MOVIES: Keanu - Review

Veteran sketch comedy duo Key and Peele make the jump to the big screen with Keanu, a consistently funny if uneven action farce about two regular guys who get mixed up in a world of drug lords, strip clubs and contract killers as they attempt to locate a missing pet. It's every bit as absurd as it sounds, and more often than not, it actually works.

After a break-up sends him into a pot-induced haze of depression, Rell (Jordan Peele) finds his spirits lifted when an adorable feline appears on his doorstep. It doesn't take long before he and his cousin Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key) are both smitten with the kitten, which is christened with the unlikely moniker of "Keanu." But alas, the blissful relationship is torn asunder when a local gang kidnaps the animal, prompting Rell and Clarence to pose as a pair of cold-blooded assassins to rescue Keanu from a local drug dealer named Cheddar (Method Man).

Much of the film's humor - and there's plenty of it - is derived from this case of mistaken identities, as Cheddar sends the duo to accompany his crew on a delivery. While Rell and Cheddar's top lieutenant, Hi-C (Tiffany Haddish) find themselves entwined with a coked-up Hollywood starlet who has an affinity for samurai swords and party games, Clarence keeps watch in his minivan, educating Trunk (Darrell Britt-Gibson), Bud (Jason Mitchell) and Stitches (Jamar Malachi Neighbors) about George Michael's gangster status. "He used to run with this dude called Ridgeley," he relates solemnly. "And then one day, wham! Ridgeley was never heard from again."

While the laughs come fast and furious, with Key and Peele mining pure comedy gold from several memorable sequences, Keanu is still hampered by its paper-thin premise. This is a 10-minute sketch extended to feature length, and there's not enough material to make it work for the entirety of the film's 98-minute running time. Too many scenes continue long after they've run out of steam, and many potential laughs are left by the wayside during the third act as Keanu reaches a bit too far into action movie territory.

That being said, Keanu should hold plenty of appeal for fans of the the duo's sketch comedy series, and for anyone who loved the marriage of action and comedy in Pineapple Express or the insanity of This is the End. It's a solid effort that gleefully revels in its own ridiculousness, compensating for its flaws with a steady supply of jokes that should have audiences howling - as long as they aren't too busy cooing over that adorable kitten.

About the Author - Brent Hankins

Brent Hankins is a film critic and blogger with 5 years of experience. He is a charter member of the Phoenix Critics Circle, the founder of NerdRepository.com, and host of the Drinks and Discourse podcast.

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