Keanu is an action-packed comedy that falls somewhere between Harold and Kumar get the Munchies and Hot Fuzz.
Keanu Review
Although famous comedians over the Atlantic, Key and Peele aren’t particularly well-known in England. This is set to change with the release of Keanu, a film which sees them desperately try to steal their precious kitty Keanu from a local gang of drug dealers.
Cousins Rell (Peele) and Clarence (Key) are at different crossroads in their lives; Clarence is a hard-working family man whose wife and daughter don’t respect him as well as they should, and Rell’s girlfriend has just left him. It’s at this point that we are introduced to a little, lost tabby tom cat, with whom Rell falls instantly in love. The kitten’s subsequent disappearance acts as a catalyst for both men to take a look at their lives and try to change them for the better.
The pairing of Peele and Key made their name on their very own sketch show. The series covered a variety of societal topics, with a focus on popular cultures and ethnic stereotypes. With Keanu they again combine the two elements and completely skewer racial stereotypes.
Keanu Review
The movie highlights our obsession with feline fur-balls perfectly, with Keanu having a magnetic hold over everybody he meets. There’s a great montage as Rell begins to bond with Keanu that many cat owners will recognise, and the humour comes from the realisation of just how silly we are with these cuddly creatures. Most importantly, the film is funny. There are several big laughs based around the ‘gangsta’ stereotype, but our favourite involves George Michael. There’s a great scene where Clarence is waiting in his car with several members of the crew and his George Michael playlist starts. Rather than be ashamed of his taste in music Clarence instead starts to teach the hardened gang members about how bad-ass, and just like them Michael is. Trust us, his explanation works and it’s a great little moment that is called back to throughout.
The other stand-out sequence sees Clarence on the trip from Hell. During his journey he comes face to face with Keanu, who can now speak, and is voiced by a very recognisable actor – the real-life Keanu Reeves pops up for one of cinema’s best cameos. If you’re a fan of ‘the one’, you’ll have a lot of fun with it.
Where the film falls down however, is simply down to the geography of the audience members. Keanu played very strongly in the States, but in the UK the film may struggle. The majority of the film is based in and around the perceived American drug, gun and gang culture, something that hasn’t (thankfully) really taken hold here. With this in mind a lot of the jokes might get lost in translation, which is a shame.
Keanu Review
Keanu is proof that we humans are a race obsessed with cats and the star of the film is of course out titular cat. Actually played by around seven felines, Keanu is a cat for the new generation. He gives a new meaning to the phrase street cat and has bucket loads of swag and attitude. He’s also so adorable that it’s easy to see why Rell is ready to go to war to get him back. Be warned, you’ll leave Keanu wanting a new kitten.
in Keanu Key and Peele have created a great action-comedy with a gangster twist. It’s funny and has a surprising amount of heart. There are also plenty of little nods to the action genre, especially the body of work of one Mr. Reeves. Action, laughs and kitty cats, what more could you want from a film?
Keanu arrives in UK cinemas from Friday 15th July.
