[YMS] -Hello, Youtube is forcing me to split this video into two parts, if that doesn't make sense,
you are correct, it does not make sense. For more information watch this video, I explained it there...
But yep, we're doing a two-parter for this one, thanks Youtube...
So I just saw Da Matrix: Let's Get it Started...
Weird title, I don't know why they named it that...
It wasn't very good... In fact it was pretty baaaaaaad.
Based on the film alone, I was almost expecting I could make some sort of half-assed "preaching to the choir" video,
Because everybody knows that the film is bad already and I don't really have to be persuasive.
But apparently, there's a good chunk of people that actually love this movie, so I am now challenged with the task of trying to understand "why."
And before you get confused, I am not implying that those who enjoyed the film have illegitimate perspectives,
what I'm saying is that even after listening to and reading people's explanations as to why they love this film,
I. Still. Don't. Get it!
Like apparently because it's so meta and self-referential, it just gets a pass to be bad...
I guess?!
There's people in The Matrix subreddit saying that "the action in the movie was bad on purpose,"
because in the movie they said that it's an unnecessary sequel, so they were like, "let's also make it a bad one."
If Lana Wachowski actually had a great track record with her films, then perhaps this theory would be a bit more believable;
but more importantly, even if it was her intention to make a bad movie, that doesn't make it good...?
Like haha Birdemic 2 is such a great movie, because James Nguyen was totally in on the joke this time.
Wow, Tommy Wiseau's The Neighbors is so flawless because it was trying to be bad...
What an awful excuse for a shit movie!
Like, if you really connect with the film's themes and that's all you need, then I'm happy for you; but I definitely needed something more out of this film.
Now I should be careful not to dismiss every person defending this movie, as someone who thinks that the movie is trying to be bad.
I'm sure there are people out there that don't really see the big difference between this film and the other Matrix films in terms of acting, fight choreography, cinematography, music, lighting, etc.
But Holy Crap, did they ever fuck everything up!
Which is especially noticeable considering how much this film references the originals.
SPOILERS
From the beginning of the film, they're just recreating the same opening scene from the first movie.
Like, "Hey, remember the first movie? It's, let's do the same thing again but worse!"
Why didn't you include the iconic kicking shot? You know, the inventive shot, where they had an entire 180 degree sequence of cameras,
taking images at the exact same time, that they later filled in the images, in between, in post-production?
Something that required forethought and planning and talent. Why are you hitting the other beats of the scene and just leaving out everything that would have taken effort?
It's so convenient that this is the story you wanted to tell...
[Clip] -So deja vu and yet it's obviously all wrong.
[YMS] -As soon as the fighting takes place, it seems very sloppily coordinated. Do we seriously believe Lana Wachowski showed up on set every day and was like "All right, everybody let's all give it our best... 40%!"
Like, they all practiced and trained really hard, so that they could become experts at making a fight scene look mediocre?
Really?!
A lot of how the film winds up looking, has to do with how it's shot and edited: which parts are sped up or slowed down, where and how it's cut.
The first matrix film gives an overwhelming sense of coordination between all of these elements!
And this is especially true with the sound design and the music... Even the second and third Matrix films feel immensely coordinated...
Sure there are plenty of ideas that they communicated in those films that were dumb, but those films give off an overwhelming impression that they were at least passionate about communicating those ideas,
and that is something that is seriously missing about this newest film, is that even if we accept that the whole point is just to subvert expectations and that this is "the Last Jedi of Matrix films?
There's nothing in this movie that feels like it's made by somebody that actually cares!
Which sure, you can argue is part of the point, I guess, but it still makes for a boring movie!
How am I supposed to be entertained by a film that doesn't give a shit?!
Hey let's check out some more cool stuff from the scene, wow that looks bad...
Look at the lighting on his head! It is so clearly from a different environment!
I don't remember that happening in the other matrix movies!
We have 20 years worth of advancements in special effects and it looks worse: congratulations, Lana...
The plot of this movie is also bad; everything feels very unnecessary and confusing.
Neo is a game dev and the first Matrixes are the game he made.
But it's not pretending as though they didn't actually happen, it's just, he uh...
survived at the end somehow... and he doesn't know he's Neo, but some part of him remembers, I guess and that manifests itself into his creativity for the game...
