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Cyberpunk Matrix Movies and Films

Review: Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow is what happens when Elysium and Starship Troopers meet Groundhog Day. Featuring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, I was happily surprised to rediscover this gem of a sci-fi adventure that I would argue is close enough to Cyberpunk to warrant a review, although I’ll admit it doesn’t fit the CP moniker too snugly.

What’s it about?

Edge of Tomorrow is a 2014 science fiction action flick from Doug Liman (Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith) that is based on the Japanese light novel called All You Need Is Kill from Hiroshi Sakurazaka. It is set in a future where most of Europe has been invaded by an alien race, and major William Cage (Cruise) becomes an unwilling soldier stuck in a time loop reliving the same day’s battle every day, resetting only whenever he dies. Despite a more modest performance in the US, it performed well internationally, which is shame because this is actually a really good movie.

Other than excellent performances from both Cruise and Blunt (I really liked the fact that Blunt is depicted from the very beginning as a complete badass nicknamed the “Angel of Verdun”) the fast pacing and tight direction from Doug Liman make this film a heart-stopping delight to watch, and even despite seeing repeat scenes as a natural part of the time-loop premise, it somehow doesn’t get old.

If you’re a Matrix fan like I am, then you’ll find some similarities in scenes that I haven’t seen in any other movies that get the fast-paced and gritty-world textures just right. The Mimics, one of the aliens, feels very similar to the sentinels in the Matrix.

Image result for edge of tomorrow mimic gif Image result for the matrix sentinels gif

The giant guns, gun turrets on airborne vehicles and mech-suits also feel right at home. The score for this film was also very good, it added to the tension nicely. The special effects were also excellent, and there is a real tension in the air that the enemy is nigh-impossible to kill, along with a fear for the characters being ripped to shreds (again, not unlike the matrix). That is, death is practically guaranteed against this enemy unless if you get to try again. And again. And again.

I wasn’t the only one to really enjoy this movie. Click above to see 5 reasons why you should see Edge of Tomorrow, which is now available to stream on Netflix.

If you like this movie, I’m happy to report that a sequel is currently in the works according to Vanity Fair. I can’t wait to see the dynamic duo of Blunt and Cruise return, and where they decide to take this story in the next installment.

Rating

I would give this film a 9/10 due to excellent acting, special effects, music, direction, and plot. The only reason why I have to take off a point is because this film doesn’t leave you walking away with any deep insights or seeing the world in a different way. It takes you away from the real world for a couple hours, but it doesn’t stick with you like some other films might.

 

 

Blood Machines: Upcoming Short Film from Synthwave legend Carpenter Brut

Blood Machines Carpenter Brut

Carpenter Brut is Back!

Carpenter Brut is a Cyberpunk classic Synthwave act consisting of Franck Hueso. A French artist hailing from Poitiers, he’s created such Cyberpunk classics as Anarchy Road, Paradise Warfare, and of course the iconic Turbokiller. Carpenter Brut partnered with the visual team Seth Ickerman to create a stunning music video for Turbokiller, which has been the inspiration for Carpenter Brut to continue along the audiovisual route by beginning a short film project entitled “Blood Machines.”

For the First Time, an Original Sound Track to Go With the Film

Blood Machines is a short film inspired by the 80’s films and music, and while written and directed by Seth Ickerman, Carpenter Brut is providing the soundtrack. Production for the film actually began in 2017, and is currently in post-production.

While searching for funding and only having a teaser trailer of late, their official trailer for the short film was just released last week, and oh man does it look good. I’ll let you take a look below.

Teaser Trailer

What We Know About the Story So Far

A Sequel to their music video Turbokiller, Blood Machines follows the tale of two space hunters who are tracking down a machine that is trying to free itself. After taking it down, they witness a chilling mystical phenomenon: the ghost of a young woman pulls herself out of the machine, as if the spaceship itself had a soul. Thus, in order to understand what they had just witnessed, the team begin chasing the woman through space.

Release Date

There’s still no official release date yet, but it should be releasing soon. For more information about the characters in the short film, you can check out their website here.

My Thoughts

Considering that I’m a huge fan of Carpenter Brut and listen to them whenever I get the chance, I’m super excited about this space opera project. I was really impressed by the work Seth Ickerman did for Turbokiller, and I instantly recognize Carpenter Brut’s music any time I hear it in a trailer or a video game. It seems like they are taking the time to do this right and I’m sure it’s going to be an amazing short film.

 

Top 5 Upcoming Cyberpunk Media

If you’re like me, you can’t get enough of Cyberpunk movies, TV shows, and video games. I also greatly enjoy Cyberpunk literary works but I admit I devour them at a decidedly less voracious pace than those with audiovisual mediums.

So to keep track of everything that’s coming out in the near future, here’s five things to look forward to that are headed your way in the next two years:

terminator dark fate

1.  Terminator: Dark Fate: October 23rd (Europe), November 1st (USA) 2019

Technically the 6th Terminator film in the franchise, this film is a soft reboot to the series, taking off after T2 finished. Tim Miller (Deadpool) is directing, After Terminators one and two, which were both directed by James Cameron, Cameron left to work on other projects, leaving the Terminator saga in the hands of other directors. While T3 had mixed reviews, T4 and T5 had mostly negative reviews. This time, however, James Cameron was directly involved with the production of Dark Fate, which will hopefully bring the franchise back to its roots. Another nice touch is that in addition to Schwarzenegger returning as a T-800, Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong are returning as well as Sarah and John Connor respectively. If things go well, this movie may result in the beginning of a new trilogy.

Altered Carbon Season 2

2.  Altered Carbon Season 2: February 2020

The second season from Laeta Kalogridis is set to drop on Netflix’s streaming platform. Details are relatively sparse, but we do know that Takeshi Kovacs is coming back but played by Marvel’s Falcon Anthony Mackie. AI construct Poe (Chris Conner) is also set to return, along with Quellcrist Falconer (Renee Elise Goldsberry). It will be interesting to see how they write Poe back into the second season. For more details, check out my more in-depth analysis of what we might see in season 2 here.

cyberpunk 2077 keanu

3. Cyberpunk 2077: April 2020

This entry needs no introduction, as most cyberpunk fans and even the general public are ecstatic about this coming out next year. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say it’s quite possibly the most highly-anticipated video game release in years. Not only does the name Cyberpunk appear in its title (and has since warped all google searches for the word) but also Keanu Reeves helped fan the hype flames when it was announced he would be lending both his voice and his likeness to Johnny Silverhand, a character in the video game. Check out the latest about the game here.

Akira Live action

4.  Akira (live action): 2021?

As one of the quintessential cyberpunk animes, and a source of inspiration for many CP pieces that came after, Akira is said to be finally made into a live action film, coming to us from none other than Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok). Originally slated for a May 2021 release, sources from Variety and Hollywood Reporter announced in July of this year that Waititi will be directing Thor 4 instead for now, putting Akira on the backburner and also taking Akira’s May 2021 release date. It is unclear when Waititi will be returning to helm this iconic fim, but sources say he had already started meeting with potential Japanese actors to find the right cast.

