Keanu (2016)

Review

100min

Genre:       Action, Comedy

Director:    Peter Atencio

Cast:         Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Tiffany Haddish…more

Writers:     Jordan Peele, Alex Rubens

-Synopsis-

A pair of straight-laced cousins go undercover as dangerous thugs to rescue their kidnapped kitten from a menacing street gang in this fish-out-of-water action/comedy of stereotypes, a film debut for American superstar comedy duo Key & Peele.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this is a documentary about ‘The Matrix’ star; and maybe Reeves is present in spirit as the titular character, the world’s most adorable kitten who melts the hearts of everyone he comes across, good or bad. But little “Keanu” is a clever hook for a showcase of the talents of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele; sketch comedy actors who joined forces and became household names in America with their brand of social satire and stereotype comedy.

Peele stars as the unlucky-in-love movie fanatic whose spirits are raised when “Keanu” turns up on his doorstep, only to be devastated when his new kitty is mysteriously kidnapped. Key stars as his uptight family-man cousin and together they inadvertently assume the identities of two infamous thugs to infiltrate a dangerous L.A. street gang, and get their cat back.

‘Keanu’ is essentially a modern take on the classic fish-out-of-water comedy, but with Key & Peele amusingly tackling uncomfortable cultural stereotypes head on; playing well-spoken middle class black men who are forced into the “gangsta” lifestyle and an identity crisis, with the “n-word” flying all over the place and plenty of outrageous humour.

With all the film and pop culture references, plus the unlikely shootouts and graphic violence thrown into the mix; director Peter Atencio clearly take several leaves from the Simon Pegg & Nick Frost movie playbook, but executes it with far less tact an charm.

The film could easily be called “George” for all the exhausted references and comic adulation of George Michael, the story is ludicrous but funny to a point, and ‘Keanu’ is stuffed with gags at a fairly even hit & miss ratio. The supporting characters, made up of a combination of US comics plus rappers and actors, are deliberate archetypes and one-note but reasonably funny.

Ultimately though, ‘Keanu’ is one basic joke told over and over again, and there’s only so many ways to skin a cat… pardon the pun. The mix of over-the-top violent action with outrageous comedy is entertaining to a point but nothing new, ultimately the whole film feels like a near 2 hour long version of a Key & Peele sketch, and that’s just too long.

The Bottom Line…

An irreverent “buddy” comedy of stereotypes which is likely to please Key & Peele fans; ‘Keanu’ is moderately entertaining and funny to a point, but the comedy is distinctly hit & miss and quickly becomes repetitive in what feels like an overstretched comedy sketch on steroids, reasonably fun but certainly forgettable.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Hot Fuzz (2007)

A by-the-book big city cop finds himself teamed up with bumbling small-town officer after he’s transferred to a picturesque English village, but not all is as it seems in his quaint new surroundings as he uncovers an unlikely murderous conspiracy in this Pegg & Frost comedy homage to buddy-cop action films.

Directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Jim Broadbent among others.

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