The Matrix Ranking

In the past month, I decided to go on a bit of a Keanu Reeves binge, first watching through the John Wick films and then the Matrix movies, so I thought it would be fun to share my thoughts and ranking of the four Matrix films. The Matrix is a highly influential franchise permanently embedded in pop culture and referenced by a ton of movies and TV shows. It is also groundbreaking in the Sci-Fi and action genres. With all that said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the four Matrix films.

4. The Matrix Resurrections

The Matrix Resurrections is the newest Matrix film, but also the worst in the franchise. There is a bit of novelty to seeing Keanu Reeves return to the role of Neo after 20 years, but beyond that, there isn't much to this movie. The movie lacks the energy and flair of the original trilogy. The visuals look slightly better, but the tone and deeper themes of the original trilogy just aren't there. The movie also just makes some bizarre casting choices, like recasting Lawrence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving when they are both still alive and have no beef with the studio. The movie also undoes everything from the previous films, and instead of being about fighting the machines, it is just about saving Trinity. The movie seems to be more focused on call-backs and nostalgia than telling a compelling story. Overall, this is a very disappointing follow-up to the Matrix trilogy and shows that some franchises do not need to be resurrected.

Score: 5.5/10 Grade: C

3. The Matrix Revolutions

The Matrix Revolutions is a bit of a complicated film. There are some very strong moments, but there are also a lot of terrible moments. I thought the whole Zion plot line with the huge battle was very well done and exciting, and I liked the aspect of Morpheus and Trinity rescuing Neo from the train world. I also liked how several of the characters we met at Zion get things to do. However, the movie just makes some very bad story choices that cause the franchise to crash land at the end. I thought it was very weird to turn Smith into the big bad at the end of the movie when he is hardly in the final two films. It just seems so random and doesn't fit with everything that the story was building towards. This also causes characters like Trinity and Neo to not get a proper ending as they should. The last 20 minutes or so of this movie ruined the whole franchise a bit for me. I think this film and the 2nd film would have been much better if they had cut out the whole Agent Smith plot line completely, as that is what messes up these two films. In the end, this movie has some very strong moments, but was ruined by a shoehorn subplot that messed up the end of the trilogy.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

2. The Matrix Reloaded

The Matrix Reloaded is another mixed film, except this one has far more good than bad, unlike The Matrix Revolutions. The Matrix Reloaded does a great job of following up on the original film by expanding more on the world by introducing the idea of programs and Zion. There are also some amazing action sequences in this movie, such as the highway sequence that really gives Morpheus and Trinity some time to shine. The movie also does a great job of further expanding the conflict between the humans and the machines. I also like how the movie allows Neo to grow into his own and further understand his role as The One. The movie also adds some great stakes with Neo having to choose between Trinity and saving Zion. The main issue with this film is, once again, the Smith sub-plot. He just feels so shoehorned in and inconsequential to the story. You could pull him out, and the movie would run the same. I also thought the last 15 minutes were a bit convoluted, where The Architect explains the history of the Matrix. That is the point where the franchise starts to go downhill and get way too deep and philosophical. In the end, 90% of this movie was a great follow-up to the original film, with the last 10% signaling the rapid decline of the franchise.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

1. The Matrix

The original film is easily the best film in the franchise and one of the best Sci-fi and action films ever made. The Matrix has so many iconic sequences, from the slo-mo bullet dodges to the red and blue pill choice. This movie has permanently embedded itself in pop culture. The Matrix takes all of the best parts from Sci-Fi, martial arts movies, and action films and combines them all together flawlessly. The fighting choreography is so well done and precise, and it became a major influence on the action movie industry. The world-building is also phenomenal, doing a great job of establishing the rules of The Matrix and the real world. The characters in this movie are also just very cool, with Laurence Fishburne specifically bringing so much charisma. The Matrix also helped bring Keanu Reeves to the spotlight. We probably wouldn't have gotten the John Wick films without it. Overall, this is a perfect movie that has defined a genre and is a permanent part of pop culture.

Score: 10/10 Grade: A