Keanu and Carrie Anne

5. Matrix 4: Production beginning February 2020, release date sometime in 2021

There are very few details about Matrix 4 so far, but I will be sharing as much as I can as soon as I can. For all the latest news so far, check out what we do know and which Concept Directors are returningas well as a run-down on where we left off in the Matrix trilogy and what I’m expecting and hoping for with Matrix 4.

Alright, those are the big five films/series I’m looking forward to! Do you know of any others? And are you excited about these releases as well? Let me know in the comments below.

Cyberpunk 2077 is back with a new gameplay trailer

And it has shed a lot of new light on what we can expect from the titular game April 2020, specifically, playstyle.

Some things we have learned:

Pacifica District

pacifica cyberpunk 2077

We got our first look at the Pacifica district, a failed tourist destination where funding was pulled and the migrant workforce fend for themselves. Motorcycle, armored car. Sections of the city unlock as you explore. Night markets rampant in Pacifica. There’s also Imperial Mall, an abandoned mall that houses the juiced up gang called the Animals. Their rivals, the Voodoo Boys, need your help. The Voodoo Boys are the most skilled Netrunners in the district. You get to choose whether to help the Voodoo boys or not. Another cool thing we can see is that subtitles are translated in real time when people speak another language.

Character creation: Choose your backstory from one of three character stories:

cyberpunk 2077 backstory

  1. Nomad (Roaming badlands, grew up in Nomad clan. Honesty, integrity, a love of freedom.)
  2. Street Kid (gangs, fixers, small time pushers, dolls, you were raised by them all. The weak serve the strong.)
  3. Corporate (Bent the rules, exploited secrets, weaponized information. There are only winners and losers.)

Character creator: Define basic physical attributes of your avatar, but also surface wiring.

There will also be an extensive skill tree, allowing for hybrid and specialized builds. There were two different types shown in an example: A powerful solo (guns and melee) and a netrunner (technology who hacks battlefield).

  • The powerful solo build can use enhanced strength to rip off guns from turrets or pry open doors. You can also use enemies as meat shields. Players can also choose no-kill playthroughs
  • Netrunners use subterfuge and sabotage, striking from the shadows. You use your cyberdeck to hack access points with a mini-game. In a world where everything is connected, anything can be hacked (to kill or distract) with varying levels of creativity and amusement (see the video). Nanowire can also hack at a distance.

Cyberspace is a place you can visit by jacking in.

cyberpunk 2077 cyberspace

The space used to be lawless and vast, but after an attack, Blackwall was created. The virtual wall cordons off most of the net, and the Voodoo boys want to break through it. Netwatch is the government organization that wants to stop them. You can choose which side you decide to be on.

The gameplay footage ends with the digital ghost of Johnny Silverhand, the revolutionary turned musician who somehow lives inside your head and is your companion through the game. However, even he could become your enemy, depending on your choices. Keanu Reeves/John Wick/Neo is definitely NOT someone I would want to have as my enemy. Although I literally laughed out loud when Silverhand spoke his line at the end of the gameplay trailer. It’s a sign of good things to come.

Personally, I could not be more excited for this game to come out. I’ve learned the hard way through playing Deus Ex and Dishonored that I much prefer tactical shooting to stealth action, so I will be going with Powerful Solo on my first playthrough and then Netrunner on my second once I know Night City better. I also really like the description of a Nomad, it’s someone who’s from everywhere and nowhere and works with what is given him but keeps his integrity intact. Playing as a corporate might be fun on the second playthrough, though.

So which backstory will you decide on? Which type of build would you prefer, a powerful solo or a netrunner? Let me know in the comments below!

 

 

 

 

Hopes and Predictions for the path of Matrix 4

So Matrix 4 is confirmed! But what will it look like? There are so many questions!

No fear: Today I will be reviewing how Matrix Revolutions ended with Neo, Trinity, and the Oracle in the very last scene. Then I’ll be sharing some hopes and make some predictions as to where this story may go in Matrix 4.

Refresher

In the Matrix Reloaded, the architect explained that their matrix was in fact  the 6th iteration of the matrix, meaning there were five different Matrices that all ended for one reason or another, the first one being a “perfect world” that was ultimately too perfect and so most humans rebelled and whole fields of ‘crops’ were lost, a complete disaster. As a result, the architect found a way to reboot the system in cycles with Neo as the inherent anomaly coded into the matrix itself. This anomaly (Neo) has a choice to restart the matrix, or let the whole system crash, killing everyone inside. While his 5 predecessors chose restarting and saving humanity, Neo 6.0 chooses Trinity and love, rejecting the choice and potentially dooming all of humanity.

architect choice

Neo and Trinity then decide to go to the machine city. They ‘surface in the desert of the real’ in Matrix Revolutions and upon their crash landing in the machine city, trinity dies in the ship after getting impaled (this is different from her Matrix death which Neo was able to revive her from in Reloaded, where he reached into her matrix body to remove bullets and then restart her heart).

Neo then makes an agreement with the machines, goes into the matrix, lets Smith copy him, and then allows the machines to kill his physical body and thus destroy Smith.

Revolutions ends ambiguously, watching the sunrise on the new 7th iteration of the Matrix. Let’s take a look at this pivotal final scene, as the Oracle shares some important clues as to where Matrix 4 may pick up.

Oracle matrix revolutions ending

Oracle: Well now, ain’t this a surprise.

Architect: You played a very dangerous game.

O: Change always is.

A: Just how long do you think this peace is going to last?

O: As long as it can.

O: What about the others?

A: What others?

O: The ones that want out.

A: Obviously they will be freed.

O: I have your word?

A: What do you think I am? Human?

Oracle: Beautiful! Did you do that?

(Sati nods)

Sati: For Neo.

O: that’s nice. I know he’d love it.

S: Will we ever see him again?

O: I suspect so. Someday.

This final scene tells us that the humans and machines have brokered a peace that might not last forever (thanks to Neo). For now, humans have a choice to be free or to be enslaved. But with Neo and Trinity dead, how will they come back? Why does the Oracle tell Sati she thinks they will see Neo again, eventually?

Theories

Well, here’s one theory: it could be set in a future iteration of the matrix (7+). Maybe it will be titled Matrix rebooted or Matrix resurrected? Since past anomalies probably looked like Neo, it could be that future anomalies will look like Neo again. If so, it’s likely that he will have no memories of his past lives. Connected lives is a theme that we’ve actually seen in other Wachowski works like Cloud Atlas or Sense 8.

Another theory for the conflict could be that in this new version, the war goes from overt to covert.  Humans are supposed to be free, but maybe the machines are thinking of going back on their word, or changing the deal. After all, the Architect never gave his word, since he’s “not human”. So there could be a mystery that needs to be solved, of nefarious actions from the machines or from an outcast program like Smith or the Merovingian.

3 smith

Another question is, how central will Reeves and Moss be?

