“The Matrix Resurrections” (Science-Fiction/Action: 2 hours, 28 minutes)

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Neil Patrick Harris

Director: Lana Wachowski

Rated: R (Violence and profanity)

Movie Review: “The Matrix Resurrections” is the fourth movie in the franchise that started with “The Matrix” (1999). Moviegoers who liked the 1999 movie directed and created by the Wachowski Brothers, now known as Lana and Lilly Wachowski, should appreciate this movie, too. However, this screenplay waxes too much philosophically when its greatest appeal is its uncanny manner to inspire with satire about the modern tech world and its gatekeepers.

Thomas Anderson (Reeves) is a software developer for a corporation. His life is changed when several people visit him and inform him that his world is a facsimile, one created for him by machines. They tell Anderson that his reality is a false one but he can observe the real world if he chooses to return to The Matrix.

Director-writer Lana Wachowski and cowriter David Mitchell create a movie with plenty of philosophical theories about reality. They do this via characters’ words questioning what is real and subliminal words displayed in the background shots such as the Latin phrase “Deus Machina,” which roughly translates to “god out of the machine.” Other phrases also adorn the screen like the French term déjà vu, meaning already seen or having a strong sense of experiencing a situation before.

Well, numerous moments feel like one has already seen them. In this aspect, audiences should feel like Keanu Reeves’ Neo, a character whose name means “one” when the letters are jumbled. Neo is the chosen one in this tale. He returns from a world of zeros and ones to reality.

Reeves plays his role well, especially for this movie. Here, he plays Thomas Anderson in a manner reminiscent of his role Bill from “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (1989) and its sequels.

Carrie-Anne Moss returns to ably portray Trinity. Her character is elevated in importance in a major way. She and Neo lack chemistry created in earlier movies but their relationship resides on nostalgia, although a key character is missing. Regrettably, this movie does not bring back by Laurence Fishburne. His version of Morpheus is a noticeable absence this outing; the character is now being played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen.

“Matrix Resurrections” has plenty for those who like to think. It also has plenty of action moments for those requiring less mental floss. However, the script is unnecessarily complicated for certain scenes when a nice story exists outside the repetitive fights seen already in the prequels.

Audiences’ ability to be impressed by this movie depends on one’s invested interest in prior “Matrix” movies. Too bad, the choice is not as easy as taking the red pill or the blue pill.

Grade: B- (Not the best resurrection but it rises to meet the expected reality.)

Playing at Valdosta Stadium Cinemas.

 

“The King’s Man” (Action/Adventure: 2 hours, 11 minutes)

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Djimon Hounsou, Matthew Goode and Rhys Ifans

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Rated: R (Violence, profanity)

 

Movie Review: Based on the comic book “The Secret Service” by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, “The King’s Man” is the third film in this franchise. It is a sequel-prequel to “Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2014). It is different from its predecessors; it is more of a history lesson, focusing on the formation of the Kingsmen organization during World War I. While interesting, it haphazardly combines comedy and action with the seriousness of World War I.

Just as tensions rise in Europe during the early part of the 20th Century, Duke Orlando Oxford (Fiennes) must use a network of spies in multiple governments to stop war among several of Europe’s powerful nations. He must expedite his work after his only child, Conrad Oxford (Dickson), enlists in the British army. To complete this task, Orlando Oxford must find a way to persuade the United States to intervene in The Great War.

Several elements of the movie clash. The consistency fluctuates. This often downgrades the script’s seriousness. One moment the movie appears an overview of World War I and then next is a comedic action photoplay. Because of this, the movie’s impact is lessened. The characters, other than Fiennes’ Oxford, are low-key secondary players with no emotive attachment.

When main people die, no emotive attachment exists. This movie forgets to give a reason to care about its people because it focuses on the action and some misplaced bits of comedy.

It is entertaining and attention-getting with stylish fight sequences and set designs but this addition to the “Kingsman” franchise poorly mixes real historical figures with farce. The result is a movie that does not live up to its prequels.

Grade: C (A less than regal return.)

Playing at Valdosta Stadium Cinemas.

