That person, he finally came back.
“John Wick” wants to kill all the killers, and the “John Wick” version of Long Hair Neo wants to save the world again.
In 1999, a medium-cost science fiction film was released, starring Keanu Reeves, who was outdated at the time, and directed by a pair of little-known brothers.
This movie, which was not favored by anyone in the industry at first, won a box office of 170 million U.S. dollars in the United States and 463 million U.S. dollars worldwide.
“The Matrix” turned out to be a science fiction movie that changed the history of movies.
This film quickly became a trilogy, and the subsequent “The Matrix 2, 3” continued to work hard, and together with the first film won $1.7 billion in global theaters.
But also in 1999, Keanu Reeves’s girlfriend gave birth to a daughter, and the fetus died unfortunately.
In 2001, his girlfriend died suddenly in a car accident in Los Angeles.
With great sadness, Tire’s career stopped for a while, and for the next 10 years, apart from “Constantine”, he didn’t have any box office movies.
When the red star became an outdated Hollywood star again, Keanu Reeves was even called the “Lone Star”.
It wasn’t until 2014 that he actually appeared in the $20 million low-cost action film “John Wick”, which won $86 million at the box office.
Next, in 2017, his second film received 170 million box office at a cost of 40 million U.S. dollars, and by 2019, his third film received $327 million at a cost of 75 million U.S. dollars.
He appeared like a god at the E3 exhibition, pushing the reputation of “Cyberpunk 2077” to the top.
Then, “The Matrix Resurrections” officially restarted.
Unlike the trilogy jointly directed by Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski, the fourth episode is directed by sister Lana alone.
Laurence Fishburne, who played Morpheus, and Hugo Weaving, who played Smith, in the first three movies, did not return to the fourth.
Related Post: “The Matrix Resurrections” exposes the “Reborn” version of the special, Keanu Reeves: It is not a repetition but an innovation.
But the point is: Neo is back.
As long as he is there, the matrix remains a matrix.
Not long ago, “The Matrix Resurrections” released the first official trailer. The movie is scheduled to be released on December 22 and will be broadcast simultaneously on HBO Max.
Regarding the trailer, some people think it’s too exciting, some people think it’s not good.
The biggest question is: Does “The Matrix Resurrections” really come to change film history again? Or is it a job to make money with fried rice?
When people ridicule that Keanu Reeves’s still in the movie is John Wick, perhaps the real question is: Can the 57-year-old “Killing God Neo” still fight?
Related Post: “The Matrix Resurrections” released Japanese character posters.
“John Wick” and “The Matrix” have long achieved a dream linkage
In a sense, Keanu Reeves has never left the world of The Matrix in recent years.
Although there was no sequel to the trilogy for 22 years, his second success in Hollywood was attributed to the “Dream League” of “John Wick” and “The Matrix.”
Does anyone know that he distributed the $75 million bonus of “The Matrix” to the staff and gave each special effects team a Harley motorcycle?
At that time, he had a deep friendship with two film action directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, especially Chad Stahelski.
In the film, Chad Stahelski also served as a stand-in for Keanu Reeves.
Keanu Reeves once said in the behind-the-scenes footage of The Matrix that he admires Chad Stahelski very much.
As a stuntman, he has made many sacrifices for himself that ordinary people cannot do.
It is true that few big-name stars in Hollywood treat the behind-the-scenes staff like this, and the two action directors were mediocre back then.
The main action team of the film comes from Yuan Jiaban of Woo Ping Yuen.
But many years later, when Keanu Reeves’s career was once again on the verge of being half-red and not black, it was these two old men who invited Keanu, who was 49 years old, to participate in “John Wick”.
“John Wick” was directed by David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, “John Wick 2,3,4” was directed by Chad Stahelski alone, and David Leitch went to film “Deadpool 2” and “Hobbs and Shaw”.
What’s interesting is that when the two of them are fully qualified to independently direct Hollywood Category A productions, they still ride the Harley motorcycles that Keanu Reeves gave them.
They returned to participate in the filming of “The Matrix Resurrections” and still serve as film action directors.
I believe this is definitely not to look at the face of Hollywood, but to look at the face of Keanu Reeves.
It is also because of the natural connection between the two films that “John Wick” has long been quietly linked with the “The Matrix” series.