Will Neo be a main character, or will he and Trinity be supporting characters like J.J. Abrams’ new Star Wars trilogy. Will Neo become the new Morpheus, guiding other humans who want to escape the Matrix? Will he have memory flashes to past lives he doesn’t understand, similar to blade runner 2049? The future story may depend strongly on why Neo is resurrected.

Lana said

“many of the ideas Lilly and I explored 20 years ago about our reality are even more relevant now.”

So what themes is she referring to?

Propaganda and fake news? Simulated realities and conspiracy thinking? How society can function without trust in systems of authority? Maybe matrix 4 will be about the machines trying to lure humanity back into the matrix, to increase their energy output by making the argument that everyone would be better served to see the world as Cypher did, in ignorant bliss.

There’s also the theme of gender identity, a theme the Wachowskis had wanted to explore with the character of switch. She was originally supposed to be a woman in the real world and a man in the Matrix, thus “switching” her gender and the source of her Matrix name.

Switch

Finally, how will this new movie apply cyberpunk philosophy to the modern world? Will there be different levels of simulated realities and matrices, like in Inception?

Unfortunately, I don’t have any of the answers to those questions. But here’s a couple things I hope the writers have done:

Take inspiration from the wider matrix media, such as the Animatrix.

Let’s quickly review what was in the Animatrix, in case you never saw it or you just don’t remember it very well (which is fair, there were nine different stories…)

the animatrix stories

Here’s a list of the general gist of each of the different nine stories from the Animatrix:

  1. The final flight of the Osiris:  A prelude to Matrix Reloaded, it explains how Commander Locke got the crucial piece of intelligence that the machines were digging to Zion and about to lead a full-scale attack.
  2. The Second Renaissance Part I: How the Matrix came to be as well as the origins of the war between the humans and the machines.
  3. The Second Renaissance Part II: continuing the story of part I.
  4. Kid’s Story: How the kid who appears in Reloaded as Neo’s superfan, and opens the gates of Zion for the Logos at the end of Revolutions, was able to unplug himself from the Matrix by believing in Neo.
  5. Program: A story set in a sparring program in Feudal Japan between human members of a ship’s crew.
  6. World Record: An athlete who pushes himself to his physical and mental limits in the Matrix, wakes himself up briefly, and then frees his mind in the Matrix again.
  7. Beyond: When areas in the Matrix glitch, children discover the perfect playground where the laws of gravity don’t apply.
  8. A Detective Story: A human detective in the matrix is tasked with finding trinity, unaware that agents are using him to get to her.
  9. Matriculated: A human team in the real world bait and catch machines, in order to try to convert them to their cause by changing their programming in the matrix.

Final Flight of the Osiris, Program, and Detective Story are great stories for Lana’s team to draw inspiration from. Matriculated also has a lot of potential for the possibility of human/machine identity fusions.

Bring back the philosophy of the previous films, especially Matrix 1

there is no spoon

But what elements of philosophy will they explore this time? This remains a true mystery for me. They’ve already explored free will and fate, as well as reality. Will they explore identity this time? Creating reality, or trusting facts and information?

Will Matrix 4 say one final goodbye to Neo and Trinity? Start a brand new trilogy?

Clues for Matrix 4

I’m surprised that I haven’t read anyone else who have thought about this, but here’s a major relevant place to look for clues for Matrix 4: Cloud Atlas and Sense 8.

Why? Let’s look at who is reported to have already written the script: Lana Wachowski, Aleksandar Hemon, and David Mitchell. Again, the script is already written. It’s the production that will be starting in 2020. Therefore, to glean what this mystery script contains, the best indications of what the story will be about should be by watching the Season 2 finale of Sense 8. Why? Because guess who wrote the script for the finale? That’s right. Lana Wachowski, Aleksandar Hemon, and David Mitchell.

sense 8 finale

I wouldn’t be surprised if Bae Doona features in Matrix 4 as well. She was a pivotal character in the cyberpunk section of Cloud Atlas, and she’s a major character in Sense 8’s series as well. She has worked many times closely with the Wachowskis, so she seems like an obvious choice, especially considering how the Wachowskis seem to like working with people they know and trust.

Doona Bae Cloud atlas

Bae Donna waiting for Lana’s phone call (scene from Cloud Atlas)

I admit I have not watched Sense 8. The premise seemed too confusing for me to want to watch it, but now that I know Season 2 may contain clues to Matrix 4, I may have to watch it after all.

What do you think? Any ideas on what the Matrix 4 will be about? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

 

Enter the Matrix: the secret footage

enterthematrix

Did you Enter the Matrix in 2003?

If you’re reading this blog then that means that you’ve probably seen the Matrix trilogy. But! Have you seen the secret footage embedded in the 2003 video game Enter the Matrix? Few people know that the Wachowskis shot about an entire hour’s worth of additional footage to add to this video game’s story line, a first of its time.

Enter The Matrix tells a tale that runs parallel to The Matrix Reloaded.

Niobe hallways

Having some Deja Vu?

The Logos

The story begins with the crew of the Logos (comprised of Niobe, Ghost, and their smart-mouthed operator Sparks) as they race to acquire a message left in the Matrix by the crew of the Osiris (whose story was told in the short digitally animated film The Final Flight of the Osiris in the Animatrix). Once their team manage to get their hands on the package, they relay back to Zion a frightening message of a giant machine army digging towards the final human city. As a result, Niobe’s crew will have to assist Neo, Morpheus and Trinity while the rest of the Zion fleet mobilizes outside the city to protect it from the imminent machine attack. You play as either Ghost or Niobe, and the story will change in small ways based on which character you chose, and which decisions you make.

enterthematrix_guide

Unfortunately, since the game came out in 2003 you can probably tell that the graphics haven’t aged very well. However, Anthony Wong as Ghost and Jada Pinkett-Smith as Niobe deliver excellent performances as voice actors, in addition to the live footage the game delivers in between moments of action.

To watch the entire series of footage in chronological order, you can see it here (42 minutes long) or if you lots of extra time and want to see the video game cutscenes as well, you can watch it in its full entirety here (1 hour 16 minutes).

Is it worth the time? What’s new?

If you are a big fan of The Matrix Reloaded, then I highly recommend you watch these extra scenes. It provides a lot of extra information about things like how important the information was of the machines digging towards, as well as Niobe’s relationship with Commander Locke, and Ghost’s relationship with Niobe. It was also incredibly rewarding to see some of the exact same scenes we saw Neo in, with the same characters, but with new main characters going through them.

We get to revisit Persephone, for instance, and the Keymaker, as they interact in very important ways with Ghost or Niobe. We also get to revisit Agent Smith as he interacts with humans inside the Matrix, and relive the fear that he and his fellow agents caused anyone who crosses his path. We even get to see what choice words of advice the oracle gives for both Ghost and Niobe.

Niobe and the Oracle

Will Niobe eat the Oracle’s cookies, or have some of her candy? Does she even have a choice?

Noteworthy elements

I also really enjoyed Sparks’ character, as a much more interesting operator than Link was. While Link never questioned Morpheus and always did as he was told, keeping his fears and thoughts mostly to himself, Sparks constantly is eager to explain why captain Niobe’s decisions are dangerous, reckless, and will surely lead to his untimely demise.

