Matrix 4 Is Repeating What Helped Make The Original So Groundbreaking
The Matrix 4 appears to be using the same ambitious approach to filmmaking that helped make the original film so groundbreaking. Although very little is currently known about the plot, characters, or mythology of this latest sequel to 1999's The Matrix, recent comments seem to indicate that the film's production is finding unique ways to use state-of-the-art technology to tell its story. And if that's the case, this fourth Matrix film could possibly find itself in the same league as the revolutionary original.
Directed by Lana Wachowski, The Matrix 4 (likely to be officially titled The Matrix Resurrections) will see the return of franchise veterans Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith. One of the film's new faces will be Aquaman and Candyman actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who is rumored to be playing a young Morpheus. In a recent interview with THR, Mateen spoke about his experience on the set, expressing in his statements his amazement with the "technology that Lana incorporated and the filmmaking, camera rigs that I’ve never seen before. It’s so ambitious."
While Mateen's interview didn't reveal any key story elements, the fact that he saw "ambitious" technology being used during filming is an encouraging sign. The Wachowskis are renowned for their ability to push film technology in new directions. If The Matrix 4 can embrace this tradition and update it with the latest tech, the film could become a groundbreaking action/sci-fi milestone, much like the original.
When the first Matrix film was released in 1999, audiences had never seen anything like it before. Not only was the story itself fresh and unprecedented, but the film's presentation was wholly unique. Using computer-enhanced martial arts stunts, Hong Kong-inspired cinematography, and revolutionary camera tricks, the Wachowskis crafted a film unlike any other. While the film's duo of sequels continued to tread new ground in the realm of computer graphics and camera angles, nothing has ever come close to the freshness of the first film.
With nearly two decades having passed since the release of The Matrix Revolutions, the final installment of the initial trilogy, filmmaking technology has made incredible leaps. What's more, the kung-fu fights and slow-motion "bullet-time" effects of the first film have been done, re-done, copied, and parodied countless times. While audiences are likely to see these fun and nostalgic tricks repeated in The Matrix 4, it seems that Lana Wachowski might be using the film as an opportunity to do something new. If this is the case, The Matrix 4 might just be able to do what the original film did 22 years ago: push boundaries, break new ground, and use fresh techniques to leave audiences in awe.