Warner Bros. has announced that the studio will be developing a new film in The Matrix franchise with filmmaker Drew Goddard. Though not many details have been revealed, the studio put out a statement saying that Goddard came to them with an idea that was original while also respecting the canon created by the Wachowskis in their films.
While a new Matrix film is interesting, fans still seem to be getting over the disappointment of The Matrix Resurrections. The fourth film in the franchise came eighteen years after the trilogy ended and opened to extremely divisive reviews from critics and audiences alike. If Warner Bros. decides to work on another film in the franchise, here are three mistakes that the fourth film made that the studio needs to avoid in The Matrix 5.
Keep Higher Stakes Unlike The Matrix Resurrections
The original The Matrix trilogy was known for its high-stakes premise which put masses of people in the city of Zion being threatened by the machines. Keanu Reeves’ Neo had to become the Chosen One and save the real world from the attack of the machines. The stakes were super high for the trilogy, which The Matrix Resurrections did not have.
In The Matrix Resurrections, the main plot of the film included Reeves’ dwindling mental health and his saving Trinity from the Matrix. Though both the characters have been connected by love in the original trilogy, the entire premise set around Trinity’s escape from The Matrix with the rest of humanity not having a threat was not high enough for audiences.
Hence, the new The Matrix 5 which is being developed by Drew Goddard (via THR) would have to amp up the stakes and make the plot connected to humanity rather than just the two central characters. With many of the members of Zion transported to the city of Io, the fifth film could be set there, making the playground much bigger than the previous film.
Story Over CGI
The Matrix is known for its revolutionary visual effects and the invention of the bullet-time effect which had been used extensively in the early 2000s. While the use of VFX was amazing for the first film, the subsequent sequels in the trilogy were criticized for the excessive use of CGI. The original film’s USP remains the high concept of humanity being trapped in a simulation while the real world is at war with intelligent machines.
While The Matrix Resurrections did not have as much CGI as The Matrix Reloaded or Revolutions, the fifth film would have to concentrate more on the storyline and world-building rather than VFX-heavy action setpieces. Films like Dune are gaining recognition for their storytelling and character-building more than their visual effects. Hence, good writing can go a long way in reducing disappointment for loyal fans.
Ease In On The Technophobia And Meta-Commentary
The Matrix franchise has always been a commentary on the rise of intelligent machines. The first film was released in 1999, at the turn of the new millennium and many were weary about new technologies such as the Internet and computers. The main antagonists are sentient machines who have taken over the real world and imprisoned humanity in the Matrix.
The fourth film too built more on the dangers of social media and virtual reality, making it much bleaker than the original trilogy. While the fears were far and few back then, The Matrix Resurrections seemingly held up a mirror to present-day society which is so closely connected to new tech. The upcoming film cannot bank on these fears anymore as technology has become a part of people’s lives.
The Matrix Resurrections is also more meta than any other entry in the franchise, with Lana Wachowski going all in on the shade towards studios banking on established IPs and forcing creators to make sequels and spinoffs. While it was an interesting direction, the excessiveness of the meta-commentary may have irked some fans.
