Neo, portrayed by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix, employs a range of martial arts techniques in all four films, even though his most famous quote is “I know kung fu”. The Wachowskis’ action film series were renowned for their brilliant martial arts action, which was unusual in American cinema at the time, in addition to their surreal storylines and thought-provoking ideas.
However, keen-eyed fans may have noticed that Neo prefers punching over kicking in his battles with the agents. Have you ever wondered why, though? Well, Reeves had back surgery shortly before filming on The Matrix began in order to treat a spinal injury that was paralyzing his legs.
Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix films
As a result, the actor found kicking difficult, so he decided to focus on punching in Neo’s fight scenes.
The Matrix: Why Does Keanu Reeves’ Neo Punch More Than He Kicks?...
However, keen-eyed fans may have noticed that Neo prefers punching over kicking in his battles with the agents. Have you ever wondered why, though? Well, Reeves had back surgery shortly before filming on The Matrix began in order to treat a spinal injury that was paralyzing his legs.
Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix films
As a result, the actor found kicking difficult, so he decided to focus on punching in Neo’s fight scenes.
The Matrix: Why Does Keanu Reeves’ Neo Punch More Than He Kicks?...
- 4/1/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
Of all the current action stars, there’s likely no current draw with the expertise in fight scenes that Scott Adkins does. Not only has he starred in dozens of low-budget actioners (including the great Undisputed films), in addition to his roles in bigger films like John Wick: Chapter 4, but he also hosts an amazing YouTube show called The Art of Action, where he deconstructs fight scenes in classic movies alongside their original stars. This weekend, like many folks, Adkins decided to watch Prime Video’s Road House remake, and while he had high praise for the movie, he also criticized the use of CGI in the fight scenes.
As posted on X, “I really enjoyed Road House. Doug Liman – great job subverting genre & Gyllenhaal in amazing shape, respect! What a debut from @TheNotoriousMMA happy when a movie like this does well as it’s my bread & butter but c’mon,...
As posted on X, “I really enjoyed Road House. Doug Liman – great job subverting genre & Gyllenhaal in amazing shape, respect! What a debut from @TheNotoriousMMA happy when a movie like this does well as it’s my bread & butter but c’mon,...
- 3/24/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
With four "John Wick" movies, "The Matrix" franchise, "Constantine," and "Point Break" under his belt, Keanu Reeves is a true action star. No one — fight me on this — has a more soulful look in his eyes while absolutely physically decimating someone. It's like Reeves' characters take fights like they were blows to his emotions rather than his kidneys.
It's clear from his film choices, including his directing and starring in "Man of Tai Chi," that physicality is an important aspect of performance for Reeves. He recently spoke about it on an episode of "The Art of Action," talking about his history with movement and sports and how it allows him to explore the physicality of a character. It's something you learn in acting class (that you don't always see on screen), the idea of connecting your emotions to movement. We don't think about it during our everyday lives because it's instinctual,...
It's clear from his film choices, including his directing and starring in "Man of Tai Chi," that physicality is an important aspect of performance for Reeves. He recently spoke about it on an episode of "The Art of Action," talking about his history with movement and sports and how it allows him to explore the physicality of a character. It's something you learn in acting class (that you don't always see on screen), the idea of connecting your emotions to movement. We don't think about it during our everyday lives because it's instinctual,...
- 4/30/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Movie producers usually take out cast insurance on their stars to protect themselves and the production against potential costs, should an accident or some other unfortunate event prevent the actors from filming. Though Tom Cruise has developed a reputation for doing his own death-defying stunts — to the point where he'll even casually stand on a flying plane for a simple promo — he's the exception to the rule. Producers and studios generally don't want stars on the outside of planes, even when their role calls for it, as was the case on "Point Break."
The original "Point Break," starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves, involves a fair amount of thrill-seeking behavior, such as surfing and, yes, skydiving. Reeves plays Johnny Utah, a quarterback-turned-fbi-agent with a bad knee who infiltrates a group of mask-wearing bank robbers, the Ex-Presidents, led by Swayze's mononymous Bodhi.
It seems Swayze took up his character's penchant for jumping out of planes,...
The original "Point Break," starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves, involves a fair amount of thrill-seeking behavior, such as surfing and, yes, skydiving. Reeves plays Johnny Utah, a quarterback-turned-fbi-agent with a bad knee who infiltrates a group of mask-wearing bank robbers, the Ex-Presidents, led by Swayze's mononymous Bodhi.
It seems Swayze took up his character's penchant for jumping out of planes,...
- 4/29/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
Los Angeles, April 25 (Ians) Hollywood star Keanu Reeves didn’t tell anyone about his spinal injury so he could star in ‘The Matrix’.
The 58-year-old actor agreed to play Thomas Anderson/Neo in the 1999 sci-fi action film and recalled how he had to keep the problem secret through four months of training so he didn’t lose the part, reports aceshowbiz.com.
“I met with the Wachowskis and I loved the script, and they showed me pre-vis for bullet time which was extraordinary, and one of the things they talked about in the meeting was training in Hong Kong-style martial arts and asked if I was okay with that, and that it was over four months and I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds okay, ” Keanu said on The Art of Action podcast.
“The only problem – I was dealing with a neck issue which was getting worse, I’d spent a...
The 58-year-old actor agreed to play Thomas Anderson/Neo in the 1999 sci-fi action film and recalled how he had to keep the problem secret through four months of training so he didn’t lose the part, reports aceshowbiz.com.
“I met with the Wachowskis and I loved the script, and they showed me pre-vis for bullet time which was extraordinary, and one of the things they talked about in the meeting was training in Hong Kong-style martial arts and asked if I was okay with that, and that it was over four months and I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds okay, ” Keanu said on The Art of Action podcast.
“The only problem – I was dealing with a neck issue which was getting worse, I’d spent a...
- 4/25/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Keanu Reeves hid a spinal injury so he could star in 'The Matrix'.The 58-year-old actor accepted the role of Thomas Anderson/Neo in the 1999 sci-fi action film and recalled how he had to keep the problem secret through four months of training so he didn't lose the part.Speaking on The Art of Action podcast, Keanu said: "I met with the Wachowskis and I loved the script, and they showed me pre-vis for bullet time which was extraordinary, and one of the things they talked about in the meeting was training in Hong Kong-style martial arts and asked if I was okay with that, and that it was over four months and I was like, 'Yeah, that sounds okay.'"The only problem – I was dealing with a neck issue which was getting worse, I'd spent a couple of years fighting it off, I was getting tingling."I had...
- 4/24/2023
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
Here at JoBlo, we’re pretty massive fans of both Scott Adkins and Keanu Reeves. You can watch both men battle it out in John Wick: Chapter 4 right now, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you really are missing out on one of the great modern action flicks. In his downtime, Scott Adkins has his own show on his YouTube channel called The Art of Action, where he sits down with some of the most significant modern action stars and interviews them about their careers. What’s interesting about Adkins’ interviews is that being an action hero in his own right, he knows exactly what a physical challenge these movies can be, so he can go into the nitty-gritty of some of the most complex sequences of their careers. Adkins has interviewed almost every action star of note, and they tend to open up to Adkins in...
- 4/21/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
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