The legacy of The Matrix franchise has been tarnished by increasingly underwhelming sequels filled with terrible scenes that ruined the movies. When it was released in 1999, The Matrix was hailed as a masterpiece and became a cultural phenomenon. It masterfully blended thought-provoking philosophical themes with mind-bending visuals and high-octane action. But all three sequels that followed struggled to replicate that success. The Matrix Reloaded was praised for its action scenes, but criticized for its lack of thematic substance. The Matrix Revolutions was a messy, contrived conclusion to the trilogy, and the belated fourth film, The Matrix Resurrections, was entirely unnecessary.