The final thing I want to mention is the orchestral score. It’s just as good as the soundtracks in The Matrix and Reloaded, from Don Davis of course. While some tracks are the same, it occurs to me that the Original Soundtrack for the first and second Matrix movies probably did not include any additional soundtrack work Davis did for the videogame. As such, it’s almost worth it alone just to listen to the soundtrack. But if you want to save yourself some time, you can always simply watch it all on YouTube.

Why you might not have heard of the game

For all its excellence, sadly, the game play for Enter the Matrix is what holds it back. It’s laggy, the controls are difficult to work with as are the angles, and ultimately it makes what would be otherwise a great game of sound and storytelling a slog that isn’t fun enough to keep up with unless you’re a die-hard matrix fan.

A new opportunity

Which is why WB has a real opportunity here at releasing a new video game for Matrix 4 that is up to par with the times. Can you imagine a Matrix video game with the mechanics of the Arkham Asylum series?

Anyways, did you play Enter the Matrix, as I did, way back when? What did you think of it? If not, go watch the cutscenes. Are they a good complement to Reloaded? Let me know in the comments below.

Geof Darrow, Steve Skroce return for Matrix 4 Concept Art

8 storyboard

Screenrant has recently confirmed that Geofrey Darrow and Steve Skroce will be returning for Matrix 4 to help create the concept art to visualize the scenes for this film, now that the script is mostly already written. In case you don’t recognize these names, This is the duo (with Skroce in particular) that helped draw the storyboard scene by scene to help the Warner Brother executives understand the vision the Wachowski sisters had at the time back in the late 1990s. Their sketches of the opening scene of the Matrix where Trinity is running away from agents was crucial in securing the funding the Wachowskis needed in order to get their film off the ground. It’s great to see that Lana Wachowski will be going back to basics with all these original members of the team that made the Matrix trilogy so great before. It also confirms a pattern of Lana choosing people she can trust, and that she’s worked with before. This will allow fans to breathe a little easier, knowing that Matrix 4 is in good hands. John Toll has also confirmed that he will serve as cinematographer.

While I wasn’t able to find any social media for Skroce, Darrow seems very excited to be back in the project again. He posted on his twitter @DarrowGeof the following on August 22nd: “Never thought I’d ever see my name in a paragraph with these three. YIKES!!” (the three being Lana Wachowski, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in this article from Hollywood Reporter).

Darrow isn’t alone in sharing this enthusiasm for returning to the Matrix world.

“We could not be more excited to be re-entering ‘The Matrix’ with Lana,” said Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich. “Lana is a true visionary — a singular and original creative filmmaker — and we are thrilled that she is writing, directing and producing this new chapter in ‘The Matrix’ universe.”

Lana, in turn, also had this to say about returning to the project:

“Many of the ideas Lilly and I explored 20 years ago about our reality are even more relevant now. I’m very happy to have these characters back in my life and grateful for another chance to work with my brilliant friends.”

Hopefully Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving will share this enthusiasm enough to return to the world as well. For now, we have to wait and see.

 

Matrix 4 Confirmed! Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss Return

Keanu and Carrie Anne

Well folks, the unthinkable happened. Variety has confirmed last night with an exclusive report that Matrix 4 has finally been confirmed! And thus today, August 21st 2019, will mark the beginning of what will probably be a year or more of Cyberpunk Matrix reporting to you the latest updates as I get them. So far, this is what we know via Variety:

Returning actors and director

Lana Wachowski

Lana Wachowski will be writing and directing the fourth film in the series, while Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss will be reprising their roles as Neo and Trinity respectively. This obviously raises a lot of questions, since Trinity died via major impaling at the end of Matrix Revolutions, and then Neo died as a martyr in order to rid the Matrix of Agent Smith and free the humans from the machines in a truce to allow them to co-exist. Morpheus, played by Laurence Fishburne, has been noticeably absent from the announcement, which is doubly curious considering he is definitely still active in playing roles (such as with Keanu Reeves in the latest two John Wick films) and he was left practically unharmed at the end of Matrix Revolutions.

Producers

Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures will produce and globally distribute the film again, and  Warner Bros. Picture Group Chairman Toby Emmerich was the one who made the announcement Tuesday about Matrix 4.

Writers

Hemon and Mitchell

In addition to Lana Wachowski, the script was also written by Alexsandar Hemon and David Mitchell. Hemon is a Bosnian-American fiction writer best known for his novel Lazarus Project (2008) which won the distinction of New York Magazine’s No. 1 Book of the Year. Mitchell might be more recognizable as the writer behind the novel Cloud Atlas, which was made into a film written and directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer. Mitchell was reportedly very impressed with how the Wachowskis had adapted his novel into a movie, a feat that he never thought was even possible. “Adaptation is a form of translation, and all acts of translation have to deal with untranslatable spots…When asked whether I mind the changes made during the adaption of Cloud Atlas, my response is similar: The filmmakers speak fluent film language, and they’ve done what works” (Wall Street Journal). He later collaborated again with the Wachowskis on the second season of the Netflix show Sense8, and would have continued working on Season 3 had Netflix not cancelled the show.

Mitchell-Wachowski collaborations

Cloud Atlas

Considering how closely the Wachowskis are working with Mitchell, it might be worth taking a closer look at their collaboration with him for Sense8’s season 2, as well as re-watching Cloud Atlas, taking particular note to the excellent Cyberpunk story set in 2144 Seoul surrounding the story of Sonmi-451, a human clone born into slave labor.

Unanswered Questions

Although this news is very exciting, a lot of what we have learned gives rise to countless new questions. What about Laurence Fishburne and Morpheus? When will the story take place, before or after the events of the Matrix trilogy? If it takes place before, it would be focused more on Trinity perhaps, since Neo would just be Thomas Anderson, computer hacker and corporate worker. If it was set after the trilogy, they would have to resurrect Neo and Trinity somehow. It could be possible to resurrect Neo by having his consciousness stored digitally and then implanted on a new host, much like how Smith implanted himself on a human in the real world. Regarding Trinity, she could appear in Neo’s dreams, thus allowing her to be in the movie while remaining dead.

Or, perhaps, it could be a story that runs in parallel to the matrix, perhaps somewhere after the end of Matrix 1 but before Matrix 3 when Smith corrupted the Matrix system with all his clones.

Music

The Matrix music

What about the music? Who will be composing the original score? In the original trilogy it was mostly composed by Don Davis, with Juno Reactor contributing to several tracks. I think they should stick with the same composer, so that they can modify the original Matrix score to bring back the nostalgia vibe, while at the same time modifying parts of it to make it more modern.

Speaking of which, what contributing artists will they be adding? In the first Matrix, for example, they included samples of songs from artists like Rage Against the Machine, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, The Prodigy, Propellerheads, Rob Dougan, and Rammstein. that reflected a good punk vibe of end 1990s-early 2000s. What would be an equivalent today? Will they want to make it more electronic to match the times, or perhaps add a synthwave element to it? Daft Punk seems like a good possibility, but so does Junkie XL who recently composed for Alita: Battle Angel and is composing the score for the new Terminator reboot Dark Fate.

