"What will 'The Singularity' affect the most?"
"Will the rate of loneliness and depression in the elderly diminish?
"Following Japan's lead, will more humans marry robots?"
"Following Korea's initiatives, will more companies be required to pay a 'Robot Tax' to partially compensate the masses of unemployed workers displaced by automation?"
"What will be the agreed upon, or at least legally recognized, definition of 'Sentience befitting a self-sovereign entity with civil and property ownership rights?"
The list can go on and on.
Anyway, I give "The Matrix Resurrections" a strong thumbs up.
May you and yours be well and loving life today.
In Lak'ech, JaiChai
(JaiChai 11 JAN 2022. Simultaneous multi-site submissions posted. All rights reserved.)