Chow Yun Fat vs. Keanu Reeves
 

There can be no doubt that these two men revolutionized the action-genre.

Both heavily contributed to the popularization of "gun-fu", the trench coat, sunglasses, slow-motion, and dual-wielding firearms. And with John Wick 3 further expanding the "heroic bloodshed" genre that Yun-Fat started, this question seems rather apt.

But which action hero has made a bigger impact with audiences, critics, and culture?

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Keanu wins by number of movies I like/love;
Point Break, Matrix, Speed, Bill&Ted x2, Dracula, John Wick x2, Street Kings, Devils Advocate, Constantine, Sweet November.
(Also, word on the street is, he is a cool dude irl)

Chow;
Hard Boiled, Killers, Crouching Tiger, The Corruptor, God of Gamblers, Replacement Killers, Better Tomorrow.

Re: Chow Yun Fat vs. Keanu Reeves
 

If the question is about which one made the bigger impact, I think Reeves wins by default as he's had the Hollywood machine behind him for decades, whereas Chow is a major Hong Kong star who never quite made the jump to Hollywood - the most high-profile gig he had in a Western film was as a secondary villain in a Pirates of the Caribbean sequel. That is not to discount how his prime Hong Kong output had influenced a variety of filmmakers, including those who worked with Reeves on some of his best action films.

Good point. Many of the most influential Western cultural phenonmenon (such as the Matrix series, Tarantino's output, the Max Payne videogames, and countless other action films) are indeed influenced by Chow Yun Fat to some extent even if Western culture doesn't know it. So based on this, it's pretty difficult to decide for me

I believe that Tarantino did directly give a credit to Chow Yun Fat as inspiration in Reservoir Dogs. And his shootouts as seen in Django Unchained are almost directly taken from the massive final battles in Hong Kong thrillers.

Re: Chow Yun Fat vs. Keanu Reeves
 

Chow Yun Fat never mastered an English accent just to fight Dracula. +1 for Keanu!!!!

Re: Chow Yun Fat vs. Keanu Reeves
 

In the interest of fairness, I assessed Reeves based on his action output.

Eh. Morpheus as Othello, now that's something.

In all seriousness, Chow Yun Fat did learn Mandarin Chinese for CTHD and English for Bulletproof Monk and PC: At World's End.

I have to vote Keanu because my Chow Yun Fat viewing is limited.

I think I've seen none of his "classics" and just his lower range stuff like Pirates of the Caribbean, The Replacement Killers, The Corruptor, Bullet-Proof Monk.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon I saw as well.

Re: Chow Yun Fat vs. Keanu Reeves
 

I think I will have to go with Reeves. Reeves has more charisma as an action star. Chow's acting is actually good, but his look is a bit off. I read that in Hong Kong, he was considered to be the Asian Cary Grant. I think this is a fair comparison, cause he looks like a Cary Grant type when firing shotguns and Uzis and all that, and it's hard to see Cary Grant doing that, the most convincingly. But he is still a good actor nonetheless, especially in the non action scenes, when he has to show emotion.

Re: Chow Yun Fat vs. Keanu Reeves
 

American popularity or influence? Would there be a Keanu Gun-fu without Chow Yun Fat in Chinese action?

I do agree that Keanu looks the part more, but when he has to play a charisma type it comes off as campy for me. I prefer him much as the 'stoic badass" such as Neo and John Wick.

Honestly, a lot of what made Chow Yun-Fat iconic was not in his ability to play the role competently (which he did) but in John Woo's ability to deliver rocket-fuel action.