All 8 Keanu Reeves Sequels Ranked
Keanu Reeves has directed a number of different franchise films, including eight sequels of varying quality. One of the most famous and beloved movie stars in the world since the 1980s, Reeves has starred in a number of great films. Some of his biggest hits have spawned sequels, including The Matrix, John Wick, and The Amazing Adventures of Bill & Ted. The Matrix and John Wick saga seems to be over for now, but the 58-year-old has more on his mind as the second film of the 2005 comic book adaptation of Constantine is in the works. placed in Keanu Reeves is one of Hollywood’s most marketable stars. Keanu Reeves is one of the most marketable stars in Hollywood. Films where he plays the starring role have grossed nearly $4 billion at the worldwide box office. While he isn’t one the highest-paid actors in Hollywood by salary, he’s negotiated for shares of profits on some of his films, resulting in Keanu Reeves taking home massive payouts for The Matrix trilogy. The John Wick films have had a drastic pay increase from the first John Wick film to the fourth. Taking part in sequels has been rewarding for Reeves financially, but they range in terms of their reception from critics and audiences.
Bill & Ted Face The Music
As a 2020 reboot of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted Face the Music offered audiences a taste of positivity during the pandemic, despite most viewing it from their homes. The sequel is goofy and wholesome and has some charm to it, but the original film is so quintessentially ’80s that it’s hard to mimic its success with modern filmmaking. While the sequel was met with okay reviews, it wasn’t anywhere close to being as memorable or laugh-out-loud funny as the original. Keanu Reeves clearly has fun returning to the role, but it’s his worst sequel.
The Matrix Resurrections
Shortly after the 2020 reboot of Bill & Ted, Keanu Reeves has brought back the Matrix series with 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections. The positive aspect of the reboot is the use of modern technology in impressive visuals. The film explores thoughtful ideas and also provides commentary on the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, the action sequences that were the highlights of the original Matrix trilogy fell short of the series’ standards. Also, recasting famous characters like Morpheus and Agent Smith has always been a controversial move, regardless of the talent of the new actors. They may have done a better job, but it was still a little uncomfortable.
The Matrix Revolutions
The Matrix Resurrections was arguably the worst Matrix film, but Revolutions wasn’t much better. Matrix Revolutions disappointed fans for a number of reasons. The action wasn’t up to par with The Matrix Reloaded, and the storytelling wasn’t anywhere as close to being as polished as The Matrix. While the battle for Zion is quite good as science fiction, mech suit battles go, it takes up too much of the film and detracts from Neo’s storyline too much. While the film still performed well financially, it’s a shame that the Matrix films only went downhill after the first one.
Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey
“Face the Music” is too late to be a legitimate sequel to the original, but “Bill and Ted’s Cheating Journey” seems like a fitting sequel to the series. Bogus Journey is even crazier than its predecessor. Bill and Ted are actually killed and sent to the afterlife, where they must defeat the Grim Reaper to return to the living. After coming back to life, they must defeat evil robot versions of themselves, as well as villains from the future. The plot of The Amazing Adventures of Bill and Ted was silly enough, but False Journey takes it to a whole new level.
John Wick: Chapter 3
No offense that John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is the worst John Wick sequel, as all four films are excellent action flicks. Chapter 3 is probably even better than Chapter 1. For action lovers who don’t want to hear too much about John Wick, but just want to fight, Chapter 3 is for you. Reeves has 410 words of in-film dialogue, as the film begins with the immediate action introduced in Chapter 2. John Wick is on the run throughout the movie, constantly trying to survive against an army of assassins aiming for his neck. Each action sequence gets crazier as it progresses.
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Reloaded is the best of The Matrix sequels, but still isn’t comparable to the first film. The best thing the second film in the trilogy has going for it is its action sequences. The highway chase scene is one of the most memorable battles throughout the whole series, as well as the Burly Brawl fight scene that sees Neo facing off with seemingly infinite Agent Smiths. While The Matrix Reloaded certainly isn’t a bad middle chapter, it doesn’t offer much more than being just that.
John Wick: Chapter 2
Whereas “John Wick” sees the title character go on a vengeful mission, this movie merely lays the groundwork for the over-the-top assassin world the series will be known for. In John Wick: Chapter 2, worldbuilding really kicks in when a bounty is placed on Jon and assassins start hunting him down. The film’s action takes place in multiple locations around the world, including New York’s Oculus Transit Hub and trains leading to insane locations for combat. Chapter 2 is better than Chapter 3 because it wasn’t as fresh or exciting as Chapter 3.
John Wick: Chapter 4
John Wick: Chapter 4 may have recency working in its favor for the amount of fan acclaim it’s had in 2023, but it’s undoubtedly an awesome action movie. Chapter 4 supposedly concludes Keanu Reeves’ arc of films, though he’s still set to appear in the spinoff, Ballerina. It’s the biggest film in the series so far, expanding with awesome new characters, new locations, and ups the anti once again with the film’s action sequences. The stairwell scene as well as the shoot out at the roundabout, both of which occur in Paris, are some of the most unreal action scenes in Keanu Reeves’ filmography.