Keanu

As long as i can remember, i have been allergic to cats. I dont mind cats, or try to avoid them. In fact i love all kinds of animals. But when you are allergic to cat fur, and have astma, you don´t really try to cuddle with them. I remember that i used to do that, with my female friend Sharon in Scottland, as her cat Bertie used to lie next to me on the guest bed. Sharon told me that Bertie did not like men, being near Sharon. But for some reason, Bertie accepted me and was cozy. Nowdays we have cats in my family, but in relatives houses. So i don´t get very ill often, because we can meet these family members outside their home, or just bring them to our appartment. Cats can be cute, adorable, funny, and make your day better, no matter what your situation is in ordinary day life. When it comes to films, we have a lot of stories, where animals is the main ingredients. Most of you have probably seen one of the Lassie films, or perhaps you have seen Beethoven ? Of course we have the remake of Dr. Dolittle with Eddie Murphy, where he talked to all kinds of animals. Most films with animals are very entertaining for children all ages, even for some adults. I can admit that i actually enjoyed both Ace Ventura: Pet Detective films, because Jim Carrey was the perfect match for this character, and he also knew how to make animal scenes look really funny. Then there was a third film, that came out in 2009 called Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Jr. A film that i have seen, but don´t remember much about. That would probably say that you should skip it. Having animals in films takes a lot of time to make everything function. A lot of training, preparation and know how to make animals react in a certain way. And since most films with animals are focused on comedy, or in horror films, you usually know what you are going to get. There are some good horror films actually with animals, who have not seen cult film Jaws by director Steven Spielberg ? Simply brilliant, and very well made. Even if the shark is mechanical, it is still in the category of animal horror. Let´s not mention some of the sequels, except that the second one was actually not so bad. About 3 months ago i was reading some new movie reviews online, on new releases. And a title called Keanu came up. What struck me was the idea, of an action comedy with a kitten included. In a way, i had a bad feeling about this. Could this be a trick to get people to buy a ticket, just because they love kittens ? I decided to give the film a chance, even though i was skeptical. Is Keanu a fresh wind in the action comedy genre, or is this even worse than i could have predicted ?

Assassins Smoke Dresden ( Keegan-Michael Key ) and Oil Dresden ( Jordan Peele ), known as the " Allentown Boys", enter a mexican drug cartel, killing everyone, including the boss King Diaz ( Ian Casselberry ). The Allentown Boys take Diaz cat Iglesias, but when the cops arrive at the drug factory, the cat escapes. Rell Williams ( Jordan Peele ) is a stoner, living day by day, with no big future goals. He have just been dumped by his girlfriend. He suddenly finds a kitten outside his door, and since he see no owner, he decides to take care of the kitten. He names it Keanu. Rell´s best friend Clarence Goobril ( Keegan-Michael Key ) is having some time on his own, since his wife Hannah ( Nia Long ) and daughter are going out of town. This gives Rell and Clarence the chance to go out, so they decide to go and watch a Liam Neeson movie at the cinema, because Liam Neeson is all you need. As they return home, Reel´s home have been trashed, and everything is a big mess. But the one thing Reel notice, is that Keanu is missing. They decide to go to the next-door residence weed dealer Hulka ( Will Forte ). Hulka reveal that the local gang, 17th St. Blips, may have raided Rell´s house. He also reveal that they are located at a strip club downtown. Reel and Clarence head down, to try and meet the gang´s leader Cheddar ( Method Man ). They manage to do so, thanks to Hi-C ( Tiffany Haddish ), one of the closest gang members of Cheddar. To make themselves look bad ass, and tough as hell, Rell and Clarence pretend to be 2 rough gangstas, just to try and fit into the gang. Hi-C is skeptical about Reel and Clarence, but they intend to show everyone that they are the toughest gangstas. Their main mission is to get Keanu back, but they have managed to get themself into much bigger problems.

Before i watched Keanu, i have heard some positive feedback from other film critics earlier this spring. Since i only read some of the reviews, and have not even seen a trailer, i did not really know what to expect. I have seen the main actors of Keanue before, Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key, in the sketch comedy television series Key & Peele. Not that i have followed the series much, just seen a couple of episodes. But i did enjoy their chemistry, and i felt that they could deliver some funny scenes. To see them on screen together, doing a film that is a mix of action and comedy, with a kitty included, may not seem like anything good. But once you get into the film, and see what Keanu is all about, you might find yourself having a good time. I think what makes this film a fun combination, is thanks to the director Peter Atencio. I am not sure what films he was inspired doing this film, but you can tell that he must have a passion for the 90´s action comedies. It feels like a throwback to classics of my youth, but with a different approach. As i remember back in the 90´s, we did have some highlights, that combined these 2 genres. Especially one, that you might remember as The Last Boy Sout with Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans. It was rough, violent and had a lot of funny scenes. Keanu may not be just like The Last Boy Scout, but the chemistry between Jordan Peele and Alex Rubens works well, and there are some highlights in the film, where they get to show their comedy timing. There is especially one scene, where Keegan-Michael Key tries to act gangsta, so over the top, it is impossible not to laugh. Ana Faris as a drug addicted crazy girl, is also one highlight. She still knows how to deliver in comedy. The car scene, when Keegan-Michael Key explain why George Michael is the real shit, what real gangstas dig. When the gangstas finally start singing one of George Michael hits, you will laugh, trust me. There is no doubt that Keanu is a funny film, and with the plot on the hunt for a kitten makes this film crazy. Director Peter Atencio may not have made an original action comedy, but he have made an entertaining one with some crazy ideas put together. The fascination over George Michael, as if he is bigger than God, is just simply brilliant. If you grew up and enjoyed films like The Last Boy Scout, with bad language and action scenes, you are guaranteed to enjoy Keanu. I never thought i would see a small kitten be in a mix like this, but i have to say it works. Could we have a sequel ? I hope so, because i actually think we need an action comedy duo that have great chemistry on screen. From now on, i am going to sing George Michael in the shower, because thats what real men do.

Rating: DDD