The Matrix (1999 - present)

123468

Comments

  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,183
    The difference with EMPIRE is that while it leaves a few strands to be picked up in a later film, it still works as it’s own complete story.

    RELOADED simply stops, but that’s by design since the follow up was already filmed and ready to go in 6 months. If EMPIRE had a comparable cliffhanger, it would have hard cut to black after Vader told Luke he was his father.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,798
    SPOILER....
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,588
    It seems to me that people are either skipping this or watching at home. That's the problem with a simultaneous release at home and theaters is that people won't pay to see something in theaters that they are already paying for at home.

    That's why Bond and Spider-Man were successful and Matrix is not. Would Spider-Man have made as much with a simultaneous release on Disney Plus or Bond on Prime Video?

    I saw a noon showing of Matrix and it ended up being a private screening Ala I was the only one in the theater.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,183
    chrisisall wrote: »
    SPOILER....

    Oops. >:)
    It seems to me that people are either skipping this or watching at home. That's the problem with a simultaneous release at home and theaters is that people won't pay to see something in theaters that they are already paying for at home.

    That's why Bond and Spider-Man were successful and Matrix is not. Would Spider-Man have made as much with a simultaneous release on Disney Plus or Bond on Prime Video?

    Yeah, that’s why companies are pretty much dropping that method at the end of the year. The deal made sense in 2020 when theaters were forced to shut down and there was no vaccine available. Their highest grossing film so far is KONG VS GODZILLA. That might have made even more if it was theaters only, but there it is.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    edited December 2021 Posts: 25,120
    I heard earlier think it was Grace Randolf saying Matrix 4 is the last of the HBO Max slate of movies to play at home as well as Cinema simultaneously.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,183
    It is. The deal was only for the 2021 slate, IIRC. After this it’s theaters only.

    I dunno what stopped them from canceling that deal once they realized it was not panning out well for them, but I’m sure they would have ended it much sooner if they could.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,120
    It is. The deal was only for the 2021 slate, IIRC. After this it’s theaters only.

    I dunno what stopped them from canceling that deal once they realized it was not panning out well for them, but I’m sure they would have ended it much sooner if they could.

    Living in the UK I never really benefitted from it as the HBO releases would appear weeks or months later on VOD here. We have to wait a few months for Resurrections on VOD.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,798
    They should have made me pay for streaming it. I would have been okay with it.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T. and the M.G.'s
    Posts: 7,021
    Cry Macho would have been the highest grossing film of 2021 had it been released only in theaters.

    The highest!
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,798
    The more reviews I read the more I realize precisely why I like Resurrections; it's NOT the first movie.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,183
    I went in spoiler free, but I did catch a few remarks on social media like “it’s a repeat of the first one, like THE FORCE AWAKENS was”.

    I don’t get that at all. I see a few obvious nods and beats, but by the second half of the movie it’s a very different beast from ANY of the three films.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,798
    I went in spoiler free, but I did catch a few remarks on social media like “it’s a repeat of the first one, like THE FORCE AWAKENS was”.

    I don’t get that at all. I see a few obvious nods and beats, but by the second half of the movie it’s a very different beast from ANY of the three films.

    I'm so stoked to watch all of them again. With the exception of the first film which I've watched like 20+ times, it will be a totally new experience for me, especially with the addition of The Animatrix which I've never seen before in between the first & second films.
  • The first two sequels definitely work better as one film. REVOLUTIONS is basically the climax that RELOADED was missing.

    I just watched Reloaded and Revolutions for the first time this month. After years of hearing how bad they were, I bit the bullet and - had a great time! I thought parts 2 and 3 were definitely halves of the same movie.

    Looking forward to seeing Matrix 4 but I'll wait until I can rent it at home.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,798
    The first two sequels definitely work better as one film. REVOLUTIONS is basically the climax that RELOADED was missing.

