Review! Keanu

Keanu (2016) Directed by Peter Atencio. Starring: Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Tiffany Haddish. IMDB says “Friends hatch a plot to retrieve a stolen kitten by posing as drug dealers for a street gang.”



Like many, I wasn’t aware of Key and Peele until I saw the ‘Substitute Teacher’ sketch. They had my curiosity, but they got my attention with the ‘East/West College Bowl’ sketch. I was hooked and I searched for more. The more I watched, the more I loved their comedy. So when they announced they had a movie in the works, I was sold. I didn’t care what it was about, I just knew I was going. But when I saw the trailers, I had some reservations. I didn’t know if we’d get an actual movie or if we’d get something that looked like a movie, but felt like one long drawn out sketch. Thankfully, Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael-Key deliver a well-balanced film that is both parts absurdly goofy and subtly satiric.

The film is about Rell (Peele) and he’s just broken up with his girlfriend. Heartbroken, he happens upon a kitten he names Keanu. With a renewed sense of purpose, Rell begins to turn his life around. That is, until Keanu is kidnapped. Rell enlists the help of his cousin, Clarence (Key) and the two enter a dangerous world realizing they are way over their heads. The movie is really really funny. The movie is so funny, it takes a joke that should be the epitome of beating a dead horse and nearly turns it into an existential subplot. You should be tired of this joke, but the more it happens, the sillier and more hilarious it becomes. Meanwhile, the film satirizes action movie tropes while quietly parodying films like John Wick and Boondock Saints to the point where you don’t realize it’s happening until after it’s happened.

The cast is rounded out by Will Forte (a dreaded up drug dealer named Hulka), Method Man (Gang leader Cheddar (not to be confused with Calvin “Cheese” Wagstaff)), and small parts here and there from Rob Huebel, Nia Long, Tiffany Haddish, Jason Mitchell, and surprising cameos that, well, they’re surprising. But really the focus is on Key and Peele who just absolutely nail their characters, delivering performances that feel like an amalgamation of characters from their show; which is a good thing. But that could be a bad thing for some. If you’re not a fan of the Key and Peele program, then you might not like the film. Much like their show, the film rides the fine line of silly and stupid, but for me, they stick the landing with nearly every joke. I definitely recommend seeing this film in theatres. In a sea of superhero movies and animated adventures, Keanu provides a much needed laugh break.

FTS SCORE: 79%