The name "Keanu Reeves" and the phrase "great actor" aren't often combined into the same sentence, but that's not to say he hasn't starred in some of the most entertaining films of the last two decades. Reeves bounces back and forth between big budget blockbusters and romantic comedies, but it's always his more bombastic stories that earn him his acclaim. These film might not have the best plot, they might not have Oscar-winning performances, but their entertainment value can't be ignored.
Whether it be horror, science fiction, or action, the actor's stoic performances have a certain charm that make the movies highly entertaining. When not starring in films, the actor also appears to have a pretty laid back attitude, making him feel all the more endearing.
What's your favorite Keanu Reeves movie? Let us know in the comments!
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Point Break (1991)
Following his success in the time-traveling buddy comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Reeves' first foray into action gave us one of the most absolute '90s movies of all '90s movies. In Point Break, Reeves stars as FBI Agent Johnny Utah who is tasked with infiltrating a gang of robbers whose skills at bank-robbing are only matched by their skills as surfers. The action adventure also stars Patrick Swayze and Gary Busey who all deliver some of their most memorable performances of their careers.
If you were forced to answer the question of, "What's the best Keanu Reeves-starring action film from the '90s?" there are two acceptable answers: Point Break and Speed. The concept of a bus armed with a bomb that will go off if its speed drops below 55 mph was ridiculous in 1994 and it's ridiculous today, but there's no denying how entertaining it is to watch a bus jump a stretch of highway while Dennis Hopper delivers ridiculous threats to the police in one of his schlockiest performances. We also have Speed to thank for giving film fans Sandra Bullock, even if it means we have her to blame for Speed 2: Cruise Control.
Luckily for Keanu Reeves, if you're playing a person who is hit with the realization that you aren't living in reality but actually serves as a battery for a series of robots who have convinced your brain you're living a real life, reacting with confusion is going to happen a lot. Reeves proved he could handle any physical task thrown at him thanks to his experience in action films, which when combined with his convincing confusion, made the actor integral to the success of The Matrix. Granted, Reeves isn't the only actor that could've potentially pulled off the role, but he won the hearts of the Wachowskis to deliver one of the most ambitious and inventive science fiction films of the last 20 years.
In the world of comics, John Constantine was known for being British and being blonde. Keanu Reeves is neither British nor blonde, which immediately made comic fans angry at Constantine. If you're willing to overlook relatively insignificant aesthetic choices, Constantine gave us a weird and wild comic book film full of demons, angels, and the Devil himself. The film might not go down as one of the greatest comic book movies of all time, but it's a lot of fun to see a supernatural movie like this instead of your traditional superhero movie full of costumes and combat.
Having been a decade since Reeves hate a big hit, the actor shocked unsuspecting audiences with his story of a man seeking vengeance on a Russian mobster who killed his puppy, a gift from his dead wife. John Wick wasn't a man who could be overcome with emotions, so Reeves could convince audiences that none of his terrible actions could faze him. The filmmakers were frequent collaborators with Reeves on previous films, serving on his stunt team, so John Wick could have only come to fruition from the actor's persistence and power in Hollywood.
