# Will Keanu Reeves be considered one of the greatest Sci. Fi. actors of all time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921 "2005-02-19T18:52:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/21 "2005-02-20T09:52:34Z")
Keanu’s great in a Chuck Heston kind of way. I don’t expect to see _Constantine_, but I’ll get back to you after _A Scanner Darkly_ comes out. I’ve been waiting for this movie through ten years of development hell. It’s great science fiction. It’s a role that requires more emotional depth than the man has yet put across with any degree of success – although I’m not prepared to say that it’s because he lacks the ability. For me, this is his make-or-break role. If it works, he’ll have my eternal respect and admiration. If it doesn’t, he’s dead to me. Dead, I say. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/22 "2005-02-20T10:24:24Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > Frankly, I think Keanu will never top “Neo”. He is on his way out. Take this in comparison to Shia La Beuf (who seems to be on the up and up). This seems to be the passing of the torch of acting. Shia La Whothefuck? There seems to be quite a bit of ‘He is a popular actor that stars in profitable films, ergo, he sucks’ going on around here. Keanu is a fine actor that has been in many fine movies. Yes, he is no Burt Reynolds, but still, an off-the-top-of-my-head list of some of his better movies: Speed The Devil’s Advocate Point Break Matrix More Matrix Even Matrix-ier Dracula Some enjoyable movies there, unless one is of the art-house only bent, and doesn’t like movies that gross more than $37.42. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/23 "2005-02-20T10:53:42Z")
I think, far more likely he will be considered one of the prettiest pieces of lumber, EVER. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/24 "2005-02-20T11:09:04Z")
> [@Duderdude2](#): > > I don’t know if he’ll be considered a great, but I do think the amount of negativity about his acting is well overblown. That’s interesting. I don’t think the negativity about his acting is overblown at all. In fact, I think he’s even worse than his (very poor) reputation. I have never, ever seen a professional actor in a Hollywood film as bad as Reeves. He has an appealing look, he comes across as a nice guy, and he was perfect for **Bill and Ted** , but he really can not act at all. Which wouldn’t be so bad, but he never gets any better. In parts of \*\*The Matrix \*\* he was almost passable, but the film itself wasn’t very good so it didn’t do much for his rep (for me). In short. No. No way will he ever be considered among the greater Sci Fi actors. Please don’t jump on me for my opinion. It is not an exaggeration. He really, really is that bad (IMO). I think people want to say that he isn’t that bad just to cut the guy some slack or just to be counter to the prevaling public opinon. But in this case, the prevaling opinion is correct (maybe even a little generous, but basically correct). ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Gutgore\_Blooddrink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Captain\_Gutgore\_Blooddrink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Gutgore_Blooddrink)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/25 "2005-02-20T15:11:50Z")
I know it’s been said many times, many ways… wait… Oh yeah. If Keanu goes down as anything, he’ll be the mediocre actor with an uncanny ability to choose good/popular movies. Almost everything he’s been in has either been a blockbuster, or gained cult status. Not to be confused with people like Johnny Depp, who can make a crappy script into a fantastic movie by being on screen. Cap’n GG BD ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/26 "2005-02-20T15:42:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Let me restate: I am trying to get the opinion of Sci. Fi. fans. I have no idea how these fans feel about Keanu and his acting in the Sci. Fi. films he has appeared in. I am not a hardcore Sci. Fi. fan, nor do I really know any in my immediate circle of friends. I figured if I wanted to get someone else’s viewpoint, then this was the place to ask. I don’t want to know if you think he is a good actor in general, but rather do you think he will be considered a great sci. fi. actor. Real science fiction fans usually don’t refer to it as sci-fi, or Sci. Fi. as you’re calling it. We’ll call it science fiction, or specfic (speculative fiction), or SF. Usually SF. To me, and to many other SF/fantasy fans, sci-fi means bad fiction, written with little or no understanding of science, by someone who has no clue. For instance, if you see a book called _Revenge of the Antmen_, it’s almost certain to be very bad, and to be sci-fi. It’s possible, however, that it’s another _Bimbos of the Death Sun_, which isn’t sci-fi at all, but in fact a very good and funny mystery which takes place at a science fiction convention. There are very, very few movies which I would consider to be good science fiction or fantasy. Most fantasy/SF movies have plots that were old and outdated 50 years ago, and they have not really brought any new twists to those plots. Reeves is not a very good actor. When I watch him, I am very concious that I am watching an actor playing a role. I don’t find him believable at all. Nor do I find him that good looking, and am puzzled by those who do. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/27 "2005-02-20T15:53:16Z")
No. Not the greatest. But, I did predict after the first Matrix movie that he would never make a “normal” film again. Whether it’s type casting or him choosing weird and uncanny vehicles, I’m torn between. Perhaps a little of both. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/28 "2005-02-20T18:18:24Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > Real science fiction fans usually don’t refer to it as sci-fi, or Sci. Fi. as you’re calling it. We’ll call it science fiction, or specfic (speculative fiction), or SF. Usually SF. To me, and to many other SF/fantasy fans, sci-fi means bad fiction, written with little or no understanding of science, by someone who has no clue. Which is exactly why sci fi is the proper derogatory word for drek like the Matrix. Most people in the field do in fact use “sci fi” to differentiate the movies that are sold to the public as science fiction from the real literature of the field. As I noted in other threads, the very few movies that can truly be called science fiction are never referred to as such in any marketing, because the crap movies have so devalued the phrase. These good movies include Being John Malcovich, The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. By this criterion, Jim Carrey is the great actor of science fiction movies, although you will surely never see him or any of his publicists say this in public. Even Charlie Kaufman keeps disavowing the term. > [@I Love Me](#): > > I have never, ever seen a professional actor in a Hollywood film as bad as Reeves. You would have to qualify this by saying in a Hollywood film. I was going to say that compared to Elisabeth Rohm, Reeves is Laurence friggin’ Olivier. But wait: Rohm has made Miss Congeniality 2, so big screen evidence of her woodenness is on the way! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/29 "2005-02-20T18:18:25Z")