    I just watched Reloaded and Revolutions for the first time this month. After years of hearing how bad they were, I bit the bullet and - had a great time! I thought parts 2 and 3 were definitely halves of the same movie.
    You had no issue with Neo & Trinity's deaths? Am I one of the few that dislike Shakespearian tragedies in science fiction?
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,183
    I didn’t have an issue with it either. I did think it was odd to kill her and then bring her back in RELOADED, only to kill her again in REVOLUTIONS. But that was it.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,798
    I didn’t have an issue with it either. I did think it was odd to kill her and then bring her back in RELOADED, only to kill her again in REVOLUTIONS. But that was it.

    Kill And Kill Again!
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,588
    I didn’t have an issue with it either. I did think it was odd to kill her and then bring her back in RELOADED, only to kill her again in REVOLUTIONS. But that was it.
    But it all ended up being a moot point since she didn't really die, as the Analyst kept her alive
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,183
    Sure, but that’s before that new film came out.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,969
    I was so excited for Resurrections but what a giant, massive letdown that was, from the score and choreography to the script and worldbuilding. Where are the stakes? Where's the tension? Why was this film even made? It felt like a fan service superhero-type film, with a few meta ideas that were slightly intriguing but became stale so very quickly. Damn, that was incredibly disappointing.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,120
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I was so excited for Resurrections but what a giant, massive letdown that was, from the score and choreography to the script and worldbuilding. Where are the stakes? Where's the tension? Why was this film even made? It felt like a fan service superhero-type film, with a few meta ideas that were slightly intriguing but became stale so very quickly. Damn, that was incredibly disappointing.

    Oh dear, not seen it yet.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,969
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I was so excited for Resurrections but what a giant, massive letdown that was, from the score and choreography to the script and worldbuilding. Where are the stakes? Where's the tension? Why was this film even made? It felt like a fan service superhero-type film, with a few meta ideas that were slightly intriguing but became stale so very quickly. Damn, that was incredibly disappointing.

    Oh dear, not seen it yet.

    The whole family and I got sick with the flu right around release so I didn't get a chance to finally see it until yesterday. Needless to say, I'm incredibly underwhelmed after an even longer wait to see it.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,120
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I was so excited for Resurrections but what a giant, massive letdown that was, from the score and choreography to the script and worldbuilding. Where are the stakes? Where's the tension? Why was this film even made? It felt like a fan service superhero-type film, with a few meta ideas that were slightly intriguing but became stale so very quickly. Damn, that was incredibly disappointing.

    Oh dear, not seen it yet.

    The whole family and I got sick with the flu right around release so I didn't get a chance to finally see it until yesterday. Needless to say, I'm incredibly underwhelmed after an even longer wait to see it.

    Glad you and family have recovered.

    I respect your opinion the most on here with regards to the Matrix, should I avoid it and not taint the Trilogy?

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I was so excited for Resurrections but what a giant, massive letdown that was, from the score and choreography to the script and worldbuilding. Where are the stakes? Where's the tension? Why was this film even made? It felt like a fan service superhero-type film, with a few meta ideas that were slightly intriguing but became stale so very quickly. Damn, that was incredibly disappointing.

    Yeah, I'm with you on this, @Creasy47. I didn't get the point of it all. The film reads like one big "remember when?" tribute to the original trilogy, while some of the old cast is starring in a reunion special. Worst of all is that I never got that Matrix feeling. Not even another round of that cryptophilosophical material we have been dealing with since Reloaded can bring back my excitement.

    Look, my mind had told me that this film stood very little chance of being good. My heart, however, had hoped for a bit of nostalgic fun. (I mean, kids these days don't even know The Matrix; they couldn't care less! Judging by the trailer, this film might cater to us.) Well, I'm disappointed. What little is left in this film to enjoy gets lost in a jungle of needless flashbacks and heavy-handed myth-building stuff that's just uninteresting. Also, this is very clearly
    a love story.

    Nothing wrong with that, but is this film the proper vessel for such a story? I wonder.

    I do like the cast, the look of it all and a few brief action scenes. But
    the cool factor is a far cry from what it was two decades ago, and the holes in the story are countless.