Thoughts

What do you think about what may happen with Matrix 4? Comment below.

The Legacy of the Matrix

 

1 matrix code

“Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.”

2 seeing code

On Easter weekend twenty years ago, movie-goers took this message to heart when the question was on everyone’s mind: What is the Matrix? Released on a Wednesday evening to get a jump start on the holiday weekend, The Matrix made nearly $37 million in its first five days, eventually going on to make $463.5million from a budget of only $63 million and winning four academy awards. It spawned 2 sequels, an animated short anthology, multiple video games, and left such an impact on action movie-making and pop culture that it won a place in the national film registry for preservation. Its sequel, The Matrix Reloaded, also became the highest-grossing R-rated film in history for 13 years until Deadpool took that title. With its beautiful aesthetic, incredible special effects, and action sequences, it is a trilogy that is still as watchable two decades later as it was on opening night and fueled countless conversation starters and philosophical debates that still remain prescient to this day.

The impact The Matrix had on our society is clear, but there was so much that went into this movie and trilogy that in honor of its 20th anniversary, we will be revisiting the story behind the making of The Matrix.

3 smith

“So you’re here to save the world”

The Wachowskis

The Matrix was the brainchild of Lilly and Lana Wachowski, two siblings (who went by Andy and Larry at the time of the film’s release) who had spent their childhood creating radio plays, comic books, and even their own role-play game. They were raised in a middle-class neighborhood in Chicago’s south side by their mother, a nurse, artist, and ex-Catholic turned shamanist, and their father, a hardcore atheist businessman. Their parents encouraged the siblings’ love of art, especially in the movies. The Wachowskis loved morally grey 50s classics and 60s and 70s thrillers, but one movie that really stuck with them was 1982’s Blade Runner.

4 wachowskis

The Wachowski’s entrance into scriptwriting began with a script called Carnivore, an original story about a soup kitchen serving body parts of the rich to feed the poor. Although impossible to adapt into a movie, it captured the attention of Lawrence Mattis, a New York City-based talent scout. With the help of Mattis, the Wachowskis sold their next screenplay, Assassins, for $1 million. However, much to the dismay of the Wachowskis, Brian Helgeland completely rewrote the screenplay to such an extent for this big-screen flick that the Wachowskis called it “our abortion”. Directed by Lethal Weapon’s Richard Donner and featuring both Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas, the Wachowskis learned an important lesson early on—that they would have to demand serious control over any future content they created.

This led to their first proper commercial success, Bound, without which would never have led to the greenlighting for the Matrix trilogy. As the Wachowski’s first directorial debut, a film about lesbian lovers who swindle the mob out of millions, the lusty piece premiered at Sundance in January 1996 and became a minor hit for Warner Brothers.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura, a top development executive at WB at the time, also knew what project they wanted to make next—because he had already bought the rights to the screenplay. Because of how audacious the project was, WB had given the Wachowskis a smaller budget for Bound to see how they could handle themselves as directors, and when they did, it led to them greenlighting The Matrix.

But first, some context.

5 real world

“More important than what, is when”

Context

The Matrix came out on March 31st, 1999, the Wednesday before Easter weekend. Although they had planned for a release later that year, producers feared The Matrix could not compete with another highly anticipated movie that was coming out that year: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. 1999 would end up being a year filled with major blockbusters, including Fight Club and American Beauty, the latter of which swept the red carpet with multiple Oscar wins.

6 time end of world

1999 was the year of fearing new technology, in particular with the “Y2K bug”. It’s hard to believe now after the big nothing that was the reality, but at the time, people were very much afraid that the whole system would come crashing down once the clock struck midnight on the 31st of December because of how mainstream technology was becoming. Home computers were now for the first time commonplace, and CGI was starting to become a thing in the movies. Just four years earlier Toy Story was released, one of the very first blockbuster movies made entirely on a computer. The new technology becoming rapidly prevalent in society, along with fears of the apocalypse stemming from these new technologies, made the market a ripe for a movie like The Matrix to be released at the time.

What is the Matrix? 

7 this isnt real

“The matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now in this very room…It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.”

The Wachowskis had always fantasized about creating a comic book that would combine all of their cultural obsessions. Things like making mythology relevant in a modern context, relating quantum physics to Zen Buddhism, investigating your own life. They also loved Hong Kong action movies, 2001: A Space Odyssey, the rising power of the internet, and Homer’s The Odyssey.

So as a result, the Wachowskis filled page upon page of notebooks with ideas for something they called The Matrix, writing to the music of Rage Against the Machine and Ministry. They eventually scrapped the idea of a comic book in favor of concepts and sketches for a screenplay instead.

Luckily for them, Mattis, who had studied philosophy in college, was able to recognize the similarities between The Matrix and ideas of René Descartes about man’s inability to truly know reality. At the time of the 1990s as the internet was becoming big, people were starting to reinvent themselves online with avatars or emails, being able to choose new names, genders, hometowns, physical attributes, etc. So if people were starting to be able to create their own realities every day, The Matrix offered a timely question: which one of those were real?

8 storyboard

The Matrix, however, was a complex concept that could not be easily distilled into one sentence, and was already chock-full of other things like kung fu, guns blazing, car chase scenes, and even helicopters smashing into the sides of high rises. Even after creating Bound, the other board members at WB needed more convincing. This is when the Wachowskis hired hyperdetailed comic artist Geoff Darrow to design the tech they had envisioned along with Steve Skroce to draw nearly 600 detailed storyboards breaking down their vision shot by shot.

Trinity: “No one has ever done anything like this.”

Neo: “That’s why it is going to work”

9 matrix 1

Casting and Characters

It seems hard to imagine it now, but at the time, Keanu Reeves had reached a lull in his career. Despite some moderate successes like Point Break, Speed, Devil’s Advocate, and Bill & Ted, the end of the 1990s found Reeves going from one off movie to the next. By the time he showed up for the casting of The Matrix, WB had already gone through a surprisingly long list of potential actors. The role had been passed up by Will Smith, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio…they had even considered changing the role to a girl in order to cast Sanda Bullock. Can you imagine? Sandra Bullock as Neo???

10 speed

Anyways, when Keanu read the script, he fell in love with it. When they mentioned he would have to train for 4 months prior to filming, Keanu didn’t flinch. He was game. When they told him he’d have to read dense books such as simulation and Simulacra and a couple other textbooks, he basically said to keep them coming.

The Wachowskis had found their intellectual lead.

Next to cast was the titular secondary main character, Morpheus. Warner Brothers offered the role to more actors that in retrospect makes one cringe to think they could have wound up being Morpheus instead of Lawrence Fishburne. Options had included Michael Douglas and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Again, can you imagine? “Do ya wanna GET OUTTA DA MATRIX, Miss Anderson?” (snorts) “Yea, I do,” responds Sandra in an alternate reality.

