Saturday, May 23, 2009

Keanu Reeves shits all over sci-fi. Again.

Universal Studios has apparently decided that we need another remake of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. And they have decided that Keanu fucking Reeves is the man for the title role(s).


Now... I'm going to come out and admit that I despise Reeves. It's true that he's done some movies I enjoy (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, the original Matrix) but he's ruined several others I would've enjoyed (A Scanner Darkly, The Day the Earth Stood Still, possibly Constantine). He is not a good actor, and I don't understand how he still gets work.


But I have a theory...


Science fiction has never received the respect it deserves—not in any medium. Therefor, no studio is going to waste the time, money, and talent required to find really good actors. Instead, they're going to look for the sci-fi niche actors, the ones who spring immediately to mind. And, after The Matrix, that's Keanu.


Never mind that he worked as Neo specifically because he was supposed to be sort of lost and bemused the entire time. Never mind that what made that movie special was the Wachowskis' killer idea, truckloads of unique* style, and the utter bad-assness of Laurence Fishburne. Keanu was the leading man of a madly successful science fiction movie, and thus he's a go-to guy for science fiction leading men.


I'm not claiming it's some sort of conspiracy to marginalize sci-fi or anything like that; rather it's the result of sci-fi having already been marginalized because too many people can't be bothered to take it seriously.


Or it could be bunnies.


* Unique for the time. I'm aware that the whole black-leather-and-trenchcoat bit has been done to death since (and admittedly wasn't exactly new then) but it seemed fresh at the time.

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