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“Keanu” is an unadulterated piece of pop confection that enthralls even as it reveals itself to be wildly inconsistent. The comedic powerhouses Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele make their debut as leading men on the big screen in this film, which showcases many of their greatest strengths, as they effortlessly switch between personas, voices, and different physicality. Because of the premise, they are able to play straight-laced and laid-back characters, as well as stereotypically mild-mannered black men and outrageously violent thug types, sometimes in the same scene. The film gets its ragged energy from the striking differences between them as comedians and from their chemistry together. But the film “Keanu,” directed by Peter Atencio, gives you precisely what you anticipate and nothing more or less than that. The fact that it runs for 98 minutes—the film’s longest flaw—makes it feel like a less subversive sketch from the brilliant but now-cancelled show “Key and Peele.” This is the film’s most significant shortcoming.
Following the end of his relationship, Rell (Jordan Peele) spends his time smoking excessive amounts of weed and sulking on his couch, where he is surrounded by posters for movies such as “Heat” and “New Jack City.” Rell’s life receives a new sense of direction when a stray kitten, which had narrowly escaped a gun battle at a drug processing facility, shows up at his front door. As time goes on, Rell’s sadness eventually gives way to a fascination that borders on obsession with Keanu, as his cousin Clarence notices (Keegan-Michael Key). After Keanu is abducted by the powerful drug kingpin Cheddar (Method Man), the two friends decide to assume the identities of the mysterious Allentown assassins they have been mistaken for in order to get close enough to Cheddar to rescue Keanu.
The majority of the humor in “Keanu” recycles a select few gags over and over again. There are a few of them that are successful, such as the sheer ridiculousness of every man who comes into contact with Keanu falling in love with him, the calendar that Rell shoots of Keanu reenacting various iconic films, or watching Keanu bounce between moments of excessive brutality unscathed. Others, like the never-ending references to George Michael, are used until they are completely exhausted. The more interesting paths that the movie doesn’t go down end up being the source of a lot of the viewer’s frustration with it. To give one example, Rell’s weed dealer, Hulka (played by Will Forte), is like a more low-key and unrefined version of the rapper Riff Raff. The many different ways that he adopts black culture, both verbally and stylistically, are exploited to extract the maximum amount of humor while avoiding the uncomfortable politics that are inherent in doing so.
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One of the best things about “Key and Peele” was the show’s ability to make viewers laugh until their stomachs hurt while at the same time tackling some difficult topics regarding black identity in contemporary American culture. These concepts are mentioned in passing throughout “Keanu.” The process of switching between different racial and social codes is something that every black person encounters on some level. It is mentioned that there is a significant gap between the way we speak in formal settings, such as the workplace, and the language used in black communities, known as Ebonics (or African-American Vernacular English, depending on the circles you run in), when they interact with one another. One of the few times throughout the movie when the film addresses the racial politics that are inherent in the masquerade is when Clarence expresses his discomfort with taking on that guise in order to get Keanu back. There is also a very interesting scene in which Clarence is able to somehow convince Cheddar’s group of criminals of the merit of George Michael, which leads to them bonding more profoundly than expected. This scene is very intriguing. Hearing these hardened drug dealers sing along to George Michael raises questions about the nature of the emotional walls that some black men choose to put up as a result of a culture that expects them to do so. This makes a passing reference to a thematic vein dealing with the expectations of black masculinity and vulnerability, even though Peele and Alex Rubens’ script doesn’t delve into it nearly enough.
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The humor in “Keanu” suffers from a lack of gravitas because there isn’t much thought that goes into it. “Keanu” gets all the braggadocio about the act that the duo puts on. It’s possible that Rell and Clarence are more grounded than the criminals they have to deal with, but they’re being just as dishonest with themselves about the emotional terrain of their own lives. An incredible shortcoming of the movie is that this reality isn’t dealt with nearly as much as it should have been. Emotional facets of the story are glossed over in favor of showing another visually striking, slow-motion action sequence or musing on Keanu’s endearing qualities. Because we don’t get a good enough look into Clarence and Rell’s private lives, the movie’s resolution isn’t able to achieve anything more than simple comedic success.
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The film directed by Atencio also fails to succeed with its most significant female characters. The ending of the movie doesn’t feel earned because Clarence’s relationship with his family, particularly with his wife Hannah (played by Nia Long), isn’t explored enough throughout the movie. When the filmmakers remember that Key is in the cast, Long’s Hannah is friendly, funny, and the two have excellent chemistry together. Hi-C, played by Tiffany Haddish, who is Cheddar’s second-in-command, is given more responsibilities. The movie comes to life every time she appears on screen. She convincingly portrays toughness, street smarts, and a brand of sexiness that is rooted in her own swagger rather than any kind of rote objectification. Authenticity is her middle name. Haddish, much like Nia Long, isn’t woven through the film properly enough for the last minute twist and her budding relationship with Rell to work properly. This is a problem because both of these things are necessary for the film to be successful. And a cameo appearance by Anna Faris, in which she plays a drugged-up and hostile version of herself, is drawn out for far too long.
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The film falls apart alongside Clarence and Rell’s masquerade, despite the fact that at its center lies a sweetness and tenderness that make it difficult to dislike it. The second half of the show still has a lot of funny moments that are worth watching, and there are even a few good scenes, but the disorganized structure prevents it from being as great as it could be. At several crucial junctures, it appears that the movie is actually alluding to another Keanu that appears in the film “John Wick,” which Keanu Reeves starred in. “Keanu” could use some of the creative world building and powerful emotional core that “John Wick” possesses, which elevates the film above simply being an impressively choreographed and shot action movie. Without these qualities, “Keanu” is entertaining and even occasionally downright hilarious, but it falls short of living up to the skills of the central performers in the film.Also, you must try to play this Keanu quiz.
For more personality quizzes check this: Blair Witch Quiz.