They say he released the game in 1999, but throughout the movie they played footage from the original Matrix movies and they say that that's the game...
[Clip] -This is footage from your game.
[YMS] -Like they actually say that the footage from the first three Matrix movies are from his video game...
And they don't elaborate on this in any way!
Are these cut scenes from the video game??
What exactly was their budget??
You had an entire blockbuster movie on top of your game??
Cause if it's not cut scenes, then you'd must have had the most revolutionary graphics of all time!
It was really annoying how they just kept showing footage from the movies and they were like, yeah this is the video game, actually."
What's crazy is that this concept actually gives plenty of opportunity to do something creative and interesting:
What would have actually been cool is if they created fake footage for that video game.
They could have used 1999 video game style computer animated models to recreate famous and memorable scenes from the other films.
Not only would it be practical and inexpensive to do, but it would have given the opportunity to remind us of the original films while still adding something new to it.
And it would still retain all of its meta self-referential tongue-in-cheek nudge-nudge wink wink commentary;
Just make a fake video game, that would have been cool!
Why are you showing us movie footage and saying it was a video game?!
Here's another better idea: if you wanted to just keep showing footage from the original movies throughout this newest film, you could have just said that those movies exist in the film's universe.
Why does it have to be a video game? You could just say that those movies are the movies?
Pull a fuckin' Wes Craven's New Nightmare style story and have Keanu Reeves playing himself.
Wouldn't that be fucking insane?
They've got tons of behind-the-scenes footage, from the original films that they could have utilized,
They could start the movie like the beginning of the film Adaptation, where they take a previous movie, that the person from real life was working on
and then it goes into the fictional version and it could follow Keanu Reeves as he plays himself and then eventually it turns out that he's actually Neo
and that these memories of working on the films were implanted or whatever the fucking nonsense excuse that they're already using for this movie.
That would have been MORE meta and MORE cool!!
and MORE interesting!
Why is he a game dev?!
Uh, so he goes to a coffee shop and he meets Trinity, but they don't know each other and she's like "My people call me Tiff, that's my name in this movie, TIFF."
And they shake hands and the sappy music plays and she's like "Have we met?"
And it's like, "Oh my god, there's like some sort of connection between them!"
It's a really annoying trope, uh oh Trinity's married though and she has uh, children...
[Clip] -Hey, you trying to bone my mom or what?
[Trinity] -Brandon! This is my husband, Chad.
[Chad] -Nice to meet you.
[YMS] -CHAAAAAAAAD...
Later, Neo finds out that the parent company of the video game, "Warner Brothers" wants him to make a sequel to the trilogy...
No I am not kidding, everything I just said there was completely true, it's not a joke, I swear...
Wow! So meta everybody!
You m- made a reference to yourself...
That alone is a true measurement of a film's quality, wow...
Half of this movie is just showing clips from the other movies and it's kind of annoying...
[Clip] -What did you say about our first meeting?
We had all the chemistry of an FBI interrogation?
Stop it!
It's both boring and annoying!
The people who know the other Matrix movies will already recognize these similarities!
And if you haven't seen the other Matrix movies, then what good does it do to show the clips from the other movies?!
WHO IS THIS FOR?!
did you think that someone who hasn't seen the other matrix movies, would just appreciate those clips being there like,
"Oh, very cool! I now know that it's from the other movies, that this thing is happening now, that makes it more significant now or something..."
Later we find out that Trinity is actually super available...
[Trinity] -I remember wanting a family, but was that because that's what women are supposed to want?
[YMS] -"Hey I know you saw me with my family and kids, but I don't actually like them...
"and I felt it very important to tell you, this person I just met recently..."
Then she's like, "Wow, it's such a crazy coincidence that there's a girl in your game named trinity."
Even though, her name's, Tiff...?
I don't understand what you're saying...
[Trinity] -I like Trinity, another coincidence, I love motorcycles.
[YMS] -Wait since when was Trinity's defining character trait just, "I love motorcycles"?
What?! Like yeah she rode them, but she didn't really talk about them much, I guess, like, I don't know...
Wasn't really the first thing that came to mind, when I thought of the character...
Then there's an action scene at the game development place.
And once again, everything feels very sloppy and uncoordinated...
