Welcome back to 'Movie Star Memories'. Every fortnight I'll decide on a star and write a short synopsis about them, what I thought of them and the movies they starred in, what I suggest you watch to understand why I like this person and whether I think they'll get better or worse. This time I'm going to focus on Keanu Reeves. If you'd like to see someone get the 'Movie Star Memories' treatment then mention their name below or email me. Onto the memories...

For anyone who's been living under a rock I'll give you a brief introduction to Keanu. Born in Canada in 1964, Keanu made his first TV appearance in 1982 as co-host of a television series called 'Going Great'. His career really took off when he starred in a 1989 hit comedy film. Reeves' career may have taken off thanks to his comedy role but he has acted in many different genres. Reeves' is now more well known for playing action hero type characters who make the ladies swoon.

Before 1989 I'm guessing that most people had never heard the name Keanu Reeves. Although Reeves had a part in 'Dangerous Liaisons' released in 1988 it was his role as Ted Logan in 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure' that catapulted him to stardom. Bill Preston & Ted Logan are doomed to flunk out of school unless they can ace their history report. Ted's father has threatened to send Ted to military school in Alaska if Ted flunks which would put and end to Ted & Bill's rock band, Wyld Stallions. Step forward Rufus, a mystery guy from the future, a future where society is based around the music of Wyld Stallions. Rufus gives Bill & Ted a time travelling phone booth and sends them back in time to get some historical figures to help them with their history report. All sorts of hilarious capers ensue as Bill & Ted travel through time.

Why is 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure' so good?? Mainly it's the language and actions used by Bill & Ted. "Excellent *air guitar*" is just one of the many well known quotes from this film as well as "Party on dude!". It's a fun no-brainer film which, although almost 15 years old, is still funny today. If you've not seen this film, stop reading this, get out there and buy a copy..you won't regret it.

The success of 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure' gave Reeves the chance at some more starring roles. In 1991 3 films were released which gave Reeves a chance to show his different acting style. First off was the sequel to Bill & Ted called 'Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey'. In much the same vein as the original this sequel is really funny but Reeves was in danger of becoming typecast as the dopey comedy guy. 'My Own Private Idaho' was Reeves attempt to combat this typecasting.

Reeves played Scott Favor the rebellious son of a high-ranking family. Scott and his friend Mike live on the streets of Seattle, doing drugs and selling themselves to both men and women alike. I've never seen this film and for some reason it just doesn't appeal to me. From what I've read it sounds quite interesting and if you wanted to see a different side of Reeves as an actor then I would watch this.

1991 also saw the release of another film and one which I feel shows the progress in the career of Keanu Reeves, 'Point Break'. Reeves plays FBI agent Johnny Utah an all action guy who has some of that "coolness" that Ted Logan has in the Bill & Ted films. Utah is sent undercover to try and infiltrate a gang of bank robbers calling themselves The ExPresidents. The FBI deduce that the robbers are surfers so send Utah to the beach to try and find them while being watched over by his older partner played by Gary Busey. Reeves plays the role of Utah well but you are still left with that feeling of deja-vu, I still think of Utah as Ted Logan with a gun

1992 & 1993 saw Reeves trade comedy for more serious roles. Firstly as Jonathan Harker in the brilliant 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' then a shot at Shakespeare in Kenneth Branagh's 'Much Ado About Nothing'. 1994 saw Reeves return to the action movie genre in the film 'Speed'

'Speed' was arguably the best film released in 1994 and Reeves had at last managed to ditch the ghost of Ted Logan. Unlike Point Break, ReevesÂ’ character doesn't come across as a harder version of Ted. There is a lot of comedy in the film but the character of Jack Traven comes across as cocky and self-assured and lacks the geekiness of Ted. 'Speed' is the story of a bomb on a bus. The bus isn't allowed to drop below 80 Km/Hour or the bomb will explode. Lt Jack Traven is forced to get on the bus by the bomber who wants revenge for Jack's part in foiling his last bombing. A very entertaining film, a sequel was made which Reeves decided not to star in (supposedly for the reason that he was afraid of being typecast again). It was a good call as 'Speed 2: Cruise Control' was a massive flop.

Reeves attempted to capitalise on his new found action star status and starred in the films 'Johnny Mnemonic' and 'Chain Reaction'. Although both are watchable they lack that killer edge which would make them blockbuster films. After what were regarded as flops by the studios, Reeves then reverted to dramatic roles in 'Feeling Minnesota' and 'The Devils Advocate' in attempt to regain the credibility he'd gained in 1992/1993 from 'Bram Stokers Dracula' & 'Much Ado About Nothing'. It would be 2 years before Reeves starred in another film but when he did it would be in one of the most talked about films of the decade.

'The Matrix'.... what can I say about 'The Matrix'. Reeves plays Neo, a computer hacker, who is contacted by the mysterious Morpheus and offered the chance to see what the world really is, a barren ruin where humans are plugged into a computer simulation and used as living batteries for machines. Neo is a totally different character for Reeves and once again I feel that Reeves will have found himself typecast. If you asked anyone nowadays to name one character that Keanu Reeves played they'll most likely say Neo. Ask them before 1999 and they'd probably have said Ted Logan. The Matrix is a good film with an interesting premise and Reeves does well in his role. He followed the Matrix up with films like 'The Watcher' and 'The Gift' all roles that take him away from his action persona and ultimately fail to deliver. He also reprised his role as Neo for both sequels 'The Matrix: Reloaded' and 'The Matrix: Revolutions'.

To summarise I feel that some of ReevesÂ’ best work was as Ted Logan and in the films 'Speed', 'Point Break' and grudgingly 'The Matrix'. All these films have one thing in common though, Reeves is not the "star" of these movies but either shares the spotlight or is part of an ensemble cast. It's been shown that people won't watch a movie starring Keanu Reeves but that he sparkles as part of a good cast. Perhaps that is because of his choice of projects. Films that he has been expected to carry have suffered from poor scripts or have had limited appeal. I'd like to see Reeves attempt an action film where he is the star but I doubt it'll happen.

Films I'd recommend watching to see Keanu Reeves in action are both 'Bill & Ted..' films, 'Point Break', 'Speed', 'Bram Stokers Dracula' and 'The Matrix'

Hope you've enjoyed reading this and let me know what you think.