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Reviews
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Honours the fans of the original
Frankly it's a wonder that this movie did poorly in reviews. It has everything that makes a film a success and skirts around it's own misgivings of "reboots" or "rehashes".
We find ourselves following a narrative not simply of Neo and his awakening from the God deception, but actually seeing multiple facets of life in the world outside of the Matrix.
The new characters are all likeable, if a little under-developed, and the explanation of the machines finding their own factions, allying with human settlements works, for me at least.
The plot. A sticking point perhaps? The movie has fun with its plot. It circles its own plot holes constantly, telling us to question the authenticity of a narrative, then subverting it's own message to fantastically give the viewer what they wanted.
Why is Morpheus different?
Neo wrote him in a different program!
What happened to the other Sentients?
Banished and malmaintained, returning as malcontents!
How come Neo doesn't remember.
Changed his dns!
This one required a good old fashioned 2000 LOL. If not a rofl.
Ultimately this films greatest strength lies in its fanservice. A film need be no more than an entertaining yarn and Matrix Resurrections is exactly that. The 38 year old me watched in excitement, triggered positively by the reuse of the echo-y modem sounds and synthetic horn blares. The combat was excellent, the special effects honourable.
The quotes and flashbacks to the original film and its subsequent sequels deepened my satisfaction. I was instantly, and consistently, drawn back to watching the original Matrix, in the cinema in 1999.
In fact it felt so good, perhaps it was a glitch...
Love, Death & Robots: Kill Team Kill (2022)
Bearminator: Dark Fate
It's good. Don't know why all the hate for this episode. It's completely on brand for LD&R, showcases some great animation styles, tight voice acting by legit actors and, violent and a littlest bit Sci-fi. I'd watch the feature length movie no problems.
Cops and Robbers (2020)
Thoughtful and raw
An educated, intelligent and emotional piece of art. Inevitably there will be those who will down vote this because of its nature, and sadly their own nature.
This should be watched with an open heart and mind by all.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Funny pop culture references interspersed with terrible plot
So it's definitely better than expected but it's not as good as it could have been. Some forced but successful gags and comedy routine between Sonic and James Marsden can't make up for the fact that the story is plain ridiculous even in the context of a kids movie.
At times seems to try to reach for the charm of Detective pikachu but pulls back from too many comparisons. The worst part of it is, inevitably, the walking face-palm that is Jim Carrey: overracted, not funny, barely watchable. The other side characters are hardly used and feel like ornamentation rather than a necessary part of the film, you could edit out all scenes with actors other than Marsden and Sonic and it wouldn't even be noticeable.
Ben Schwarz does an OK job of voicing sonic but doesn't lend any wit to the animated hedgehog, relying on the slapstick and written jokes, and ultimately leads you to wonder why they went with him instead of a more reliable voice actor.
It's not a film I regret watching but I doubt I'd give it a second look. Perhaps the already-set-up sequel teased in the ending moments will turn out better?