Laurence Fishburne Once Felt ‘The Matrix’ Films Lacked Emotion

Actor Laurence Fishburne has often had nothing but kind things to say about his experience in the sci-fi series The Matrix. But he wasn’t too shy to admit that the sci-fi franchise could perhaps improve in certain areas.

Laurence Fishburne expected ‘The Matrix’ sequels to get negative reviews

Laurence Fishburne at 'The School for Good and Evil' premiere. — Laurence Fishburne | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

The first Matrix movie is highly regarded in the film community. Apart from garnering rave reviews from critics at the time, to this day many see it as one of cinemas best movies. Rolling Stone, for instance, ranked The Matrix as #15 in a list ranking the greatest films of the 90s.

However, the Matrix sequels didn’t seem to meet the same kind of acclaim as the first. The second film, Matrix Reloaded, was the most financially successful of the three according to The Numbers. But it didn’t attract the same praise that The Matrix enjoyed. The last film in the original Matrix trilogy, Revolutions, made less money than the first, and also received less than stellar reviews.

But Fishburne wasn’t all that shocked with the reception of the Matrix sequels.

“It was to be expected,” he once said in an interview with Independent. “The first Matrix movie was such a surprise. It was what it was, and there were no expectations. Also, the thing is not over yet. They did it classic cliffhanger style, which I think was a brilliant idea, a throwback to old-style film-making. That’s what’s so great. Everything [in the Matrix] series is old, it’s just been synthesized and served up in a modern way.”

Laurence Fishburne felt ‘The Matrix’ movies lacked emotion

The Matrix sequels added another element for Fishburne’s Morpheus character that helped flesh him out a bit more. Reloaded and Revolutions saw Morpheus involved in a romantic subplot with Jada Pinkett Smith’s character Niobe. This was a welcome change of pace for Fishburne, who felt it added an element to the Matrix franchise it needed.

“And you see my relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith’s character played out a bit more,” Fishburne said about the movie Revolutions. “It’s more an emotional thing I’m responsible for. A little bit more…Matrix movies aren’t deeply emotional.”

However, in an interview with Moviehole, Fishburne confided that he disagreed with the idea that his Morpheus was changed in the sequels. Instead, Fishburne believed audiences just got to know the character on a deeper level.

“No, we get to see more [of him]. That’s all it is. To see different levels of him,” Fishburne said.

Laurence Fishburne felt ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ wasn’t as good as he hoped it would be

Fishburne wasn’t invited back to do the fourth Matrix movie Resurrections. But as a fan of the franchise, he was able to watch the highly anticipated Matrix sequel without being involved in it. His verdict on the film, however, was mixed.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. And it wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be,” Fishburne told Variety. “But I thought Carrie-Anne and Keanu really did their thing. Yeah, that’s what I thought.”