The Wachowski’s The Matrix dropped back in 1999 and one would think that over the next two decades there would be at least two or three more films that would just blow everyone’s minds and start whole new trends in ways no one has ever seen before. Looking back now, I really don’t think those exist. For real, we need a lot more original IP’s. When I think of The Matrix franchise, I don’t care for the sequels. I remember not liking Reloaded too much because it felt stretched too thin across multiple platforms. It felt like you needed to watch the Animatrix and play the video game to get the whole picture of the film. As far as Revolutions goes, 300,000 robots are going to attack us. We only have 24 hours to prepare. Let’s have a rave. The trilogy ended with the Matrix basically being status quo, it would keep operating and people who woke up would be allowed to leave. The Oracle and the Architect have a conversion about it, FIN. The Matrix Resurrections will release on December 22nd and it seems to be doing what a few movies have done recently, which is to Force Awakens the Matrix series. Judging by the trailers, it is very aware of it, and I am definitely curious to see how the creators pull it off.
I think it’s a cycle.
Cycle after cycle after cycle. The wheel keeps turning.
The machines made a choice to be merciful to humans. Maybe they needed humans as energy once, but I think they were reluctant to commit genocide because they saw enough good in us and had enough of that good in them that they couldn’t go full Skynet.
That said, humans had proven time and again that peaceful coexistence was unlikely.
So they gave them their own world to live in. Same planet. Different world.
But they started the wheel turning. They had a solution. Let a few humans go and found their city. Circulate rumors of The One who would free them all. Then tell the One their true purpose, he would be reabsorbed back into the Matrix and the free humans would be culled and the wheel would start turning again.
The problem, of course, with machines having self-awareness is that they’re not all on board with seeing this happen over and over again. So the Oracle decides to try and break the cycle. Neo tries to break the cycle by refusing to get reabsorbed. And when he makes his deal with the machines, he gives the humans and machines a chance to break the cycle and coexist peacefully. That’s all it is. He’s done his part. It falls to the living to actually follow through.
But they don’t. So it starts all over again. The wheel turns. The glitch emerges again. Neo is back. This time it seems he retains some of his past memories and experiences. And from the trailers, it seems as if he is going to follow up on his intent from the end of the first movie, blow it all up, and let it end once and for all. Who’s ready for the red pill?
The Matrix trilogy is available to stream now on HBOMax.