The Matrix Resurrections – Face-Zucker-Suck

The Matrix Resurrections ushers us back into the false and hollow reality that is the Matrix. It's been 18 years since we've entered the virtual dystopia. And the last time we were thrust into its oppressive confines, the results were less than stellar. 1999's original two sequels sort of divided general audiences. The visuals and exceptional stunts were still there, but the message was lost in translation. As for The Matrix Resurrections, it is not the hit the first one was, but it's certainly not the other two either. It goes back more to the basics, centering the story around the inextricable bond between Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss). This, of course, is surrounded by biting and often effective musings about the state of studio cinema, the emergent dangers of the online landscape, and the penchant for too many among us to never question the evils they are being spoon fed. Twenty-two years on, it turns out, not much has changed for the better. And though Lana Wachowski's message has shifted to recognize its inspirations own metamorphosis, there still isn't all that much new here. The fight choreography—fun in spurts—lags behind its predecessors and the overall conceit can never match the highs of when it first debuted. Yet despite its flaws, The Matrix Resurrections is still a trip down the (white) rabbit hole well worth taking. There just aren't many $190 million movies willing to defy audience expectations and be as unabashedly forward as this film is. Hence, it's time to fly! So sit back, follow the Red Hare to some 2Hazy5 IPA, and free your mind! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt. Cash, and Chumpzilla are grappling with the awesomeness of knowing Kung Fu! This Week’s Segments: Introduction/Plot Breakdown – After 18 years, Lana Wachowski returns with a deeply personal story within the world she helped create. (00:00) Spoiler warning: 27:08–48:48. Lingering Questions – We hear from our brothers in beer at Hop Nation USA and assess where Resurrections stacks up compared to the rest of the series. (48:48) The "Red Pill" Trivia Challenge – The Double Turn Podcast achieves their dreams of tag team stardom in the virtual world, and then Chumpzilla challenges the field to trivia about the movie. (1:15:49) Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We kick off "Hops and Hometown Flops" with a film near and dear to Chumpzilla's heart Deadbeat at Dawn! (1:23:44) And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—why certain actors didn't return and more—from this week’s episode! You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, and Amazon Music!