    The way I see it, Lana should have gone primitive here. If this is supposed to be a new start, keep it extremely low-key and whet our appetite again. Introduce new characters, living in the now, oblivious to the real world. Have them experience strange phenomena, glitches in the Matrix; have them encounter agents, have them figure things out 2021 style (i.e. appeal to a new generation). And then slowly, towards the end, pull in Neo and Trin to get us really excited, but leave most questions unanswered. Create mystery. And do not, for once, leave the Matrix like it means nothing. Have us fear this new version, fear the machines now in control, but keep them faceless, menacing. End on a high note: there's something at play here, and we're all in danger. A new team, guided by Neo and Trin, whose eyes were just re-opened, must form another resistance. Or else... and then the promise of a sequel that will answer all our questions and get us ready for an entirely new adventure. Make it a "cheap" film, but make it cool. The Animatrix has great examples of such stories to offer.

    It was wrong to assume that a new film, twenty years later, could switch our enthusiasm back on just like that. You have to start over again, rebuild the excitement and earn back our fan love. You can't just barge in and demand it. It's not, as such, a complete failure of a film, but it feels like it's missing its target completely. This is not the way to get us back into Matrix mode, or at least not IMO.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,798
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I was so excited for Resurrections but what a giant, massive letdown that was, from the score and choreography to the script and worldbuilding. Where are the stakes? Where's the tension? Why was this film even made? It felt like a fan service superhero-type film, with a few meta ideas that were slightly intriguing but became stale so very quickly. Damn, that was incredibly disappointing.

    Oh dear, not seen it yet.

    The whole family and I got sick with the flu right around release so I didn't get a chance to finally see it until yesterday. Needless to say, I'm incredibly underwhelmed after an even longer wait to see it.

    Glad you and family have recovered.

    I respect your opinion the most on here with regards to the Matrix, should I avoid it and not taint the Trilogy?

    For what it's worth, if you thought the ending of Revolutions was perfect, then you probably shouldn't bother with Resurrections. If, like me, you hated that both Neo & Trinity had to die, you might enjoy it.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    chrisisall wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I was so excited for Resurrections but what a giant, massive letdown that was, from the score and choreography to the script and worldbuilding. Where are the stakes? Where's the tension? Why was this film even made? It felt like a fan service superhero-type film, with a few meta ideas that were slightly intriguing but became stale so very quickly. Damn, that was incredibly disappointing.

    Oh dear, not seen it yet.

    The whole family and I got sick with the flu right around release so I didn't get a chance to finally see it until yesterday. Needless to say, I'm incredibly underwhelmed after an even longer wait to see it.

    Glad you and family have recovered.

    I respect your opinion the most on here with regards to the Matrix, should I avoid it and not taint the Trilogy?

    For what it's worth, if you thought the ending of Revolutions was perfect, then you probably shouldn't bother with Resurrections. If, like me, you hated that both Neo & Trinity had to die, you might enjoy it.

    You don't really like protagonists dying, do you, @chrisisall? ;-) Well, they can always be sent to some faraway land, like in The Return Of The King. ;-)
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,120
    chrisisall wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I was so excited for Resurrections but what a giant, massive letdown that was, from the score and choreography to the script and worldbuilding. Where are the stakes? Where's the tension? Why was this film even made? It felt like a fan service superhero-type film, with a few meta ideas that were slightly intriguing but became stale so very quickly. Damn, that was incredibly disappointing.

    Oh dear, not seen it yet.

    The whole family and I got sick with the flu right around release so I didn't get a chance to finally see it until yesterday. Needless to say, I'm incredibly underwhelmed after an even longer wait to see it.

    Glad you and family have recovered.

    I respect your opinion the most on here with regards to the Matrix, should I avoid it and not taint the Trilogy?

    For what it's worth, if you thought the ending of Revolutions was perfect, then you probably shouldn't bother with Resurrections. If, like me, you hated that both Neo & Trinity had to die, you might enjoy it.

    I saw Trinity's death as removing a key motivation of Neo's in order for him to fulfil his programming so to speak, so I had no issue with it. My issues with Revolutions was a lot of unnecessary boring filler and too much emphasis on Zion, the creativity had also got lazy and uninspired in early parts of the film.