In the original films, the music and sound design choices, helped to create a rhythmic symphony...
[Clip] 🎵🎵
There was an actual purpose and pacing accompanying the visuals, but in this film it's just all over the place...
[Clip] -Oh my god...
*strange music*
[YMS] -What was that?!
It's like a sound design choice that you would make if there was something visually accompanying it,
but there wasn't... Was that supposed to be like, ultra slo-mo and then they just forgot? Like, what? Nothing fits anymore!
It feels like the basics for making a Matrix film weren't even met.
Like, the absolute most BASIC things you could possibly do to create a film and say it's a Matrix movie...
And somehow it's not there!
We don't even get any moderately competent action scenes...
It's all just a bunch of fake, boring bullshit...
[Clip] -MR. ANDERSON!
[YMS] -STOP IT!
What are you doing?!
Look at this guy's dumb face he's making too... That's the least intimidating expression possible...
HEH WHEGH! HEH HEH WHEGH!
it looks like he's trying not to laugh...
What, what are y-what are you- what?!
It's time to stop, Lana...
So this person meets neo in the bathroom and is like, "Yo this world isn't real it's actually it's the Matrix, let's get it started..."
And they reveal that Neo is an old homeless man, or something...
[Clip] -Somehow they were able to alter your DSI loop, this is how everyone else sees you...
[YMS] -WHAAAAAT?!
Why does this matter?!
This wasn't mentioned on the wikipedia plot summary, so clearly it doesn't matter...
So I went to the Matrix fan wiki, to try and understand what they're talking about,
So the machines changed how Neo looks to other people in the Matrix but not himself...🤔
and how Neo sees himself in the Matrix, is how he really is outside of the Matrix,
but the machines are making him look like an old homeless guy...
And I still don't understand why this matters at all!
Am I supposed to watch this movie a second time and come to the conclusion, that it's a metaphor for how people perceive the original films
and that it's not actually what they see on surface level, but where they're supposed to see something behind it or something...?
Cause if you made this movie NOT BORING, then maybe I would watch it a second time.
Also if you're trying to make a thematic point within your film anyway, it's usually best if the way you do it, doesn't solely fulfill that.
If what you're showing isn't impacting the story or characters in any notable way, then it's kind of just like you're interrupting the story and characters.
Whether or not the briefcase in Pulp Fiction is supposed to be a metaphor for something, doesn't take away from how it's used in the story.
They don't interrupt the story and present a completely separate scene independent from the rest of the film and go like,
"Hey well this briefcase is over here" and then it just doesn't matter to the plot of the rest of the movie.
You can have something that's both interpretable and still actually matters in the story,
Unless this digital self-image part wasn't supposed to be symbolic for anything
and it just doesn't matter and it's just a waste of time, to fill up space for this already long movie...
So much of this stupid excuse for a Matrix movie is just exposition, and it feels like 90% of it is just bullshit that doesn't even matter!
It's honestly difficult to even tell, because i'm not invested in the story whatsoever!
I don't care about the characters, you've given me no reason to!
I don't care about what they're doing, you've given me no reason to.
Why is anything happening? I don't know, because it's impossible to care!
It's so fucking boring!
This seems like one of those movies where I might just massively misinterpret a part of it in this review or something;
It's very difficult to pay attention to the exposition in this movie, I'm sorry...
IT'S SO BORING!
And it's not just the story!
The action is lame and often incomprehensible!
The music stinks!
They just keep going through the same beats as the first movie and it's just so much more lame every single time!
There's no sense of adventure or discovery with this!
Who gives a shit about him waking up?! Who cares about the sentinels flying around?
Why does that matter?
WHY IS MORPHEUS NOT THE SAME PERSON?!
GIVE ME LAURENCE FISHBURNE! WHY?!
HIS FIGHTING IS BAD!
All right, so I looked up why Hugo Weaving wasn't in the movie, uh apparently he had agreed to be in it,
*laughs* And uh...
Lana was like, "No, we need to film it specifically now"
and his conflicting uh, commitments with a theater production we're not gonna make it work.
So they just replaced his character with the younger guy...
[Clip] -MR. ANDERSON!
It's not an artistic choice, it wasn't for some sort of like, metaphor. They were just like "Oh there was a scheduling conflict."
It's not an artistic choice...