John Wick franchises continue to be Keanu Reeves' most action-packed, crowd-pleasing works, and his roles as Neo and John Wick have even collectively raised the bar for martial arts movies. The two franchises also have the ability to blow minds without a lot of guns thanks to a dangerous theme explored in both cinematic universes.
The first John Wick sequel and the first installment of the Matrix movies both feature momentous scenes where a mentor figure freezes time, prompting Keanu Reeves's character to look around in alarm. The scene in John Wick: Chapter 2 is such an obvious reference to the one in The Matrix, but thankfully there are some very convenient justifications for how that kind of homage could get overlooked at the end of the thrilling movie. More importantly, the scenes in both The Matrix and John Wick: Chapter 2 are pivotal moments for Neo and John, respectively, that permanently alter the characters' perceptions of reality.
Why John Wick 2's Matrix Reference Is Easily Overlooked
Winston Scott (Ian McShane) "freezes" time in Central Park at the end of John Wick: Chapter 2 after John kills Santino and breaks the Continental's rule about conducting business on its hallowed grounds. That is in stark contrast to the timing seen in The Matrix where Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus freezes time in the movie's second act while Keanu Reeves is still more Thomas Anderson than Neo. The timing and circumstances of the two scenes are completely different, so it’s understandable why John Wick: Chapter 2’s homage to The Matrix is so easily overlooked.
A more amusing explanation can place the blame on the exciting events of John Wick: Chapter 2. The incredible sequel features titillating moments like an extremely crisp press check by Keanu Reeves during the museum shootout sequence. The sequel also has one of the earliest and most prominent examples of a ridiculous John Wick franchise problem when John and Cassian (Common) casually stroll through a bustling New York City subway terminal taking suppressed potshots at each other. It would make sense if viewers were simply too overwhelmed by the end to notice a slick reference to The Matrix.
The Real Meaning Behind John Wick 2's Matrix Reference
The frozen time scenes in John Wick: Chapter 2 and The Matrix are important because they highlight the immense danger Keanu Reeves’s character is in. The end of John Wick: Chapter 2 reveals to John that apparently half of New York City’s population consists of assassins and bounty hunters who are willing to collect the prize for John’s head. Meanwhile, in the simulated reality of The Matrix, Morpheus shows Neo that a beautiful woman in a red dress is just a person an Agent can take over.
It was already a foregone conclusion that the John Wick movies would indulge in The Matrix references. That became even more apparent after Morpheus actor Laurence Fishburne was introduced as the Bowery King in John Wick: Chapter 2. Even so, one of the deepest and best homages to The Matrix easily got overlooked at the end of John Wick: Chapter 2.
