# The great Keanu question that plagues mankind even today. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 1, 2001, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417 "2001-03-01T20:42:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417/21 "2001-03-02T22:52:02Z")
I thought he did a good job in The Prince of Pennsylvania. Honestly, while he isn’t my favorite actor, I don’t see him as the awful actor so many seem to see him as. ---
**Author:** ![Venkman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ec9cab/32.png) [@Venkman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Venkman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417/22 "2001-03-02T23:08:41Z")
A bit of a hijack, and potential spoiler material. Just say “Sweet November” last night. Aside from being essentially the “Autumn in New York” transplanted to San Francisco, it wasn’t totally horrible. But there were two particular scenes where I though Keanu new standards of suck for himself. If you’ve seen the movie let me know if you agree. The first is where he’s giving the hot dog advertising pitch and just loses it. This did not ring true at all, to the point of almost being painful to watch. It had the same relation to actual acting that a paint-by-numbers Elvis on black velvet has to the Mona Lisa. The second was the immediataly following scene where he gets fired. Again, just not believable. It’s as if his elbows suddenly started bending backwards or something - this is just not how humans work. In fact he often comes across as some sort of robot that only has one inflection that must fit all situations - the only thing that ever changes is volume. It’s a good thing Charlize Theron was in it too; at least that made it watchable. And best performance? Bill and Ted. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417/23 "2001-03-02T23:42:19Z")
_A Walk in the Clouds_ is quite possibly the worse movie ever. He wasn’t even _pretending_ to act in that piece of garbage. ---
**Author:** ![Broken\_Doll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Broken\_Doll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broken_Doll)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417/24 "2001-03-03T06:00:02Z")
…the thing is, he doesn’t HAVE to act. Well, not when I’m watching him, that is. I’m too busy wiping the drool away from the corners of my mouth. But, one of my most fave movies of all time has always been B&T’s Excellent Adventure. He plays the part of dumb teen so easily. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417/25 "2001-03-03T06:35:53Z")
He has a very expressive face. He would have been great in the silent movie era. It’s just when he opens his mouth that he causes Bill&Ted flashbacks. Best non-Ted performance: _The Little Buddha_ Best film: _Much Ado About Nothing_ ---
**Author:** ![Rally\_Vincent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c37758/32.png) [@Rally\_Vincent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rally_Vincent)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417/26 "2001-03-03T06:49:59Z")
racerx, give River’s Edge a chance. Keanu Reeves is in it, but he’s not the major character. It’s an excellent movie. ---
**Author:** ![Pammipoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Pammipoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pammipoo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417/27 "2001-03-03T12:33:49Z")
The best Keanu movie/performance would have to be Speed. I live for that movie. (And for the cover-damn he looked hot there! 😉 )The Watcher was pretty good. His acting didn’t completely suck. I’ve heard The Matrix kicked ass, but I refuse to watch it, so I wouldn’t know. A Walk in the Clouds had good scenery, but the acting sucked from every actor/actress in it. Sweet November could’ve been good, but it just had such a crappy script. It just made me cringe. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417/28 "2001-03-03T20:32:56Z")
Keanu’s best Performance- Parenthood Keanu’s best Movie- The Devil’s Advocate Honestly people, the fact that you put the parts that this guy plays into his every day life is ridiculous. Come on! Joe Pesci isn’t really in the mob, is he? I always defend this guy mostly because he isn’t horrible. I mean, he’s no Tom Hanks or anything, but he’s still better than about 98% of the acting world… So give the guy a break. ---
**Author:** ![Cyndar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cyndar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyndar)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2001, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417/29 "2001-03-04T14:30:34Z")
Another vote for River’s Edge. And Permanent Record wasn’t bad either. Best movie: Dangerous Liasons. ---
**Author:** ![Chrome\_Toaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Chrome\_Toaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chrome_Toaster)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2001, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417/30 "2001-03-04T17:19:40Z")
I’m with you, **Screeme**. I can’t believe that it took so long for someone to say _Devil’s Advocate_ as the best movie with Keanu in it. I liked _Point Break_, too. Keanu’s acting was good enough not to drag down the movies and make them suck, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2001, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417/31 "2001-03-04T21:33:41Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Pammipoo …I’ve heard The Matrix kicked ass, but I refuse to watch it, so I wouldn’t know. …_ Just curious, why do you refuse to watch it, **Pammipoo**? ---
**Author:** ![Eo\_Echo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ebca7d/32.png) [@Eo\_Echo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eo_Echo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417/32 "2001-03-05T06:27:18Z")
With regard to _Devil’s Advocate,_ let’s give credit where it’s due. Keanu held his own onscreen with Al Pacino. I don’t think he could have if his acting skills were so suspect. Although I must admit I’ve long held the belief that Keanu Reeves was carved from the same tree as Al Gore. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-keanu-question-that-plagues-mankind-even-today/56417.md?page=1)