Fortunately, the Wachowskis had been pushing for Lawrence Fishburne all along. “I had a dream about a man who wore mirrored sunglasses and spoke in riddles,” Lana Wachowski once told Fishburne, “and when I met you and heard your voice, I knew that you were that guy.” Still, WB wasn’t convinced Fishburne could ensure the movie would attract enough of an audience. They thought Val Kilmer should get the role, despite his reputation for being hard to work with. But after meeting with Kilmer, it was clear he could never fill the part. When they finally did offer Fishburne the role, he said of the role that he always thought of Morpheus as “Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader rolled into one—and maybe some Yoda.”

11 morpheus

Not only was Fishburne a perfect for the role, his character itself made a statement. Fishburne was a bit like a John the Baptist to Keanu Reeve’s Jesus-like figure. He was one of the most respected and influential leaders of humanity, and the fact that he was black seemed irrelevant in this futuristic dystopian society. This was because in the Wachowski’s vision of the future, it included people of color who played pivotal roles, and fit as both an intentional and natural choice.

12 dodge this

“Dodge this.”

Speaking of diversity, the third main character was Trinity, a female badass leader in her own right. Not only does she set the tone for the entire movie by unleashing a gravity-defying can of whoopass to multiple policemen in seconds, she is also a legendary hacker, brave liberator of enslaved fellow humans, and Morpheus’ most trusted right-hand woman. Jada Pinkett Smith had auditioned for the role, but she had no chemistry with Keanu Reeves. Thus, the role went to Carrie Anne-Moss, and Jada would later take the role of Niobe in Reloaded and Revolutions.

Finally, the most important secondary characters, the Oracle. Talk about casting diversity naturally. In The Matrix, the oracle is presented as somewhat of an omniscient being/program with her ability to unlock and visualize the future. In the trilogy she comes to the aide of those who need it, encouraging people to think for themselves and to help maximize their own underlying potential. Her ultimate goal is peace and coexistence between the machines and the humans, and as such she helps Neo by planting seeds of guidance not for him, but for everyone. She helps prepare him to be reborn from not being the One, just Mr. Anderson, into being Neo, the hero that both worlds need. I admit it was somewhat thrilling to see the door open to the all-powerful Oracle and see a black mother figure baking some cookies in her kitchen.

13 oracle

In the first two films, the oracle was played by Gloria Foster, a distinguished stage actress who also portrayed generations of African-American characters on and off Broadway. Unfortunately, in 2001 she died from diabetes before filming for Revolutions could finish, so her role was picked up by Mary Alice, who won a Tony award in 1987 for her role in Fences.

Training and Action

14 neo morpheus fight

“I know Kung Fu.”

 In addition to required reading for the roles, the actors had to train extensive hours to be in their absolute best shape for the shooting. A lot of this training was at the request of the stunt coordinator Yuen Woo Ping, who is a legend in Kung Fu choreography for movies in Hong Kong. The Wachoskis also, however, preferred that the actors learn the fights themselves instead of relying on stunt doubles, because it would provide for a more seamless experience for the audience. As part of her days-long screen test, Moss practiced with stunt performers so hard that she “couldn’t walk for days”. “After the first day, I was so shattered and shocked…I realized I was so unfit,” said Hugo Weaving. Not long after training started, Weaving would injure his femur, requiring him to walk on crutches until he could heal. In the late 90s, Keanu Reeves found out that he had two fused vertebrae, which was causing him to fall over and could have resulted in him becoming quadriplegic. As a result, he underwent surgery before filming, and then had to wear a neck brace and was forbidden to kick for several months. Fortunately, punching was still allowed, and he also participated in “kung fu dojos” they set up to allow cast members to stretch and watch kung fu movies.

The cast members trained for a solid 6 months. Now this might not sound like a big deal, but back then in the 1990s, this was completely unheard of.  It was considered an eccentric request at a time when, if anything, training lasted one month and rarely included the actual actors. This was a time when Rambo-style wholesale slaughter reigned supreme, and although you might have some fighting like in the Jean Claude Van Damme films, they tended to have big impressive moves rather than small, fast moves. This was an explosive era of Michael Bay style explosions in films like Predator or Demolition Man. Intricate martial arts sequences would have been a huge risk at that time, especially as a major set piece in a big blockbuster film.

15 yuen woo ping

Yuen Woo Ping

So why did it work? Because that’s how good Yuen Woo Ping is. More than just flashy wire work that was common at the time, he emphasized speed and intricate fights that made the actors look like badasses and emphasized the style of martial art being used. Amid countless feints and blocks, when each blow does land, it feels weighted and well-earned. It lends the fight sequences a certain level of quality that allows for fun viewing time and time again. And Yuen was always incredibly hands on and present throughout, putting those auditioning through a rigorous training routine just to see if they’d be a good fit. It’s a level of detail that wasn’t expected from Hollywood back then. As a result, almost overnight, The Matrix became the gold standard for blockbuster action films. After The Matrix came Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and a new era had cemented itself with its success. Even now, with explosions and car chase-focused movies like Fast & Furious, films often still have action sequences that are complex and intricate at the forefront of the film, instead of ancillary as they were before. Thanks, Matrix!

Neo: “What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets?”

Morpheus: “No, Neo. I’m trying to tell you that when you’re ready, you won’t have to.”

16 stop bullets

Yet the legacy of The Matrix wouldn’t stop there. Connected with the incredible action sequences, audiences would see something so incredible, so mind-bending, that it would cement this phenomenon that bended space and time with the Matrix name itself. This technological feat, which came from the vision the Wachowskis had in their mind but didn’t know how to create at the time, was called Bullet Time.

Technically, Bullet time had been around before The Matrix, seen for the first time in a short intro sequence from the anime Speed Racer (which, coincidentally, the Wachowskis adapted into a live action film as well). But no one did it as well as The Matrix at the time, or made it so popular.

17 trinity opening

The scene that introduced audiences to the move is the very first opening scene where Trinity fights three cops in the Heart o’ the City Hotel. As a cop steps forward to handcuff her, she breaks his arm, spins around, strikes him, and then jumps up in mid-air about to kick. Time then freezes, and the camera rotates around her to another angle, when she kicks the cop into the wall across the room.

The most iconic scene, however, is where Neo dodges bullets on the roof of the building where Morpheus is being held hostage. As an agent shoots at him, Neo bends over backwards and time slows down, as the camera moves in around Neo in slow motion while the bullets approach him. This was the first time audiences had ever seen anything ever like it before, and in fact, the term WB would then trademark the term bullet time itself from this scene.

18 bullettime

Indeed, as they were filming the movie and reached the part of the script where Bullet Time is described by the Wachowskis, it was a real head-scratcher to everyone involved.

[Jones’s] gun booms as we enter the liquid space of— Bullet-time.

The air sizzles with wads of lead like angry flies as Neo twists, bends, ducks just between them . . . Neo bent impossibly back, one hand on the ground as a spiraling gray ball shears open his shoulder.”

With this excellent but brief description, the reader could imagine the scene, perhaps in an anime, but…how in the world to create it? What was liquid space exactly, and how was Keanu supposed to bend impossibly back if he had just undergone neck surgery??

