After 18 years, a new The Matrix: Resurrections, bringing back much of the original cast, and earning generally positive reviews earning a Rotten Tomatoes score just above the original Matrix trilogy's average. The first three Matrix movies run the gamut when it comes to critical opinion, so beating the average isn't the highest goal, but considering the poor reception of the third installment, "good enough" might be sufficient for many audience .
The original Matrix was a seismic shift for the entertainment industry, setting a new standard for sci-fi action movies, also earning rave reviews, an 88 percent Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, and winning five academy awards. The Matrix Reloaded wasn't as enthusiastically received, but still received generally positive reviews with a 73 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, while The Matrix Revolutions was critically panned, earning an abysmal 35 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Because the second two movies were shot back to back and released six months apart, they're frequently evaluated together, so most people considered everything but the original movie a disappointment, although there has been a bit of a reappraisal in recent years. It may not be enough for everyone to flip their opinion, but there is a growing claim that they may have received more hate they deserved at the time.
Due to the controversial nature of the previous sequels, The Matrix Resurrections was always a tricky proposition, but now it's finally here, drawing a 68 percent Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, ranking it as the third-highest score, but landing just above the 65 percent trilogy average due to the especially low rating of The Matrix Revolutions. Excluding the third installment's especially low score from the average as an outlier jumps the average significantly to 81 percent, which is quite a bit higher than The Matrix Resurrections.
Looking past the Tomatometer's Fresh percentage to the actual review scores, Resurrections is a few points below the franchise's 6.63 out of 10 average, with 6.3, while the original Matrix stands significantly higher at 7.8, The Matrix Reloaded coming in at 6.8, and The Matrix Revolutions at 5.3. When it comes to the score from Rotten Tomatoes' Top Critics, the scores are a little more in alignment than the original trilogy. The Matrix Resurrections scored a 64 percent fresh with Top Critics, which is a bit closer to The Matrix's 76 percent than the "All Critics" score, and comes in just under The Matrix Reloaded's 65 percent, also clearly well above the original trilogy's overall average of 54 percent, with The Matrix Revolutions ranking last again with 22 percent from Rotten Tomatoes Top Critics.
While The Matrix Resurrections' Rotten Tomatoes score may be a letdown for those hoping for a return to form from the original film, there are likely many others breathing a sigh of relief over a solid Fresh score at all. Regardless, reviews are inherently subjective, especially when it comes to polarizing franchises like The Matrix, so there's sure to be plenty of debate over the movie and its score as more audiences see it.
