Keanu Reeves' Biggest Stunts

This transcript discusses some of the biggest stunts performed by Keanu Reeves in movies such as "John Wick 3" and "The Matrix Resurrections". The stunts include a leap off a skyscraper, a sword fight on motorcycles, and trick riding on horses.

Leap Off Skyscraper

• Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss leaped off the roof of a 43-story San Francisco skyscraper with the help of wires suspending them 550 feet off the ground.

• They practiced on body-descender cables for one month prior to shooting.

• During training, they were harnessed in at progressively higher heights.

• It took about 20 attempts before they had the right take.

Fight Scene in "The Matrix Resurrections"

• There were more moves in just this 5 ½-minute-long sequence where Neo fights off 80 Smiths than in the entire first "Matrix" movie.

• For midair moves, Keanu was attached to wires.

• More and more Smiths get added into the mix as the brawl progresses.

• On set, Keanu sometimes fought these stunt performers whose faces were later swapped out digitally with Hugo Weaving's.

• By the end of the sequence, all the Smiths are digital doubles, as is Neo.

Sword Fight on Motorcycles

• One of Keanu's biggest challenges in "John Wick 3" was this sword fight on motorcycles.

• Keanu's shots were filmed against a green screen because there were so many moving parts.

• The rigs were puppeteered by green-suit performers, who could move his motorcycle back and forth and side to side to nail this complicated bit of sword fighting.

• In the end, Image Engine painted out the green-suited extras, added some extra flourishes, and combined the action together seamlessly.

Trick Riding on Horses

• Keanu Reeves traded a motorcycle for a horse in "John Wick 3", requiring five weeks of training in trick riding.

• Keanu was attached to a custom-built rig at two points that could safely hoist him in the air while the other two cables were attached under the saddle, allowing Tad to help move the horse forward.

• It also allowed Keanu to hang off one side and then flip upright as the horse galloped up to 30 miles per hour.

Keanu Reeves' Stunts in Movies

This video discusses the stunts that Keanu Reeves performed in various movies, including "Speed," "The Matrix," and "John Wick 2."

Stunts in "Speed"

• Keanu did many of his own stunts, including defusing a bomb under a bus.

• The crew used 12 different buses for specialized stunts.

• A rubber back was added to one bus for Keanu's safety when he went under it.

• A dolly cart with brakes on the sides was built for Keanu to control his speed.

Stunts in "The Matrix"

• Keanu spent eight months learning choreography and four months training with martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping.

• He had neck surgery preventing him from practicing kicks at first.

• His stunt double was brought in for many kick moves due to his injury.

• Despite this, he still did some wire kicks on camera.

Stunts in "John Wick 2"

• Innovative ways were found to turn John Wick's car into a weapon.

• For one shot, Keanu drove the car himself with help from the stunt team.

• The motorcyclist was actually a stunt dummy being towed by a cannon-mounted motorcycle.

• Hand-to-hand combat scenes were so convincing that they didn't need to cut away to a stunt double.

Training for Stunt Performances

• For "John Wick 2," Keanu trained every day for four to five months, including judo and jujitsu refresher courses.

• He mastered three-gun training programs and practiced building speed on reloads while correcting malfunctions on the spot.

Skydiving in "Point Break"

• The skydiving scene was too dangerous to shoot for real, so the crew used cranes and boards hidden under the actors' clothes to create the illusion of flying.

Keanu Reeves' Action Scenes: From "John Wick" to "The Matrix"

This video discusses some of the action scenes in which Keanu Reeves has starred, including his roles in "47 Ronin," "John Wick," and "The Matrix."

Keanu's Sword Fighting Skills

• In 2013's "47 Ronin," Keanu learned two-handed sword fighting using a katana from his costar Hiroyuki Sanada.

• During one of the most challenging duals, he faced off against Neil Fingleton, who was a foot and a half taller than him. To compensate for this height difference, Keanu changed up his technique by going for his opponent's feet first.

Filming Action Scenes with One Camera

• Due to budget constraints on the first John Wick film, director Chad Stahelski had to shoot many action scenes with just one camera.

• The nightclub sequence in particular required longer takes and less frequent cuts, meaning that Keanu had to do more real fighting. He trained for four months in gun fu, which is a mix of martial arts and gun work.

Making Action Look Real

• For the scene where John falls off the railing in the nightclub sequence, Keanu's stunt double fell over the railing onto boxes before being attached to a wire and dropped to the floor.

• In "John Wick 4," Keanu learned how to do a reverse 180 while driving. The crew helped make this possible through flawless timing and blocking, but having an actor willing to work hard also made it feel more real.