The Matrix 4 trailer is here: here are the 5 coolest things
The Matrix 4 trailer has us saying "whoa!" a lot
The Matrix 4's trailer is finally here, and it's really cool. So if you think you have sequel-fatigue, you should still give the return of Thomas "Neo" Anderson (Keanu Reeves) a shot. And while the trailer has some odd moments — Neil Patrick Harris is playing Neo's therapist, for one — there are some inarguably cool moments in here.
We wish we knew more about the blue-haired woman who is helping Neo, or what Candyman actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's character is all about. But until we learn those details, here are the five coolest parts of The Matrix 4's trailer (which we've also got below, so you can watch now).
As for the critics? The first Matrix 4 reactions are as polarizing as you might expect.
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1. Neo's shaggy new look
We'll say it again if you missed it yesterday: Neo's bearded look (is this a John Wick variant?) is just really neat to see. It suggests and shows a bit of haggard weariness from the protagonist, who's seemingly become exhausted with the truce.
His dreams, which apparently seem to be him being pulled back into The Matrix or something, are just getting to him. And at that point, who has time to shave?
Also, since we know that Neo and Trinity are estranged by her lack of memory about what happened in the first three movies, his visage is another sign that life is getting to him.
2. Wait, how did those rockets go there?
Near the end of the trailer, an agent in pursuit of our heroes fires a rocket launcher through a door in a club. And then that rocket goes through a doorway and ... onto a train?
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We know that The Matrix movies have fun with breaking reality, but this just was a really cool thing to see. And then it got cooler when Neo and Trinity are standing on a rooftop, and a helicopter shoots another missile at them.
Neo then basically uses his powers to 'boomerang' the rocket back at the chopper to blow it up. Whoa.
3. Neo knows kung fu — that blows up buildings
A character played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who gives Neo the red pill, seems like he knows a lot about Neo. And then brings him to a training dojo, for moments that feel reminiscent from when Morpheus trained him.
This is where everything goes kablooey. Neo shows off how strong he is, and then he seemingly blows the roof off the building (literally) by knocking his sparring partner so hard into the air that the walls shatter around them.
We're curious how Neo's been honing and improving his skills since The Matrix Revolutions, and it looks like we'll see it for ourselves.
4. The music choice is excellent
As the chorus of "Feed Your Head" from the song "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane hits its crescendos during the trailer, you start to realize that this Matrix movie might have a more interesting soundtrack than the previous movies.
No offense to nü-metal gods like Linkin Park, but a Matrix movie that features songs from the likes of Marilyn Manson and other big artists from past sounds like the exact opposite of what we need right now. A soundtrack with a sense of history? That's a pill we can swallow.
5. Trinity awakens and we're going back to The Matrix
Throughout the trailer, we see that Trinity is basically "trapped," both by seeing her connected by a cable to the back of her head (seemingly inside some version of the pods from the original Matrix movies), and because she doesn't recognize Neo.
That all changes by the end, and the above shot of Trinity screaming, and seemingly multiplying, has us ready to hit play now. No, seriously, Warner. Put The Matrix 4 on HBO Max now. We need to see Carrie-Anne Moss kicking ass now — not in December.
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Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.