 

“Sing 2” (Animation/Music: 1 hour, 50 minutes)

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson and Taron Egerton

Director: Garth Jennings

Rated: PG (Rude material, violence and moments of peril)

 

Movie Review: A sequel to “Sing” (2016), this animated movie is a grand adventure with plenty of interesting characters boasting catchy tunes. The music is contagious and the characters offer plenty of energetic moments with a background of nifty visuals. “Sing 2” is an impressive follow-up to its prequel.

Matthew McConaughey returns as Buster Moon, a koala bear always searching for his next big musical hit. His latest stunt involves his and his friends’ attempts to persuade reclusive rock star Clay Calloway (Bono) to join them for Moon’s latest show. If Calloway does not agree to join the show, ruthless promoter Mr. Crystal (Bobby Cannavale) plans to cancel the production and inflict bodily harm to Moon.

Several positive aspects sustain “Sing 2” as good entertainment. A talented cast voices several characters. They make vocal performances enjoyable, including singing nice songs. The story provides adventure and comedy for all ages. This is a perfect family outing for the holiday season.

“Sing 2” is a nice chant as its cast grows. While it is similar in substance to its prequel, this animated venture’s endearing characters charm. They are on a mission to entertain as part of this narrative’s script, and Moon and his team also entertain real-world audiences.

Grade: B+ (Sing along for fun.)

Playing at Valdosta Stadium Cinemas.

 

“A Journal for Jordan” (Drama: 2 hours, 11 minutes)

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Chanté Adams and Jason Christian

Director: Denzel Washington

Rated: PG-13 (Some sexual content, nudity, drug use and language)

 

Movie Review: Based on a true story, “A Journal for Jordan” is a patriotic movie about a family’s loss of a loved one to war. It is an adaptation of Dana Canedy’s book based on the personal journal by Charles Monroe King.

First Sgt. Charles Monroe King, played by Michael B. Jordan, writes a journal for his son, Jordan, before being killed in action in Baghdad. The journal is a written work intended to instruct his son on living a decent life. King’s fiancé and the mother of Jordan (Christian), New York Times editor Dana Canedy (Adams) gives her son the book when he comes of age. Jordan needs the journal, as it gives him a link to his father, including the patriarch’s wisdom and love in words.

Denzel Washington is a solid director when given the correct script. This narrative is not. Washington does not live up to his previous impressive direction seen in “Antwone Fisher” (2002), “The Great Debaters” (2007) or “Fences” (2016). Scripted by Virgil Williams, “Journal for Jordan” is lacking in execution and is not the best manner to tell a story for photoplay.

Screenplay writers often forget that a book and a movie are very different mediums. A movie must cram a book into about two hours, give or take 30 minutes. A book can tell scenes not in chronological order easier. Movies have to be careful. “A Journal for Jordan” is not careful. Scenes appear as haphazardly joined moments of the characters’ lives, moving from one scene to the next spanning nearly two decades.

Scenes jump from one moment to the next, mainly focusing on the lives of King and Canedy. Their relationship is the greater part of this movie. This is odd since the journal is for King and Canedy’s son, Jordan. The movie resides too much on the couple’s romance rather than what this movie’s title suggests — a book written for Jordan. The movie spends little time developing Jordan as the titular character.

Of course, many people are seeing this movie for personal reasons. Numerous people are curious about Michael B. Jordan’s first sex scene with actress Chanté Adams. If you blink, you may just miss the entire scene. This exists because their relationship appears an awkward romance. One would expect more from a romance with two very beautiful people.

Even more, the movie has a cemetery scene that did not occur, but words placed on screen just before the end credits indicate the scene was added for dramatic purposes. Sadly, this is one of the more emotive parts of this movie. So, the acknowledgment cheapens that patriotic moment.

“A Journal for Jordan” has an interesting story. It appears worthy of the big screen, yet poor execution and direction bury it.

Grade: C (Journal entry Number 9: Rewrite screenplay for Jordan.)

Playing at Valdosta Stadium Cinemas.

 

Adann-Kennn Alexxandar has reviewed movies for The Valdosta Daily Times for more than 20 years.