Matrix Recovery, directed by Lana Wachowski, largely eschews major action scenes in favor of a deeper story about love and death. Script writer Rafael Jordan Was disappointed with the movie at first, but after watching it again and again, I appreciate it more and more.
“I definitely think the secondary thing for Lana is that people really like the series right away,” Jordan said in episode 496 of the show. Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy audio file. “I don’t think she cares. And that is its subtle genius. I think it will really appreciate over time, but not soon enough for them to make her do more movies. ”
Over the past 20 years, Wachowski has seen mostly fans and critics watch third matrix movie, saw the Matrix’s “red pill” image co-opted by the political right and faced unrelenting pressure to create more Matrix sequels. Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy organization David Barr Kirtley see a clear parallel between those struggles and Revival ‘ “Swarm mode”, in which heroes are attacked by waves of mindless enemies.
“In the first movie, the symbol of the oppressive system that is letting you down is a government agent, and in this movie it’s a bunch of people on their phones,” he said. “To a large extent, anxiety about people controlling our lives has shifted from government to online hate mobs.”
Revival features the return of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss, now in their fifties. Horror writer Theresa DeLucci would love to see more mature actors act in sci-fi action movies. “I think [Reeves] did a great job conveying decades of fatigue, regret, weakness, and disbelief,” she said. “I love it when they say, ‘Are you going to fly now?’ And he said, ‘Turn it on.’ That’s right, you’re 50 years old. Screw away, you don’t need to fly anymore. ”
Science Fiction Professor Lisa Yaszek says that despite the focus on aging and loss, Revival managed to keep an upbeat streak.
“For me, it’s very much like a contemporary cyberpunk the story, not only in that it shifts from a silly attitude about the internet to a more cheerful attitude, but it’s actually more about hope,” she said. “This is hoping that people can connect and think logically, rationally and creatively and can make the world a better place. And I think that’s the ultimate sci-fi message.”
Listen to the full interview with Rafael Jordan, Theresa DeLucci, and Lisa Yaszek in Episode 496 of Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy (above). And check out some highlights from the discussion below.
David Barr Kirtley on Matrix:
For those who are not present when Matrix launch, I feel it has a cultural impact that is hard to overstate. I remember people saying, “This is our generation Star Wars,” And that’s really how it feels. Everyone has seen it. There have been some movies about virtual reality before, like Johnny Mnemonic or Lawnmower which really only die hard science fiction fans go see, but with Matrix people have seen it and people are familiar with all these concepts — like the idea of putting martial arts skills in your brain in a second — really cool sci-fi concepts that now everyone is familiar with.
Theresa DeLucci on Matrix Revolution:
I really can barely remember anything about it… I do remember being in the cinema, though. Everyone was very excited. It was the premiere of an IMAX movie in New York City, the biggest screen ever. It’s like a nightclub. People are using all their Matrix devices — glow glasses and glow sticks. My friend was delighted. And then you get to the end of the movie, where Trinity dies, and her death scene is so bad and so bad that people start going crazy. Anchored like, “You can’t die,” and she said, “Yes, I can,” and someone in the theater just yelled, at perfect timing, “So do it!” I miss that more than anything else in the movie.
Lisa Yaszek on Matrix Recovery:
I went in with no expectations, and I loved it. Is it as groundbreaking as the first? No, but how could it be? This is the fourth installment in a series. But I still think it really brings honor to the series. I think the story is reasonable. Since day one, the Wachowskis have insisted that these movies are really about love, and I was like, “Boy, this time Lana really doubled that.” I thought it was so much fun and it almost made me want to go back and watch the original three through these different frames. Not thinking, “Is it a metaphor for capitalism? Is it a metaphor for trans-ness? Is it a metaphor for our media-saturated society? Maybe it’s just a sci-fi story about love.
Rafael Jordan wrote the script:
In the first movie, Neo is unplugged from the Matrix at 32 minutes. That marks the end of Act 1 and the beginning of Act 2 — as I said, that first scenario is discreet. This time around, he doesn’t wake up in the real world until the 52nd minute, and that’s way too long. That’s when Act 2 begins, when they finally go to Io and all that. Audiences aren’t necessarily consciously aware of these scripting rules, but they start watching movies when things aren’t moving fast enough, and it’s no coincidence that this series is longer than the others. another 20 minutes, because it’s too long to get to that point. So I just wish it was a six, four or five hour episode [TV show].
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