A Fun Keanu Reeves Movie Is Coming To Netflix
Although it may not been a hit for critics, a fun Keanu Reeves movie is making its way to Netflix on March 1st. Be on the lookout for one of his most beloved comedies.
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Keanu Reeves is beloved by all, and with that, most of his movies are appreciated in the same manner. Netflix has revealed their upcoming releases, and a fun Reeves movie is returning to the streaming platform on March 1st. That movie is The Replacements. While The Replacements is nowhere near at the top of the list for some of his best work, it has achieved a cult following throughout the years. The audience rating for this film is much higher than the critics, which is usually the case for most comedies. Reeves truly shines as a football player.
The Replacements was released in 2000 and follows retired quarterback, Shane Falco (Keanu Reeves), as he is given the chance to lead another team into glory. The team is run by McGinty (Gene Hackman), who was once a prominent head coach. Together, Falco and McGinty create a team of “scabs” who are attempting to secure one more shot at a championship while the starting players are on strike. The film is loosely based on the NFL strike that took place in 1987. The Washington Redskins went on to win all three of their replacement games and won Super Bowl XXII without any of their actual starting team. Not a bad premise for a sports comedy. The beef between Shane Falco and Eddie Martel is said to mirror the real-life feud between the Redskins quarterbacks, Doug Williams, and Jay Schroeder.
The Replacements has a dynamic cast that stars alongside Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman, and Jon Favreau. Keith David, Faizon Love, Brooke Langton, Rhys Ifans, David Denman, and Brett Cullen help to round out this true ensemble cast of misfit football players and pros. Even the legendary Pat Summerall and John Madden make an appearance in the film. Summerall and Madden are arguably the greatest NFL sportscasting duo of all time. All these elements were blended into one of the most well-received football movies that have ever been created.
This Keanu Reeves sports film was seen as a box office disaster. The budget was $50.1 million and the total worldwide box office numbers were just over $50 million. However, The Replacements gained much more of a cult following throughout the years. Many consider it to be one of the best roles in which Jon Favreau has been in, as he plays the Daniel Bateman. Danny is a wildman that goes off the handle whenever he is placed in a situation where there is tension involved. Sometimes he can’t even separate now tackling his own quarterback when he’s wearing a red “no contact” jersey in practice. That jersey signifies that a player must not be hit at all. The film currently holds a 44% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a slightly higher 66% audience rating.
While Keanu Reeves has appeared in far better-received films through the years, The Replacements still stands as one of his best comedies. Apart from the higher score on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences gave the film an “A-” on CinemaScore. While these rating systems are mostly subjective, the film is still talked about in the best light among movie fans. The Replacements is also arguably one of the best sports movies ever made. It has certainly appeared in plenty of lists. While we understand that these lists are certainly subjective, they still hold some merit. StudioBinder has The Replacements as #9 on their list of the “20 best football movies of all-time.” Everyone loves a good comeback story, and this comedy is chock full of that.
While The Replacements never gained critical success and was clearly a box office flop, it gained favor among football fans, comedy fans, and fans of Keanu Reeves. It truly stays in the conversation for entertaining movies for most sports fans as well. While it doesn’t seem that 2000 was that long ago, it’s been 22 years since this Reeves-led comedy has graced our screens. Now is the time to revisit a more rare performance by the man, since our latest offerings have been John Wick and The Matrix: Resurrections. The Replacements may not contain tons of guns and action, but it does have more heart than the critics give it credit for. The Replacements starts streaming on Netflix on March 1st.
