The Exact Moment John Wick Surpassed The Matrix As Keanu Reeves’ Best Movie Franchise (2024)

Keanu Reeves gained worldwide recognition as Neo in 1999's The Matrix, but the John Wick franchise of the last decade actually became the iconic actor's best overall franchise thanks to one key element. Derek Kolstad's neo-noir action series revitalized the action genre in the mid-2010s, and has influenced or inspired a number of recent movies and franchises. Recent examples like The Beekeeper, Monkey Man, Boy Kills World, and Silent Night all reflect the high-octane fight choreography, diverse array of weapons and underlying revenge narrative that John Wick is built upon.

As impactful as John Wick has been in the last few years, The Matrix has stood as one of the most influential science-fiction franchises in all of American cinema. The first movie in the ongoing series is a veritable cornucopia of well-known quotes and moments, whether it's choosing the red pill or blue pill, knowing kung-fu, or dodging bullets. Despite The Matrix's level of impact on pop culture, the John Wick series has already surpassed it as Keanu Reeves' best movie franchise, and it happened surprisingly fast.

John Wick: Chapter 2 Was A Better Sequel Than Reloaded & Revolutions

It was a legitimate improvement upon and expansion of the first movie

Of all the iconic moments from The Matrix franchise, a vast majority come from the ground-breaking first movie. In fact, the average moviegoer would be hard-pressed to come up with a quote or scene details from any of the other entries in the franchise. None of the follow-ups to the original film came close to matching the originality or narrative strength of The Matrix, and in the case of The Matrix Revolutions the sequel was widely panned by critics and moviegoers alike. That is where John Wick surpasses The Matrix as Keanu Reeves' best franchise: the sequels.

John Wick: Chapter 2 was far better than any sequel or tie-in (like The Animatrix) to The Matrix, which is where the John Wick franchise surpassed The Matrix franchise. While the sequels to The Matrix were regarded as disappointing in comparison to the due to overcomplication of the narrative and an over-reliance on special effects, John Wick: Chapter 2 took all of the aspects of the first movie and improved upon them. It expanded the universe of hitmen and contracts without losing any of what John Wick so entertaining.

As A Franchise, John Wick Is Already Better Than The Matrix

No sequel has ever measured up to The Matrix

While none of its sequels ever came close to The Matrix as far as overall quality is concerned, that hasn't been the case with the John Wick franchise. While Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer isn't the final word on a movie's quality, it does provide a good indication of the general consensus for both fans and critics. Judging by that, the John Wick franchise has actually gotten better as it has progressed forward.

The John Wick franchise has already spawned a spinoff TV show (Peaco*ck's The Continental: From the World of John Wick), and it will expand again in 2025 with the spinoff Ballerina starring Ana de Armas. It may be too much to ask it to continue the upward trajectory of the franchise's critic scores, but it's a safe bet that the movie will maintain the franchise's standards for quality and action. The fact that the expanding franchise has actually gotten better since its high-quality original movie is what makes it a far better franchise than The Matrix.

The Matrix Will Always Be Keanu Reeves’ Most Iconic Movie

It's one of the most influential science fiction movies ever made

While the debate over quality will always rage on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and Reddit, there is simply no denying which of Keanu Reeves' movies is the most iconic. His role as Neo is responsible for kick-starting his entire career, and the movie's signficance to the movie industry makes it his most iconic role by a landslide. Add in the revolutionary nature of the special effects displayed in The Matrix along with the timelessness of its central story, and there's virtually no way Reeves could ever appear in anything so iconic ever again.

In fact, you can see beats from The Matrix's fight choreography seeded throughout the John Wick franchise. The rhythmic, almost balletic hand-to-hand combat that's the standard in modern action movies bears echoes of Neo and Morpheus' fights with the diabolical Agent Smith, even if it isn't quite the same rhythm. John Wick may be Keanu Reeves' best movie franchise, but The Matrix will always be his most iconic movie.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

John Wick

Created by

Derek Kolstad

First Film

John Wick

Cast

Keanu Reeves , Ian McShane , Lance Reddick , Willem Dafoe , Michael Nyqvist , Alfie Allen , Laurence Fishburne , Anjelica Huston , Bill Skarsgard , Mel Gibson , Donnie Yen

TV Show(s)

The Continental