I like Keanu Reeves’ performances more often than not. Yeah, the Matrix and John Wick actor possibly doesn’t have an enormous vary when it comes to performing kinds, however his considerably soulful, generally flat supply can work for a myriad of roles. He’s efficiently performed the stoic main man in movies just like the aforementioned Matrix and John Wick, and extra comedic roles that play into his goofier facet, like Invoice & Ted or when he performed a fictionalized model of himself in At all times Be My Possibly. Typically it doesn’t all the time translate, and also you get tough performances like his position within the romantic drama The Lake Home or the much-maligned serial killer film The Watcher, which received him a Worst Supporting Actor nomination on the Razzies in 2000. Reeves has a selected set of expertise that when utilized properly can actually shine. However my god, I do know he’s able to higher than he provides within the Sonic X Shadow Generations DLC commemorating the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film.
Shadow Generations, the black-and-red hedgehog’s glorious marketing campaign that runs parallel to the unique Sonic Generations, acquired a free replace to advertise the brand new film launching on December 20. It features a new degree based mostly on the movie’s depiction of Tokyo, and has Shadow transported to this different dimension, and turning into a brand new kind: Reeves’ model of the character from the movie. His mannequin modifications, however extra importantly, so does his voice. Reeves voices the hedgehog for the extent, together with all of the grunts when he jumps and assaults, and his interior monologue. I used to be excited to get a sneak-peek at what Reeves may sound like taking part in Shadow within the film, however his supply within the Tokyo degree reaches “That Wizard got here from the moon” ranges of stilted.
There are many causes this could occur. Reeves is a proficient actor, however I think about that as an actual A-lister, his time might be not low cost. As such, I don’t think about there have been quite a lot of recorded takes for Reeves’ strains. I had the identical suspicions towards the Knuckles Paramount+ collection, which Idris Elba’s Knuckles is notably absent from for lengthy stretches of time. Whereas the live-action Sonic collection works with a number of the greatest names in Hollywood utilizing Paramount cash, it’s by no means going to have the ability to spend that form of money on the video games—a method you possibly can lower down on cash spent is by reducing down recording classes. I might not be stunned if Reeves recorded his strains for the Shadow Generations DLC in a single session, presumably a fast additional whereas he was within the sales space.
For instance, take this line from Shadow’s interior monologue throughout the Tokyo degree: “A ravishing metropolis. It seems to be like how Maria described the Earth.” Pushing apart that that is already an ungainly sentence, the way in which this line is delivered in some way sounds each prefer it might have been spliced collectively from a few totally different takes or it was Keanu’s first and solely crack at it simply as he was studying the strains. The awkward pauses, the disjointed inflections—Reeves has delivered higher line reads than this.
This isn’t the primary time Reeves has given janky performances in video video games. His position as Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077 extends all through the entire open-world RPG, and anybody who has to learn 1000’s of strains for a online game could have a spot in high quality from their greatest and worst days within the studio. However I hear these strains in Shadow Generations and surprise simply how a lot time Reeves spent studying this script. I can’t think about Sega having lots to work with if these have been the takes they put within the recreation. Ultimately, the DLC is free and I’ll by no means complain about having extra Shadow Generations, however I’m glad to listen to individuals got here away extra impressed by his work in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 than I used to be on this new degree.