THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS - Buckle up, Dorothy

What's astounding (bordering on miraculous, really) about 1999's The Matrix is that it's at once a distinct work of a singular genre talent and a sublimely structured action film that combines lightning-in-a-bottle synchronicity of craft, subject, and thematic resonance with trailblazing visuals and iconic. . . almost everything really.

What's admirable about the sequels is how they refuse to let such an impossibly large shadow loom over their philosophical interests, their metatextual examinations of systems of control and self actualization, or their huge beating hearts. And as someone who's gone on a bit of a journey with regards to my feelings on this series overall, this is something I was dearly hoping would stay intact for Lana Wachowski's return to the titular computer program with The Matrix Resurrections.

Fortunately, this four-quel is defiantly romantic hope-punk sci-fi adventure that's 100% My Shit.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - The Power of Responsibility

All this movie really "needed" to do was put the bat in front of the ball. If this had just been a "good enough" crossover of fun spider stuff from previous spider dude movies with the baseline competence of Tom Holland's always fantastic Peter and some fun set pieces stringing it together, it would been popped with audiences and made a ton of money.

But instead, they actually put in the work, and it really pays off.

WEST SIDE STORY - Life, Death and Love in America

Steven Spielberg has been saying he wants to make a musical since before I was born - and it's one thing to pick a "big" project for when that chance finally comes, but taking a swing at remaking arguably "the" great American musical? How do you tackle that?

Evidently, by joining the John Carpenter's The Thing Club of "remakes that are better than the original."