Sketch comedy makers have a spotted history making it to the big screen. Just ask SNL’s Lorne Michaels, who had more misses than hits in his early days trying to tackle comedic movie stardom. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, of the Comedy Central successful show Key and Peele, make their big screen jump in the most touching, hilarious and bodacious ways with Keanu.
This is more than just a story about one man and his utter adoration for his feline friend. It’s also about the fraternal friendship between two grown men and how far we each would go to help a brother from another mother in need.
If you have seen the Keanu trailer, than you know that Key and Peele, along with director Peter Atencio found the most adorable kitten, perhaps of all-time (actually they found eight, as that was the number that was used to film all of the scenes featuring the most precious kitty we’ve ever seen on screen). And that was a great place to start. Because as our film commences, Peele’s Rell Williams’ just been dumped by his girlfriend and he is literally in the dumps. Key’s Clarence Goobril calls him to see how he’s doing and to see what is up for their bro-weekend as Goobril’s girlfriend (Nia Long’s Hannah) is going away from the weekend with their son and a friend (Rob Huebel).
Williams is not doing well, so Goobril comes right over and finds his friend has surprisingly turned around in merely seconds. Why? A stray kitty he named Keanu literally scratched at the door and brightened up his world. The two bond with the delectable kitten, before heading out to the movies for the night for a little pick-me-up. When they return, Keanu has been cat-napped, the house ransacked and our two cousins are set to go on a rampage to turn over every stone to find Williams’ beloved feline.
That search leads them into the darkest corners of Los Angeles, to a gang called the 17th Street Blips (disenfranchised Bloods and Crips members). Our two suburban raised and educated brothers are going to have to go a little gangsta to get their kitty back and yes, major hilarity does ensue.
What is so encouraging is that most sketch comedy artists need a few films under their belts before they hit their groove and find the way to stretch a sketch-length funny bit to a 90-to-100 minute farce. Although Keanu doesn’t quite make it the whole way in the wall-to-wall laughs department, it comes pretty darn close. And in doing so, Key and Peele have also crafted two deeply rich characters that we truly believe are not only close enough that they would risk their lives to retrieve a kitten, but that these two fish-out-of-water souls would pull off being “gangster drug dealers” for a period of time, all in the name of rescuing Williams’ kitty.
Another element that works tremendous well in this big screen debut of the comedy duo is the casting of the supporting players. The “gang” that our pair has to hang with while navigating the LA underworld doing what they have to do to get their beloved kitten back is impeccably cast. Leading the way is Method Mad as the leader Cheddar, Jason Mitchell’s (Straight Outta Compton’s Eazy-E) Bud, Darrell Britt-Gibson’s Trunk and Tiffany Haddish’s Hi-C. These cats only add to the comedy craziness of the situational comedy that could have run dry after 20-30 minutes like a sitcom, but only seems to keep building in the deliriously hilarious department over the course of the film.
One scene in particular with Key and these gangsters may be the funniest moment on film so far this year and without giving anything away, let’s just say it involves some of the greatest hits of the one and only George Michael. Wham! is right!
Although it takes a breather from the hilarity for a little longer than a balls-to-the-wall comedy should, overall Keanu is jam packed with fall out of your seat silliness and has us eagerly waiting for whatever Key and Peele decide to cinematically do next. Oh, and one more thing, the celebrity cameos abound – but don’t look for any clues from us. Just head into the theater, let the lights dim, and prepare to LOL.
Grade: B