    My hopes for the new film would be another iteration of the Matrix or a dupe to manipulate Neo further. Stepping far back from the Trilogy Neo is clearly guided and manipulated throughout to perform the function of the one, that's always been the interesting aspect of the films for me.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,798
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    chrisisall wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I was so excited for Resurrections but what a giant, massive letdown that was, from the score and choreography to the script and worldbuilding. Where are the stakes? Where's the tension? Why was this film even made? It felt like a fan service superhero-type film, with a few meta ideas that were slightly intriguing but became stale so very quickly. Damn, that was incredibly disappointing.

    Oh dear, not seen it yet.

    The whole family and I got sick with the flu right around release so I didn't get a chance to finally see it until yesterday. Needless to say, I'm incredibly underwhelmed after an even longer wait to see it.

    Glad you and family have recovered.

    I respect your opinion the most on here with regards to the Matrix, should I avoid it and not taint the Trilogy?

    For what it's worth, if you thought the ending of Revolutions was perfect, then you probably shouldn't bother with Resurrections. If, like me, you hated that both Neo & Trinity had to die, you might enjoy it.

    You don't really like protagonists dying, do you, @chrisisall? ;-) Well, they can always be sent to some faraway land, like in The Return Of The King. ;-)

    I can think of a few movies where the protagonists dying makes sense to me (Gladiator, for example), but generally it's used to make the movie 'important'.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,969
    Spot on, @DarthDimi. It really does hammer home that "remember when?" aspect so much that I constantly found myself saying "yes, I do remember when. Let's get back to it." If you're going to go that meta, why are all the aspects that evoke the originals and the inherent technical elements so damn inferior and awful looking? Even Neo's prowess (or legendary lack thereof now) is wasted - he gets one repetitious sparring scene that's nothing like the original, a tussle with Smith (that's laughably bad) and then spends the rest of the time blocking bullets, explosions and car crashes with his hand, with occasional interjections by the Analyst to kill any sort of good pacing.

    If they end up doing a sequel to this and it's in the exact same style as this one, count me out.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,120
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Spot on, @DarthDimi. It really does hammer home that "remember when?" aspect so much that I constantly found myself saying "yes, I do remember when. Let's get back to it." If you're going to go that meta, why are all the aspects that evoke the originals and the inherent technical elements so damn inferior and awful looking? Even Neo's prowess (or legendary lack thereof now) is wasted - he gets one repetitious sparring scene that's nothing like the original, a tussle with Smith (that's laughably bad) and then spends the rest of the time blocking bullets, explosions and car crashes with his hand, with occasional interjections by the Analyst to kill any sort of good pacing.

    If they end up doing a sequel to this and it's in the exact same style as this one, count me out.

    I am guessing there is nothing comparable to The Chateau scene...
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,969
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Spot on, @DarthDimi. It really does hammer home that "remember when?" aspect so much that I constantly found myself saying "yes, I do remember when. Let's get back to it." If you're going to go that meta, why are all the aspects that evoke the originals and the inherent technical elements so damn inferior and awful looking? Even Neo's prowess (or legendary lack thereof now) is wasted - he gets one repetitious sparring scene that's nothing like the original, a tussle with Smith (that's laughably bad) and then spends the rest of the time blocking bullets, explosions and car crashes with his hand, with occasional interjections by the Analyst to kill any sort of good pacing.

    If they end up doing a sequel to this and it's in the exact same style as this one, count me out.

    I am guessing there is nothing comparable to The Chateau scene...

    Not even close. There were maybe one or two snippets of fisticuffs between Neo and Morpheus that were enjoyable enough, before the excessive cutting and generic moves took hold and stood out in a negative way. Yuen Woo-ping's work was sorely missed here, you can see just how much influence his choreography and work with the actors had in the originals. Here, it doesn't feel like much of anyone had to go through any training at all for what they brought to the screen.

    For a film as revolutionary and jaw-dropping as the original is, returning after all this time with virtually nothing to say and nothing as groundbreaking on display is really upsetting.
Sign In or Register to comment.