By When was the last time you saw a really good Keanu Reeves movie? Think hard for a minute. Exactly my point, The Matrix (and maybe The Matrix: Reloaded if you’re like me). For us that can’t count that good or just plain don’t remember, its been 11 years since the release of the original Matrix movie. The second part was released in 2003, so lets say 7 years since a solid movie. Now think about where Mr. Reeves’ career would be if he hadn’t been chosen to play Neo in the Matrix franchise.
What should we call his last “Good Movie” before the Matrix? Lets take a little trip down memory lane, shall we. Was it The Devil’s Advocate with the all star cast, Speed with its non-stop action and villainous Dennis Hopper , or even Point Break with psychonaut Gary Busey? I’d have to say that Devil’s Advocate was the best out of those three (closely tied with Point Break), but naturally not due to Keanu’s acting skills. The cast in The Devil’s Advocate was top notch and even though the movie had more plot twists and turns than a Wes Anderson adaptation of a Horatio Alger novel while on an LSD binge and had a bit of an over the top ending, I still think that it was a pretty cool movie. Even considering the casting of the lead.
Its hard for me to accept that Keanu Reeves sucks, it really is. I loved Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and even more Bill and Ted’s Bogus Adventure. As a kid I thought he was the coolest, but now as an adult I can say that his theatrical persona has not evolved well in the last decade. His lack-luster acting and surfer dude atitude have just lost their appeal and frankly, no one gives a shit about those awesome movies he made over a decade ago.
If it hadn’t been for the Matrix trilogy I believe Mr. Reeves would have been left in the trash bin of used up 90’s actors. And I’m not saying that he doesn’t have it in him, I’m just stating that there is no recent proof that Keanu Reeves is still in the business of making good movies.