Illustration by Jeremiah Moon
It's difficult to extend the magic of what works for a short format into a cinematic venture, as we've seen in everything from A Night at the Roxbury to The Powerpuff Girls Movie (where I swear they stretch out Mojo Jojo's maniacal laugh just to add to the running time). Keanu wisely capitalizes on Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele's strength, namely their chemistry with each other, to buoy an absurd premise that could have gotten easily bogged down by the end of the film.
The comedy duo play cousins that pose as drug dealers to recover their stolen kitten. Yes, it sounds and is a bit ridiculous, but once you see the kitten, it makes a bit more sense. You'll know exactly how many girls are in the audience of this movie because you'll hear a collective "AWWWW" every time this kitten shows a whisker on the screen. The kitten is so adorable, you'll wonder if it's cg. (It's not; it was actually portrayed by seven different kittens throughout the movie).
Comedy movies of the present are strong on dialogue and the talent of their stars to riff or improvise. Often the funniest scenes or the momentum of the movie are dependent on the editing. Key and Peele definitely have their strong moments script-wise but some of the best moments here are the ones that use action or slapdash physical comedy. This is of course due in part to the chemistry that goes beyond the duo to their director Peter Atencio, who oversaw and worked with them on every single "Key and Peele" episode.
The movie riffs on buddy comedies, and is even a possible wink to Keanu Reeves' recent revenge flick John Wick about a hitman who goes on a killing bender to avenge his pet puppy. As a feature-length movie, it obviously suffers from having the two actors inhabit one idea and one character throughout the movie. However, there's such a feel-good camaraderie between the two and the camera, you're more than willing to follow them to the end. Ultimately, if you were a fan of these two and their sketch comedy at all, you'll enjoy the movie.
Also, going back to the seven kittens -- each kitten was trained to do different things: one was trained to walk back and forth, another to scratch, and one was just trained to cuddle. Seriously, a kitten cute enough to command the screen with its cuddling tactics may be worth the ticket alone.
The comedy duo play cousins that pose as drug dealers to recover their stolen kitten. Yes, it sounds and is a bit ridiculous, but once you see the kitten, it makes a bit more sense. You'll know exactly how many girls are in the audience of this movie because you'll hear a collective "AWWWW" every time this kitten shows a whisker on the screen. The kitten is so adorable, you'll wonder if it's cg. (It's not; it was actually portrayed by seven different kittens throughout the movie).
Comedy movies of the present are strong on dialogue and the talent of their stars to riff or improvise. Often the funniest scenes or the momentum of the movie are dependent on the editing. Key and Peele definitely have their strong moments script-wise but some of the best moments here are the ones that use action or slapdash physical comedy. This is of course due in part to the chemistry that goes beyond the duo to their director Peter Atencio, who oversaw and worked with them on every single "Key and Peele" episode.
The movie riffs on buddy comedies, and is even a possible wink to Keanu Reeves' recent revenge flick John Wick about a hitman who goes on a killing bender to avenge his pet puppy. As a feature-length movie, it obviously suffers from having the two actors inhabit one idea and one character throughout the movie. However, there's such a feel-good camaraderie between the two and the camera, you're more than willing to follow them to the end. Ultimately, if you were a fan of these two and their sketch comedy at all, you'll enjoy the movie.
Also, going back to the seven kittens -- each kitten was trained to do different things: one was trained to walk back and forth, another to scratch, and one was just trained to cuddle. Seriously, a kitten cute enough to command the screen with its cuddling tactics may be worth the ticket alone.