In my opinion, the movie wasn't trying to shit on the original at all. The Matrix has, since the beginning, been a really sentimental, romantic story that wears its heart on its sleeve and really directly states its themes. Meanwhile, the series ballooned into a big franchise that ran its course, its about to get put through the reboot-industrial complex, and its themes get adulterated and co-opted all of the time. The Matrix in pop culture is more associated with style and effects than the themes.
The new sequel did a really good job of adding nuance and deepening the themes already present in the trilogy. Specifically the way systems define our reality as a means of control. It did so while tying in really well with the first films world-building, expanding on more nuanced understanding of AI/programs that the sequels started to explore.
The film did take some time to reclaim its narrative, but I think it did so in a way that most fans can appreciate.
I agree with you. I think it tried less to shit on the original movie than make you deeply question what you believed to be true about the original movie (and trilogy). On one hand, you could believe that this was all some cheap gimmick to boot. On the other hand, you could have deep faith that love is all that matters.
I believe that it's an achievement for the film to garner this much discussion. If anything, the film predicts it.
The new sequel did a really good job of adding nuance and deepening the themes already present in the trilogy. Specifically the way systems define our reality as a means of control. It did so while tying in really well with the first films world-building, expanding on more nuanced understanding of AI/programs that the sequels started to explore.
The film did take some time to reclaim its narrative, but I think it did so in a way that most fans can appreciate.