Three Matrix movies with Keanu. What can you do in 8 years...?
Table of Contents
- Duration: 7 years
- When: 1996 – 2003
In 1996, the Wachowski siblings were trying to get Will Smith on board for a new project. In 2003, the third film was already in theaters.
There was a time when all the kids wanted to be like Neo – boys at school sported slim, sunglasses, and discmans (ancient devices for playing music off CDs) were playing Clubbed to Death by Rob D in a loop. The Matrix was a phenomenon, one of the largest in the history of pop-culture. The movie spurred the fad for slow-motion effects, and the bullet-time in Max Payne brought very clear associations with The Matrix. We were all hyped. I was once kicked out of religion class for chatting with my best friend about Matrix. So, to this day I do not know the Parable of the Sower...
Keanu Reeves, a slightly crude actor, became the idol of many – including gamers (although Matrix never made it to computer screens). The first movie premiered in 1999. The last one, Matrix Revolutions (the ending of the trilogy), in 2003. It took Keanu Reeves four years to kick Elrond's ass, turn the machines into razors, and defend the last human city, Zion. I have to admit, they wrapped it up very quickly, which perhaps impacted the quality of the second and third movies.
Of course, we're now waiting for the fourth Matrix movie, in which Keanu will also appear. The trilogy was a mostly a closed story, though the ending was open. The revered Keanu returned in the loud John Wick to finally appear in Cyberpunk 2077. Neo, we can't wait.