That’s when the idea present itself: to have a camera move at regular speed but capture the movement in slow motion, but to surround the scene with cameras taking still shots on a rig timed just right with the help of computers. To pull this off, the Wachowskis enlisted the help of Manex Visual Effects, a 90s CGI startup that was one of the many new special effects companies in a time where the industry was dominated by George Lucas’ Industrial Lights and Magic (ILM). Manex at the time was working out of an old building at a decommissioned naval air station in San Francisco, a run-down facility filled with empty weapons-testing areas and the remains of charred computers. In short, just the type of place to create the Matrix sequences.

19 bullettime behind the scenes

On an all-green soundstage in Sydney, they used two motion picture cameras and 120 still cameras set up to a rig.  Wires were connected to Reeves’ body to pull him backwards at the impossible angle they needed, while the cameras went off in quick succession around him as the 2 motion picture cameras captured his movements. All the elements were later blended together with CGI bullets to create the one scene, at a cost of $750,000 for that one scene! It was definitely worth the investment, however. When producer Joel Silver saw the scenes for the first time, he reportedly got up and said “That’s it! This is where everybody’s going to get up and scream!”

Philosophy

20 welcome to the desert of the real

“Welcome to the desert of the real”

The Matrix trilogy is so chock full of philosophy that if you buy the Ultimate Collection DVD Box set, you can watch the movies with audio commentary overlaid from 2 different prominent philosophers at the same time.

When the matrix was pitched to Mattis and he read the screenplay, he luckily had a background in psychology so he was able to recognize and appreciate what he was reading. “This is amazing! You wrote a script about Descartes!” he told the Wachowskis after reading their script. “But how do I sell this thing?” The 17th century philosopher was famous for writing about man’s inability to know what is truly real.

As I mentioned earlier, Keanu had to read Simulation and Simulacra before he started taking on the likeness of Neo. The book is actually in the film too–it’s the hollowed-out book that Neo uses to retrieve his hacked discs in his apartment in room 101 at the beginning of the movie.

21 simulacra

There are countless books that have spawned from the movie’s metaphors on philosophy and the nature of reality, as well as society’s relationship with technology.

One culture critic, Slavoj Zizek, suggested that the Matrix was a Rorschach test of sorts for the time the media is viewed. Feminist readings, Trans ideas, Cartesian parallels, Plato’s allegory of the cave, Descartes’ questions on reality, religious imagery, there’s so much to choose from. The Matrix even spawned a new line of philosophical thought, simulation theory, which suggests from Nick Bolstrom that we may be living in a computer simulation. Hilary Putnam took Descartes’ idea further and postulated we may all be simply brains floating around in vats being manipulated by electrical impulses, an idea the Wachowskis likely pulled from.

The great thing about The Matrix is that it takes all these things but does so subtly. The questions may have hit a bit harder in the second film, but nonetheless, the beauty of the Matrix is that it really encourages the viewer to think about these questions for themselves. Take Mouse, for instance. He asks how the machines knew what tasty wheat truly tasted like. Or Cypher, a secondary but relatable villain, asks the simple question of what if ignorance is bliss, and it’s better not to know the true nature of the world?

22 ignorance is bliss

Ignorance is Bliss

 “I know what you’re thinking, ’cause right now I’m thinking the same thing. Actually, I’ve been thinking it ever since I got here: Why oh why didn’t I take the BLUE pill?”

Cypher’s question relates back to Morpheus’ offer of the blue pill or the red pill, a question from a scene which in itself has become a symbol.

23 red or blue pill

Regardless of what answers the viewer comes to, the Wachowskis always wanted the viewers to think for themselves. In that same vein, another way to view the Matrix trilogy from the Ultimate DVD box collection is to watch it with critics who didn’t like the movie. That’s right. Watch all three movies with running commentary of film critics who hated the films, to keep your fandom in check. That’s how much the Wachowskis wanted to promote critical thought.

24 the problem is choice

“You just have to make up your own damned mind to either accept what I’m going to tell you, or reject it.”

 Music

25 zion hear me

“Zion, hear me!”

The final element of the Matrix trilogy, which to many may be a huge part of the trilogy itself, is the excellent musical score as well as different artists whose songs are featured in the film. The wachowskis spent a lot of their time listening to punk music like Rage Against The Machine, which is why RATM’s “Wake Up” is the perfect song to accompany Neo’s own awakening at the end of the film. Other punk artists that were featured included Rob Zombie, Propellerheads, Marilyn Manson, Prodigy, Ministry, Rammstein, and Rob Dougan. But underlying the entire film is the original score composed by Don Davis.

Instead of an electronic score similar to one made by Daft Punk for Tron Legacy, the Wachowskis told Don Davis that they always knew they wanted a proper orchestral score, despite the cyberpunk style of the film. As a result, a barrage of French horns, lush string work, piano, percussion, and waterphone amplified and punctuated the heavy mix of Kung Fu wire action and deep philosophical moments. Because Davis had also worked with the Wachowskis before, on Bound, he had a good idea of what they wanted, even if they weren’t available to communicate that vision with him all the time. One sound that the Wachowskis had resonated with was with the song “Pile Driver”, which had used a recording of an actual pile driver. The Wachowskis wanted something similar, an orchestral score used in a minimalist, post-modern way. Thus it made its way into the Matrix. Where, you ask? Listen for it at the very beginning of the lobby shootout scene, you can’t miss it.

26 elevator scene

Davis had a lot of fun naming the tracks he created for the soundtrack as well. After all, it wasn’t every day that a composer was scoring a movie as philosophical as this one. So if you scan the track listings, you’ll notice “Exit Mr. Hat” which is an anagram of The Matrix, as well as “Ontological Shock” which references being forced to question one’s world view. He also enjoyed working with a choir that represented humanity in crisis in the film.

Although they finished working together when the series ended in 2003, one can still feel the effects of Davis’ score in pop culture. Nods can be heard in games like Shadow of the Colossus and films like Wreck-It Ralph and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Conclusion

27 jump!

You have to let it all go, Neo. Fear, doubt, and disbelief. Free your mind.

Of all the many reasons why The Matrix (and its sequels) is an excellent film, the ultimate reason why I, like many others, have always held it as one of the best films of all time is because of how damn rewatchable the film was. You can watch the Matrix countless times and still enjoy every viewing. Why? Because it’s a bit like a work of art, a Rorshach test as I mentioned above. There are so many different ways to look at it, that even though the media itself doesn’t change, the viewer does, and thus what you get out of it when you see it earlier and later in life changes as well. Perhaps when you saw it in your youth you loved the action sequences and the cool coats and shades, but all the philosophical stuff flew over your head. Maybe you thought that Joe Pantaliono’s character Cypher was simply a selfish bad guy, or thought that the character names of Morpheus or Neo or the ship Nebuchadnezzar were simply names.

