When I think of sci-fi movie actors, the first person that comes to mind is Keanu Reeves. It may be surprising, but I think he is the very person who has been loved by sci-fi movies. First of all, his first hit starring role was the sci-fi comedy "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure."
Director: Stephen Herek / Released in 1989 / Two California high school students embark on a fantastical adventure using a telephone booth-shaped time machine. "Keanu Reeves, who would later be praised for his cool and restrained acting, expresses emotion with his entire body in this exceptional film. The air guitar performance by the main characters is also known for creating a subsequent boom."
His career as a star actor actually began with science fiction. Then came "Speed," which made Keanu's name known all over the world. Though not a science fiction film, it was an important work that shaped his career from then on. It was here that he was recognized as an actor capable of serious action, and also skilled at cool, restrained acting. These two characteristics are the key factors that connect Keanu to science fiction.
It goes without saying that action is important in science fiction films, but a certain mysticism is also important. What supported the appeal of films such as "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Contact" was the spiritual and mystical setting and direction at the edge of science. Keanu's restrained acting fits perfectly into this.
Also, as the son of a Chinese-Hawaiian grandmother, he has said on a TV program that he has always treasured his Asian identity, and indeed he has a somewhat Asian vibe about him. The name Keanu also means "cool breeze from the mountaintop" in the Hawaiian language, giving him an oriental, Zen-like image. This mysticism is probably why he was offered the role of Buddha in "Little Buddha."
His mysticism is expressed in his science fiction work, "JM." It is based on the short story "Johnny Memory Keeper" by William Gibson. Gibson is also known for his cyberpunk masterpiece, "Neuromancer." The opening scene, which begins in Chiba City, is particularly memorable.
Director: Robert Longo / Released in 1995 / Based on the short story "Johnny Memory Keeper" by William Gibson, the father of cyberpunk. Set in the world of 2021, the film depicts the exploits of a courier of classified information who has a chip implanted in his brain. "Science fiction is difficult to adapt into a film. With budgetary and technical issues, it's hard to capture a wide range of scenes. It's not a bad film, but you can sense the struggles that went into it."
Since the story is set in Japan and Asia, an oriental element was necessary, so it could be said that his appearance was inevitable. He gradually promoted the image of Keanu Reeves as a good match for science fiction and, above all, cyberpunk.
Another feature of the series is its authentic action, which can be said to be the main engine behind films like "The Matrix" and "John Wick." "The Matrix" incorporates martial arts-like movements, and is said to have influenced the later action film "Rebellion."
In this film, the main character, Christian Bale, dressed in black with his bangs pulled up, uses a martial art called Gun-Kata. Gun-Kata is a fictional combat technique that combines two pistols with Eastern martial arts. This Asian combination is also connected to the gun-fu action in "John Wick," which mixes shooting and kung fu.
To begin with, "John Wick" is not generally considered science fiction, but with some overlapping casting with "The Matrix," such as Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus, it can be said that the lineages of Keanu, science fiction, and oriental action can be connected like a constellation.
The Matrix
Director: Lana and Lilly Wachowski / Released in 1999 / One day, Neo, a skilled hacker, receives a mysterious message and is led into a virtual reality world. "Not only is the action sharp and the introduction of bullet time impressive, but the visuals are also successful. They must have carefully calculated where to allocate funds to make the virtual reality space look best when filming it."
John Wick
Director: Chad Stahelski / Released in 2014 / After his puppy, the final gift from his late wife, is killed, John returns to his assassination spree in search of revenge. "When the film was first released, I never imagined it would become a popular series that would continue for 10 years. Despite the budget being far from generous, the cartoon-like direction shines through. The film's appeal lies in its powerful action, rather than its sharpness."
The reason why our Keanu is like us is because of his oriental mysticism and savior-like qualities.
Come to think of it, he has publicly stated that he learned action from the films of Sonny Chiba (Chiba Shinichi) that he watched as a child, which once again gives us a strong sense of his connection with Eastern mysticism as seen from a Western perspective.
There are some actors who, like the protagonists of "Harry Potter" and "Star Wars," become associated with their past work because of their success, but that's not the case with Keanu.
When I thought about why, the image of a "savior" that is common to the characters he has played came to mind. "Little Buddha" is a literal example of this, and Neo from "The Matrix" is often spoken of as being similar to Christ. If we think of a savior as someone beyond human understanding, then we can also apply the existence of "John Wick" to an object of awe, someone whose thoughts are impossible to imagine.
Looking at his upbringing, he was born in Lebanon and raised in Canada. He seems to have traveled around the world with his designer mother for a time, which seems like a pilgrimage. His own suffering overlaps with the savior-like characters he has played, so it's no wonder he's so unwavering.
The numerous saintly anecdotes that reveal his personality and the way he walks around town in casual clothes further amplify his messianic image. This is probably where the positive internet memes and "our Keanu" vibes come from.
Action, mystery, a sense of salvation. These characteristics are perfectly embodied in the masterpiece game "Cyberpunk 2077," in which he plays the character Johnny Silverhand. It can also be seen as a 25-year-old answer to "JM," which already depicted the cyberpunk = Keanu Reeves equation in the 1990s.
Developed by CD PROJEKT RED / Released in 2020 / An open-world action game where you control the protagonist V and experience a highly flexible adventure in the futuristic city of Night City. "The cityscape is adorned with dazzling neon lights and corporate advertisements. I think this is a masterpiece that visually expresses for the first time the charm of a cyberpunk city that has not been fully portrayed in films until now."
In recent years, Keanu Reeves has been active not only as an actor, but also as a writer, working on the comic "BRZRKR (Berserker)." This is a sci-fi work starring a half-god, half-human immortal warrior, and the setting and visuals are just like Keanu Reeves. Netflix has already acquired the film rights, and he is apparently co-writing a spin-off novel.
Keanu Reeves has been loved by science fiction writers of all eras. His presence is aptly expressed in an essay titled "A Hero of True Things" that Gibson contributed to the pamphlet for "The Matrix." I was surprised to learn that such a great director had written something like this. I'll leave it here for now.
"Keanu Reeves' Neo is my absolute favorite sci-fi hero. Without reservation."
Director: Richard Linklater / Released in 2006 / Produced using rotoscoping, a method of tracing live-action footage. In a society where the drug "Substance D" is rampant, a narcotics investigator infiltrates a network to conduct an investigation. "The original work is 'A Scanner Darkly' by Philip K. Dick, who also wrote the original work for the cyberpunk masterpiece 'Blade Runner'."
Keanu Reeves' masterpiece timeline
