10 Most Anticipated Movie Scenes Of All Time
5. Bullet Time - The Matrix
The marketing for The Matrix did a fantastic job of selling it as a generational event that you absolutely, positively had to see, quite brilliantly repurposing Morpheus' (Lawrence Fishburne) iconic line throughout its trailers - "Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself."
The trailers showed off a spate of the film's lavish VFX-driven action, culminating in a fleeting glimpse of the movie's undeniable money shot: the "bullet time" sequence where Neo (Keanu Reeves) bends time to dodge bullets being fired at him.
It was truly unlike anything audiences had ever seen before, and so by the time they sat down to watch it, excitement was at a fever pitch. Unlike most entries on this list, bullet time isn't rooted in any existing franchise or iconography, nor or is it tailored towards fan service in any way - the hype surrounding it is simply a testament to the power of a single astonishing image.