He will certainly be remembered for his work in various science fiction films, but I don’t think he’ll be remembered as a good actor. In fact, I can think of very few good actors who work primarily in SF (Sigourney Weaver is the only one who comes to mind). Most of the good actors in SF films have a very broad range, like Alan Rickman, or Ian McKellan (both of whom are better known for non-SF works). ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/30 "2005-02-20T19:15:28Z")
It’s kinda weird that the guy is 40 now and still hasn’t really developed a distinct personality on-screen. I’m thinking here of a comparison to someone like Bruce Willis, who always gave a personal edge to his action/sci-fi/fantasy characters (I won’t even try to define the genres). It could be something which works in his favor, over-acting is usually more annoying than blandness. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/31 "2005-02-20T19:37:28Z")
I will confess to not being a Keanu Reeves fan, and therefore have not seen all the movies in his filmography, this notwithstanding the suggestion above from **astro** that women adore him. Of the movies that I’ve seen, the ones that I’ve found him tolerable ( **Speed, The Matrix** ) are ones where the character he was portraying was an emotionally closed off character. Unfairly perhaps I would say that then his limited acting skills resembling that of, well, plywood, are not nearly so noticeable. The movies that I’ve found him intolerable in were ones requiring him to portray a more emotionally complex character. I thought he was awful, for example, in **A Walk in the Clouds**. Okay, well the movie itself wasn’t very good either, but still. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/32 "2005-02-20T22:32:00Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Keanu’s great in a Chuck Heston kind of way. > > I don’t expect to see _Constantine_, but I’ll get back to you after _A Scanner Darkly_ comes out. > > I’ve been waiting for this movie through ten years of development hell. It’s great science fiction. It’s a role that requires more emotional depth than the man has yet put across with any degree of success – although I’m not prepared to say that it’s because he lacks the ability. > > For me, this is his make-or-break role. If it works, he’ll have my eternal respect and admiration. If it doesn’t, he’s dead to me. Dead, I say. Want the T-shirt? My co-worker handed me a Large one last night… ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/33 "2005-02-20T22:38:15Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > No. Not the greatest. > > But, I did predict after the first Matrix movie that he would never make a “normal” film again. Like, say, Something’s Gotta Give? Movies like that? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/34 "2005-02-20T22:41:38Z")
> [@](#): > > The movies that I’ve found him intolerable in were ones requiring him to portray a more emotionally complex character. Or movies in which he needs to do an accent. In half of _The Devil’s Advocate_, he’s “southern” (I put it in quotes so as not to offend any southerners on the Boards), and in the other half he’s… uh… Keanu. Which is not to say I didn’t enjoy his performance. But I enjoy bad things for being bad. Keanu is great to laugh at… and, I suspect, with. I mean, really, HE should be laughing at US… after all, since he has more money, he’s better, right? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/35 "2005-02-20T22:43:45Z")
Thanks for thinking of me, **Barbarian** – I _am_ super envious. But you’ve met me. I’d look like Wee Willy Winkie in a Large t-shirt. 😃 What’s the design, out of curiousity? A Logo/Title type deal, or something more comic-frame looking? ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/36 "2005-02-21T03:43:10Z")
Count me as an “older” woman who thinks Keeanu is dreamy. It’s those exotic eyes that do it for me. I don’t care that he has the emotional range of a step ladder because just looking at him is good enough. He was most pretty, and did a decent acting job, in _My Private Id_aho. His best acting - BY FAR - was done in _Point Break_. Specifically the wet t-shirt, full THO scene. Yummy ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/37 "2005-02-21T13:37:11Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Thanks for thinking of me, **Barbarian** – I _am_ super envious. > > But you’ve met me. I’d look like Wee Willy Winkie in a Large t-shirt. 😃 > > What’s the design, out of curiousity? A Logo/Title type deal, or something more comic-frame looking? Well it’s early enough that you could put the shirt through an industrial shrinking process, or just wear it as a nightie… Although it’s not _that_ big-- Canadian Large rather than American Large. The shirt is black, and the logo takes up a good chunk of the front. It’s a cartoonish, evil-looking Keanu, with some vertical video breakup. Under the picture is a red line of “computer” text saying Crew and A Scanner Darkly. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/38 "2005-02-21T13:52:05Z")
H’okay, that’s tickling my nerd-buds. Can I buy it from you? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/39 "2005-02-21T14:24:22Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Keanu is a fine actor that has been in many fine movies. Yes, he is no Burt Reynolds… I’m sorry. But if the best that can be said is ‘He’s no Burt Reynolds’ then standards shrunk greatly while I was away. That’s like saying ‘Well, it’s no Dodge Neon but it’s still a good car’. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921/40 "2005-02-21T15:34:41Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > H’okay, that’s tickling my nerd-buds. Can I buy it from you? No. Send me an email with your address and I’ll ship it to you _gratis_. As for Burt Reynolds-- he’s just Sean Connery with an inferior agent 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-keanu-reeves-be-considered-one-of-the-greatest-sci-fi-actors-of-all-time/290921.md?page=3)