The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

Act one of The Matrix Resurrections roasts the idea of a fourth Matrix movie, then the rest turns into exactly the movie it was making fun of. Keanu Reeves plays a game designer whose bosses want a sequel to his famous trilogy, and his coworkers sit around arguing about what made the original special. Then the rebels show up and it all goes flat. The fights are choppy where the old ones were clean, and the new slow-motion trick mostly slows everything down. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is a blast as a new Morpheus in loud suits, but Neil Patrick Harris’s therapist has to explain way too much. What does work is Keanu with Carrie-Anne Moss. Their coffee shop scenes carry a real ache. At 148 minutes it’s long, and it made $157.4 million worldwide against a reported $190M budget. A 4.9 because the love story is real and the rest is a rerun with notes. $94.49 says you order a coffee this week and catch yourself waiting for the stranger at the next table to remember you.

What works: The self-aware first act is genuinely funny, and Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss still have the chemistry to make the love story land.

What doesn’t: The action is choppy and forgettable next to the original trilogy, and the second half drowns in explanations.

Who it’s for: Matrix fans who care more about Neo and Trinity than kung fu, and people who enjoy a movie arguing with its own studio.