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.