With the recent release of the Rotten Tomatoes' "Certified Fresh" action-thriller John Wick, many seem to be asking if Keanu Reeves is back. The polarizing yet money-making machine will be put to the test in this article to determine if, in fact, he is returning to former glory or if his critics are correct in emphasizing his lack of acting abilities. In order to do so, we must delve into the heart and mind of the time-traveling, red-pill-blue-pill, back-breaking, speedster that is Keanu Reeves.
Keanu Reeves did not always dream of movie stardom. Originally, he struggled a great deal with schooling as a result of his dyslexia, and thus the Canada native dreamed of becoming a prominent hockey player. Unfortunately, a career-ending injury sent him spiraling down another path, one even he had never expected: acting. Although he would never go on to receive a high school diploma, he would take pride in doing what most actors do at the start of their careers: incredibly cheesy commercials like this:
Youngblood in 1986 would be Keanu’s first official film, but more importantly, right after his turn as a Québécois goalie, he would acquire Erwin Stoff as his manager and agent. As a result, he began to receive larger roles in teen films such as River’s Edge, The Prince of Pennsylvania and Dangerous Liaisons. But, then came a plot so ridiculous, so obscure, so exxxccceeeellllleeent that he just couldn’t turn it down. That’s right, you guessed it: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. The odd tale of two boneheaded goofballs who travel through time to create the perfect history project gave us a new way of appreciating Socrates, pronounced So-Crates, and Napoleon. Even the sequel, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, which centered on the two cheating death and saving the world through rock-and-roll (because is there any other way to save the world?) served as an entertaining follow up.
Now, this is up for debate, but I would argue that right about now we hit K.C. Reeves', a nickname that I feel close enough to him to call him, best film. Point Break is the pinnacle of what Keanu Reeves can do—well, until The Matrix, but we are definitely not there yet. Johnny Utah, a young, ambitious detective, infiltrates the charismatic, bank-robbing, ex-president surfers led by the late Patrick Swayze (rest in peace). The enthralling plot, existential dialogue and overall badass-ery raised Keanu Reeves to a new level no one had ever seen before. He was trapped being type-cast as a mindless teenager until Point Break showed that Reeves truly had acting chops. One criticism that began to arise though was his lack of facial expressions. I mean, just look at the guy.
To cap off his successful run, he led Speed as Jack Traven, a young cop who must stop a bomb from exploding on a moving bus by keeping the bus going above 50 miles per hour. The film’s financial and critical success immediately shot him to the top as an action hero sensation.
But Keanu Reeves is strange, my friends. I’m not trying to judge him here, so I guess a better word is unconventional. As in, he straight-up rejected a reported $11 million payday for a Speed sequel, so he could tour as a bass guitarist with his grunge band Dogstar, only to then release a load of misfires from Johnny Mnemonic to Chain Reaction to Feeling Minnesota. Find me five people who have seen that film the whole way through and I’ll give you $20, I swear. Thankfully, The Devil’s Advocate guided him out of his horrendous slump, but even that was not enough to change critics’ minds. Questions such as: "Why does he never show any emotions?" "Why does he always use an unnecessary dramatic pause before spitting out lame, contrived dialogue?" "Why is he even in this film?" became very popular. Still, like all true stars, he would overcome the existential questions of what his true purpose in the film world is with the release of The Matrix.
The Matrix was a game changer for Keanu because it marked his first commercial and critical success in a long time. Keanu took over the classic Jesus allegory playing Neo, a computer hacker turned fully-realized savior in a dystopian future filled with humans and machines. The film and Keanu became synonymous with slow-motion action, hand-to-hand combat and an unforgettable all black outfit that many would (unsuccessfully) attempt to recreate. My only question is how much talent did it really take for Reeves to do a few choreographed fight sequences, blankly stare into the camera with some indistinct dialogue and then collect a massive paycheck? Don’t get me wrong; I’m a major fan of the series, I just wouldn’t exactly write it up to the likes of Keanu Reeves.
Now, I feel a bit guilty for ripping on Keanu for he’s been through tragedy that one would never wish upon their worst enemy. Shortly after the release of the first Matrix film, his girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth to a stillborn girl eight months into her pregnancy. A year and a half later Jennifer herself would pass away in a fatal car crash. Keanu was torn up inside and spent some time to grieve. In spite of such misfortune and suffering, Reeves would eventually release The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolution after a two-year hiatus from filmmaking. In an attempt to move on with his life, he came forward and stated that “other people need happiness to live, but I don’t.”
Keanu appeared to be on his way back up with the romantic comedy Something’s Gotta Give and the financially successful Constantine, but he struggled to find a true rhythm in his films. Thumbsucker and The Lake House both received negative reviews, which highlighted that, again, Reeves appeared stoic in films meant to be emotionally charged. Street Kings and The Day the Earth Stood Still only deepened the notion that Keanu Reeves has the same acting range as Kristen Stewart, a.k.a. the same range as a soulless feline.
Nonetheless, if we step outside acting for a minute, I’d like to take a quick digression to discuss a front in which Keanu Reeves is killing the game. In the past few decades, it’s unfortunate to say that though the number of special effects driven films has exponentially increased, the pay for these visual effects specialists has not. Reeves gave $194 million of his earnings from The Matrix films to the special effects and makeup staff. “Money is the last thing I think about. I could live on what I have already made for the next few centuries,” was his modest justification. Furthermore, he secretly set up a cancer charity in honor of his sister Kim who had battled leukemia for the past few years. Keanu Reeves understands the virtue of altruism as he often attempts to keep his name off of his charitable endeavors.
So now as we are approaching present day Keanu Reeves, it’s essential to look at the peculiarities that make him so (in)famous today. It began in 2010 with the notorious meme called “Sad Keanu Reeves.” Like most successful memes, hilarity ensued.
Alhough “Sad Keanu” may be the most recognizable image of the star out there, I’ve always been more partial to the idea of the ageless Keanu. Evidence dating back to 1530 suggests that Keanu may possibly have been among us for nearly five centuries. How has this not gained more attention? Just look at the evidence!
Okay, okay, back to his illustrious film career. Decidedly following in the footsteps of The Matrix, minus the cool sci-fi backdrop, Reeves has taken on roles in numerous martial arts films such as Man of Tai Chi and 47 Ronin, which are unsurprisingly critical and financial flops. The thing is, while most actors attempt to break free of typecasting like the McConaissance, Keanu seems content with his usual array of experimental indies, martial arts debauches or cheesy action thrillers. Which brings us to the release of John Wick–sure, it marks the first triumph for Keanu in a long time, but it sure as hell isn’t a change from the norm. An ex-hitman back for revenge. Wow. That’s a new one, said no one ever. Career wise, I’d give him a C+ at best, and that’s me feeling generous. Let’s put it like this: Nicolas Cage may have the worst film selection I’ve ever seen, but he’s still a two time Oscar nominee (one time winner) with hidden range early in his career. Keanu Reeves is a time-traveling imbecile, a stereotypical rookie cop and a futuristic Jesus sprinkled in with a legion of unmemorable misfires. I rest my case.
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