Share: 
MOVIE REVIEW

Solid setup in ‘Keanu’ wears thin

May 7, 2016

The world of cinema is kitty littered with feline-centric films, which vary in quality from the sophisticated animation of “The Aristocats” to the live-action “Cat in the Hat,” which drove over the cliff as though Toonces was at the wheel.

And while the eponymous kitten is not the focus of “Keanu,” it does forward its absurd-but-straightforward narrative, he is damn cute, to be sure. The same can be said for the film constructed around him, which is a bit of a letdown coming from such potential comedic powerhouses as Key and Peele.

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele find themselves balancing on the precipice leaping to the big screen after finding much success on their self-titled Comedy Central sketch show. They are in the process of reworking “Police Academy,” which should yield much richer rewards, but for now we must make do with “Keanu,” which is a genial start, but nowhere near their potential as comedians.

As two suburban-dwelling dudes driven to take back said kitten from a mid-level drug kingpin, Cheddar (played by Method Man), Rell (played by Peele) and Clarence (played by Key) are right at home. Rell is a slovenly mess, curled into a couch cocoon after his girlfriend dumps him, and Clarence is a devoted family man who only wants to please those around him.

When the kitten wanders into Rell’s life (why is it named Keanu? Why not?), his passion for life is rekindled, but is just as quickly extinguished when it is taken during a drug bust at the wrong house.

This leads the two into an underworld “Into the Night” journey in which they must perpetuate the persona of two ruthless gangsters.

This is indeed a solid setup, but it quickly wears thin as they hammer the same gags over and over again (if I never hear George Michael’s Greatest Hits again, it will be too soon), and there are far too many last-minute conveniences that stretch plausibility even for a comedy about two men taking on drug lords for a kitten.

It’s far from a total waste, as Key and Peele foundering out of their element has led to many of their finest sketches (go watch “Gremlins 2 Brainstorm,” or “Insult Comic” to see some of the heights of their hilarity). And when they first throttle into full-tilt thug mode, it’s a riot. Unfortunately, they don’t make an effort to move beyond that and return to the same well, leading to diminished results.

The screenplay was written and directed by “Key & Peele” alum Alex Rubens and Peter Atencio, respectively, who seem to struggle with presenting them with anything more challenging out of their sketch-length comedy. The supporting cast is equally game yet restrained in their roles, and an extended cameo involving Anna Faris encapsulates the film’s misuse of a talented comedian in just one scene.

There will be other opportunities for the two to mine comedy from a more feature-length production, as their charisma is never in question throughout the film. They alone prove that there will be far more lives at the box office in these cats.

 

Subscribe to the CapeGazette.com Daily Newsletter