For example, the film reproduces the classic line of Keanu Reeves in The Matrix: “Guns, lots of guns.”
For another example, the Chinese doctor who played the desperate John in “John Wick 2” played the programmer who was rescued by the Morpheus team in “The Matrix.”
The most obvious is that Laurence Fishburne, who played Morpheus in the “The Matrix” trilogy and absent from “The Matrix Resurrections”, became the Bowery King in the “John Wick” series.
At the end of the third part, Winston, the manager of the Continental Hotel, fired several shots at Wick, who was rescued by him who had fallen from a tall building.
Obviously there are still his scenes in “John Wick 4”.
But does “The Matrix Resurrections” still play? “The Matrix Resurrections”, is there something new?
With the appearance of the official trailer, “The Matrix Resurrections” finally bid farewell to the state of holding Piba half-hidden, showing a bit of true face.
Related Post: “The Matrix Resurrections” exposed The Game Awards Clip, Neo meets the young Morpheus.
“The Matrix Resurrections” obviously exhibits the following characteristics:
1.The story restarts, and all members are resurrected.
As can be seen from the title, the subtitle of 2003’s “The Matrix 3” is “Revolutions” and the restart title is “Resurrections”.
In the finale of the trilogy, Neo represents the human and the machine to reach an agreement to help the machine eliminate the virus in the system. Smith, the machine and the human truce.
In the end, Trinity drove the spacecraft to avoid the attack, and was injured and sacrificed accidentally in the real world.
In the virtual world, Neo died with all the system viruses that were assimilated into Smith, and the mission of the savior was completed.
“The Matrix” took this opportunity to reinstall the system and completed its self-renewal upgrade. The armistice between humans and machines, humans regain their freedom, and they can choose to leave the matrix.
It is foreseeable that: “The Matrix Resurrections” may adopt a system restart, directly resurrecting all members.
In fact, in the first three movies, the characters had a precedent for resurrection.
For example, in the second “The Matrix Reloaded”, Trinity was supposed to be shot and killed, but Neo rewritten her code openly and resurrected her.
Moreover, in the finale of the trilogy, the architect believes that the peaceful coexistence of humans and robots will not last long.
It is time to resurrect Neo after 22 years. It is estimated that the peace between the system and mankind cannot be maintained.
So in the trailer, when Neo swallowed the blue pill (the first red pill he chose), in the opposite mirror, a man with a white beard and bald, older than Neo himself, appeared.
It is very possible that this Neo is the real body.
2.The characters continue to pay tribute to the classics.
In the trailer, Neo and Trinity meet again, and Trinity asks: Have we met?
Then there is a picture of two people joining hands to avoid pursuit and reuniting in the sunset.
Trinity is wearing iconic leather jackets, recreating the opening scene of “The Matrix 1.”
Although Laurence Fishburne is not returning, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who once appeared in “Black Manta” in “Aquaman”, is obviously like a reborn “Morpheus”.
A new matrix designer girl appears at the end of “The Matrix 3”, and it is very likely that this new designer in “The Matrix Resurrections”.
In addition to the return of the character, you can also see the full screen of tribute shots.
For example, the upgraded version of “Bullet Time”: Neo directly missed the missile with his hands, making it hit the helicopter that was pursuing them.
Even the sealed torture that Neo suffered in the first part has been reproduced.
Obviously, “The Matrix Resurrections” is full of traces of re-engraving from the story and the scene to the characters and details.
But the story of the trilogy is over. The hacker trilogy basically revolves around the main thread of Neo becoming the “savior”, telling the story of Neo’s awakening, escalation, and finally sacrifice for mankind.
When the world view constructed by the three “Hackers” has been explained, what new story can “The Matrix Resurrections” tell?
The film had a surprising reputation at the California preview on June 16.
Some critics believe that “The Matrix Resurrections” is definitely “Cloud Atlas” level, not “Jupiter Ascending”.
This may give some viewers peace of mind. After all, for Lana Wachowski, who has created many classics such as “The Matrix” and “Sense8”, it is still far from the time to pay for it.
The cold rice may be fried, but it may not be fried for the sake of fried rice.
“The Matrix Resurrections” may be more like the Hollywood wizard director’s summary of his past works.
It is also a love letter to fans who love the Matrix series.
But the question is, is this enough?
