Umbrellas Reloaded

Keanu Reeves braved the appalling British weather to treat thousands of screaming fans to a mammoth walkabout at the UK premiere of The Matrix: Reloaded.

The movie sequel, which grossed $160m (£100m) in its opening week, lived up to its billing as one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the year.

Fans queued for hours just to get a glimpse of their screen idol on Wednesday night.

And he didn't disappoint - even though some of his co-stars failed to make it.

Neither heavily pregnant Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity) nor new Matrix star Monica Bellucci (Persephone) could attend.

Keanu withstood pouring rain, walking from fan to fan to sign autographs and pose for photographs.

He bucked the purple Oswald Boateng suit trend adopted by the other male stars in a more sombre black suit with white shirt.

The star, who ploughed a lot of his own money into the film, spent 30 minutes rewarding those who had waited so long.

Later, he said: "I wish I could have stayed out longer.

"Some people have been really anxious for this film to come out and I just hope it lives up to their expectations.

"I've loved making the film and I just hope that it brings as much enjoyment to those who watch it."

Also splashing their way over the red carpet, at the Odeon in Leicester Square, London, were British twins Neil and Adrian Rayment, the film's most unlikely stars.

The pair are better known here as the handymen from the Carol Vorderman DIY show Better Homes.

Adrian said: "What typical British weather - it's peeing down with rain and everyone is still out there."

The shell-shocked martial arts expert continued: "The crowd - it starts two miles back.

"To be honest, we are humbled. It's so nice to be included in such a memorable film and such a step from where we were to where we are now."

Last week, the £2m Matrix party was one of the hottest tickets of the Cannes Film Festival.

The £84m movie promises even more ground-breaking special effects and spectacular fight scenes than the 1999 original.

The third film in the trilogy, Matrix Revolutions, is released in just six months.