Stars: Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Will Forte
Storyline
Friends hatch a plot to retrieve a stolen kitten by posing as drug dealers for a street gang.
Writers: Jordan Peele, Alex Rubens, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Will Forte, Keegan-Michael Key, Will Forte, Nia Long, Jordan Peele, Jason Mitchell, Luis Guzmán, Method Man, Rob Huebel, Tiffany Haddish, Madison Wolfe, Hedy Rose Kraft, Starlette Miariaunii, Dennise Renae Larson, Sam Medina, Nadiyah Skyy Taylor, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Cast: Keegan-Michael Key -
Will Forte -
Nia Long -
Jordan Peele -
Jason Mitchell -
Bud
Luis Guzmán -
Bacon
Method Man -
Rob Huebel -
Spencer
Tiffany Haddish -
Hi-C
Madison Wolfe -
Alexis
Hedy Rose Kraft -
Cartel Bikini Girl
Starlette Miariaunii -
Gamer girl
Dennise Renae Larson -
Waitress
Sam Medina -
Cartel Leader
Nadiyah Skyy Taylor -
Galaxy
Trivia:
According to Jordan Peele, seven cats and kittens were used as the title character. See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 7/10
Key and Peele have established themselves with their show as two of the
leaders of small screen comedy. Their brand of comedy pokes fun at
stereotypes and generic film tropes, with heavy influences from the
cinema world. Their skits are often cinematic and ridiculous, but in
the best kinds of way. Now, they carry that over to an actual movie and
the results are often times hilarious. While not always successful,
when they are, Keanu is laugh out loud funny. With huge influences from
traditional cinema, ranging from romantic comedy to 80's action, Keanu
covers a range of genres, providing that same ridiculous kind of comedy
fans are used to.
The film kicks off with a bang, delivering a stylish opening action
scene that introduces us to the titular Keanu, a cute-beyond-words
kitten that you immediately fall in love with. We're then introduced to
our dynamic duo, Rell, a man-child lacking direction in his life who
has recently lost his girlfriend, and Clarence, the straight arrow of
the two who is happily married, but is so caught up in trying to please
everyone else, he never takes time for himself. Once Keanu enters the
picture, the two find themselves spiraling downward into a world of
gang warfare, crime, and mistaken identity, all in pursuit of
retrieving the adorable little Keanu.
If you've seen Key & Peele, the humor here will feel familiar. Working
under the show's director, Peter Atencio, and with Peele in the
writer's seat, all have a firm grasp of how to craft cinema and then
skewer it. Both characters constantly feel out of place while at the
same time handling themselves well, and much of the comedy comes from
both the familiar fish out of water story and some surprises. What
helps is that the film never really feels forced. Our heroes never feel
too unnatural in their actions, though it is slightly mystifying that
they are continuously believed to be tougher than they actually are.
The action is well done too, with it feeling like it wouldn't be out of
place in an action movie. And Keanu replacing what would be a person in
distress makes for a hilarious spoof on traditional damsel- in-distress
type tropes. Our villains also fare well, with one particular hilarious
scene seeing Clarence bond with other gangsters over George Michael
music.
As stated above, not every joke works, with several falling flat or
getting little more than a chuckle, but more often than not the movie
knows when to end a joke or just what to do to surprise or make the
audience laugh. It also helps to know movies well to catch several of
the references or tropes. Where the film could have made many missteps,
it makes wise decisions in terms of balancing comedy, action, and drama
and knows when it's comedy may be going too far and for too long. I
often wondered if Key and Peele would take their comedy to the film
world, as they have always clearly loved movies, and now that they've
finally done so, they have delivered. Not a perfect comedy, but a very
funny one and shows that the two have promise for a future in the
cinema world. It's my hope that Keanu is just the beginning for these
two.
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