Can the 57-year-old “Killing God Neo” still fight?
There is a scene in the trailer in which a group of police officers wearing SWAT attacked Neo and others. The projection screen was cut open, and Neo and others ran into the crossing door behind the screen to avoid the attack.
Sharp-eyed viewers discovered that it was “The Matrix” that was shown on the screen.
In other words, this movie history classic also appeared in the matrix.
Whether this is a stinger or a tribute is unknown, but no one can deny the classics of The Matrix.
Actor Jessica Henwick once said in an interview, “I think Lana Wachowski will change the industry again with this film.”
The result of “The Matrix Resurrections” is not yet known, but it will come back 22 years later. The handsome Neo in the trilogy, with thin, short hair, sunglasses and a long black trench coat, has long hair, a beard, and a middle-aged man. Looks like a decadent man.
No wonder some fans left a message saying “I believe you said this is John Wick 4”.
Some netizens also ridiculed that the “The Matrix” series dragged a group of actors into a red sunset.
It’s not a problem for actors to grow old naturally. The question is, will “The Matrix Resurrections” rely on old age?
The success of the “The Matrix” series is that its action scenes and visual effects design are both subversive, and “Bullet Time” is also presented for the first time in a Hollywood live-action movie.
The film contains science, religion, philosophy, and semiotics, all of which are included.
Even Keanu Reeves was asked to read a bunch of books on postmodernism before taking the film.
Because the film is full of philosophical flavors, a group of philosophers also co-authored a book for this film, and the book sells well.
But when “The Matrix Resurrections” returned 22 years later, all the creative ideas had already been borrowed by countless films.
In an interview to promote “Jupiter Ascending” in 2015, my sister Lilly Wachowski once said that making a sequel to “The Matrix” is “the most offensive idea today”.
When the film really restarted, Keanu Reeves was 57 years old.
The most interesting thing is that the action team of “The Matrix Resurrections” is no longer led by Woo Ping Yuen, but replaced by the team of “John Wick 4”.
Originally, the two movies were also scheduled for May 21, 2021. Many people ridiculed that Keanu Reeves would stage a wonderful showdown of “I Kill Myself” on this day.
But think about it carefully, why the success of the “John Wick” series is still innovation.
Whether it’s Jackie Chan’s on-the-spot style of play or the integration of firearms into action, the film is overwhelming.
Most Hollywood blockbusters rely on fast editing to cover up “fake fights”.
Coupled with the creative action scenes of empty-handed hand-in-hand, music stepping and technological light and shadow, it is strange that the film is not popular.
In order to play style and level, Keanu Reeves once learned marksmanship from former SEALs members and practiced weapons and martial arts one month before shooting. He practiced for up to 8 hours a day.
So more than 90% of the actions in the film are done by him in person.
As for his record of killing 77 people in the first part, 116 people in the second part, and 94 people in the third part, it is at most a support.
Of course, the success of the film is inseparable from Keanu Reeves.
If the “The Matrix” series can be successful even with Will Smith who was originally invited, then the “John Wick” series must be Keanu Reeves. Because he has merged with the film characters.
Over the years, Keanu Reeves was photographed on the streets of Paris and was photographed throwing coins at a homeless woman.
He walked to the woman’s body, bent very low, and then gently put the money into the plastic cup.
In 2011, when he was 47 years old, he gave up his seat on the New York subway for the lady beside him, and the number of YouTube videos has exceeded 25 million.
Everyone loves Keanu Reeves, and it is his appearance that dilutes the violence of the “John Wick” series. He and Tom Cruise are probably the last Hollywood action stars.
But we have to admit that Keanu Reeves is old.
When the hero is old, will this 22-year-old “The Matrix Resurrections” lead the audience to a magical world that has never been seen before?
The character who appeared at the end of the trailer said to Neo: “After so many years and so many experiences, we should return to the place where everything started, and return to the Matrix.”
Perhaps for Keanu Reeves, this is like a fateful return, but can Keanu Reeves really be able to fight for another ten years?
For the audience, after 22 years, when the red and blue pills are placed in front of you,
Will you still choose to return to reality like Neo did, or choose to indulge in the dream of “The Matrix Resurrections”?
Perhaps as Morpheus, who is no longer returning, said back then, everything is your own choice.