But as one matures, the different elements of philosophy comes in full view, and the scope of what the matrix achieved and how it left an indelible impact on pop culture and society at large can truly be appreciated. We now have a concrete metaphor to explain a reality that we cannot believe, that we are trying to wake up from. Our action sequences in films, and the technological abilities of cinema to bend time and space, will be forever changed. Our appreciation for the musical score and the incredible action sequences can be compared to their next of kin, raising the bar for both. And we can keep on asking ourselves timeless philosophical questions that humanity has asked since the dawn of time, but in a way that is easy to understand for the everyday human. What is the nature of reality? How much free will do we really have, or is everything predestined to fate? How do we know what is real and what is just a dream? And how free are our minds, really?

28 free your mind

Detective Pikachu and its Cyberpunk overtones

Pokemon Detective Pikachu

Ever since I laid eyes on the release date poster for this movie, I was struck by how Cyberpunk the aesthetic felt. Perhaps it was just the marketing? Of course, it makes sense that it would fit the stereotypical neon-lit vibe of Cyberpunk. It’s a detective movie and the videogames were all set in downtown Tokyo-like cities, after all. But after seeing the film this week, I’m happy to say that while not entirely cyberpunk, Ryme city definitely matches the theme perfectly. What’s more, there were a lot more cyberpunk tones to this film than I was expecting.

From re-watching the second trailer, and then after seeing the movie in theaters, I knew that I loved this film. But I’ve been trying to figure out WHY this film works so well. Because it’s hard to pinpoint, and by first glance, this film shouldn’t be as good as it is. It’s a film about Pokemon, that takes itself seriously, and is based on a video game. Video game films have historically been major failures (such as the Mario Bros or Mortal Combat adaptations) and although there have been some successful films ABOUT video games (such as Ready Player One or Jumanji 2), ones BASED on video games have still floundered.

So why is it that Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is rated by some as the most successful video game adaptation film to date in history?

Well, as best as I can tell, this has several factors.

The first is that while it is technically a Pokemon film, the movie is really more of a comedic action-mystery film, set in the Pokemon world. Although I usually hate films that explain themselves at the beginning of the film, this one just touches on its world-building to explain Ryme city in a brief 30-seconds before getting on with the story, in a way that doesn’t ruin the film at all. It also starts with a scene that sets into motion the mystery of the film, the driving question, and then continues by setting up one of the main characters–Tim Goodman, played masterfully by Justice Smith. And this is one of the main reasons why the film works so well. Ryme city is a city where Pokemon and humans live side-by-side in co-existence, and as such it feels more like a Star Wars planet of unfamiliar inhabitants that are minding their own business doing everyday tasks. Pidgeys fly in the sky in flocks like Pigeons would, and Snubbulls accompany their partner humans much like a dog would accompany its master. There are Machamps using their multiple arms to direct traffic and rattatas scurrying along the streets and sidewalks. There are squirtles working with firefighters to put out fires. During the day Ryme city is filled with energy and color, while at night the neon lights and steam from the sewers give it a darker tone, although it never feels like an unsafe city like Gotham. Rather, it felt very reminiscent of how New York City is today, complete with its plethora of lively characters going where they need to go and construction always in progress.

As soon as we get introduced to Goodman, a loner who makes it clear that he doesn’t mind being alone (no, really! It’s fine!) something happens to him that sets the entire plot into motion: he gets a letter saying his father, whom he hasn’t seen in quite some time, has passed away. It’s now up to him to collect his affairs and take care of the apartment his father left behind. Simple enough, right?

But at the apartment, he would then meet an amnesiac Pikachu who can mysteriously speak to him, and him alone.

Because, see, in this world, Pokemon can speak to each other but to humans it sounds like they’re only saying their own name, or parts of their name. This matches how language works between humans and Pokemon in the video games, so a Pokemon speaking fluent English is understandably something unusual and quite valuable–something that only Meowth and Mewtwo were able to pull off in the animated series.

And this is the second reason why this movie works so well. A lot of the film hinges on the hilarious and relentless banter between the pokemon-with-a-mouth Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) and Tim. And what they’re talking about is relatable and makes sense given the world they inhabit. Any other Pokemon they run into offer only very brief dialogue, which means that the silliness of talking to an adorable-looking Pokemon who keeps on repeating its own name is kept to a minimum. In fact, the longest they do try to talk to a Pokemon is with a Mr. Mime, who hilariously mimes the entire time and the duo end up playing along.

When we see a human peer into Pikachu’s eyes and he says “Pika-pika”, we are instantly reminded that this is for kids. So the fact that that doesn’t happen in most of the movie means that we can take it more seriously, and delve further into the mystery and action part of it all. Why doesn’t Pikachu remember anything? Why is it that Tim can understand Pikachu, and vice versa? And is Tim’s father truly dead, or simply missing, as Pikachu believes? And why?

The audience is kept guessing, and the answers, for me at least, weren’t apparent at all. There’s a couple big reveals in the end, which in retrospect I guess I could have predicted but I was too busy having so much fun taking in the world and enjoying the film to have predicted it anyways. And that’s another reason why this films works.

The pacing in this film is perfect. It keeps the action going, and adds a great balance of seriousness to humor and lightheartedness. There were times when I remembered this was a PG-13 Pokemon film, but other times when I felt like it was just a very creative action thriller, like Avatar.

If I could have one complaint, I would say that the other characters of this film are too simplistic. Tim ends up partnering with Lucy Stevens, played by Kathryn Newton, who at first seems a bit irritating in her idealistic zeal for rising up the ranks from unpaid intern to high-profile investigative journalist and reporter. Although she grew on me as the story continued, her motivations stay the same, without any backstory provided whatsoever. The villain(s) are also equally simplistic.

Ultimately, however, that didn’t ruin the story for me, as the creative team of this film clearly had a fun time taking the premise of the Pokemon world and seeing where they could run with it. There were some pretty epic scenes that I wasn’t expecting as well, which made me glad I caught the film before it left the theaters.

Without giving away any spoilers, I can say that there is more Cyberpunk to this film than simply being set in a neon-soaked Tokyo-inspired Ryme city. The city itself was designed by a visionary billionaire as a Utopia to allow Pokemon and humans to co-exist without any Pokemon battles, unlike the rest of the world. As such, it seems more advanced, with media billboards and skyscrapers filling the skyline.

There are also several scenes with futuristic tech, such as holograms, although admittedly the “high-tech” is not a dominant theme in the film.

There are also scenes of bio-modifications and gene tampering, which will come as no surprise if you are at all familiar with the origins of MewTwo.

So let’s recap. Neon-drenched Tokyo-inspired city filled with endless capitalistic billboards and advertising, and no robots or cyborgs but Pokemon coexisting with humans. Utopian city that may not be what it seems, created by visionary billionaire, with gene-tampering and some high-tech elements. Also, gumshoe mystery-solving detectives. There’s even a scene with an illegal underground cage match!

Sounds Cyberpunk to me.

I would give this film a 9/10, with 1 point off because it could use deeper supporting characters. Go see this movie! It’s a great escape and a lot of fun. Ryan Reynolds is brilliant, the pacing and creative direction is great, and it’s an all-around delight.