Did Keanu Reeves Actually Like ‘The Matrix Revolutions’?
The first film in the Matrix franchise is one of the most acclaimed science fiction films of the 1990s, however, its sequels aren’t as acclaimed. In fact, the third one in the series, The Matrix Revolutions, has a relatively bad critical reputation. Here’s a look at what Keanu Reeves said about watching The Matrix Revolutions — and how the film performed at the box office.
What Keanu Reeves thought when he watched ‘The Matrix Revolutions’
Around the time of The Matrix Revolutions’ release, the BBC’s Alana Lee asked him how he reacted when he saw the movie. “I really enjoyed it when I saw it,” Reeves revealed. “I thought the performances and how it came together and the action and the cinema of it was pretty extraordinary.”
Lee asked Reeves if he worried the special effects in The Matrix Revolutions threatened the story’s humanity. “I think the way [the Wachowskis] think about that, it’s all about furthering the story,” he said. “The technological advance is all about putting forward the story, telling the story they want to tell it.”
He emphasized that the human side of the film came through. “I think there’s a lot of… I’m going to use the word ‘compassion,’” he said. “There’s a lot of love in it. It’s the backbone, the raison d’etre of the pieces.”
What Keanu Reeves said about the end of ‘The Matrix Revolutions’
Later, Lee asked Reeves if liked the long-awaited conclusion of the movie. “Where Neo comes to and what happens in the film I find has a lot of merit personally in life, and I think it’s very satisfying cinematically and story-wise,” he said. “I’m excited the film is coming out and that people get to see this remarkable movie. I’m a fan of the movies – this remarkable movie and this trilogy.”
Did fans and critics like ‘The Matrix Revolutions’ as much as Keanu Reeves did?
Reeves certainly wasn’t the only one who enjoyed The Matrix Revolutions. According to Box Office Mojo, the film earned over $427 million against a budget of $150 million. By comparison, Box Office Mojo reports the first installment of the franchise earned over $463 million against a budget of $63 million. Clearly, The Matrix Revolutions wasn’t as big of a hit as the first film, however, it was definitely a hit by Hollywood standards. In addition, The Matrix Revolutions was apparently popular enough to warrant an upcoming — and long-awaited — sequel.
While The Matrix Revolutions was popular, it was not a massive critical hit. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a critical score of 35% and an audience score of 60%. By comparison the original film had a substantially more positive 88% critical rating and 85% audience rating on the same website. While The Matrix Revolutions wasn’t a critical darling, Reeves clearly enjoyed it, as well as the rest of the live-action Matrix trilogy.
