Review of Keanu (2016) by Matt G — 07 May 2016

Comedy is subjective. Trying to explain why something does or doesn't make you laugh is like trying to explain why you think certain foods are delicious; how do you make someone experience your experience? For example, the sketch show "Key & Peele", while often a smart satire on race and sex, was simply and inexplicably hilarious to me.

On the other hand, Keanu, a film created and starring the same dudes, has (arguably) nowhere near the laughs. Despite some all-in comedic performances from two of the most talented guys around, it simply isn't very funny.

Through a series of unfortunate events, two mild-mannered men go looking for a kitten and find themselves in the midst of a war between competing drug gangs. Key and Peele display the same comedy-in-sync-ness they became famous for, and they deserve a vehicle much better than this to display their skill.

Unfortunately the movie itself never quite finds its balance. It's an absurdist comedy that feels both too absurd and not absurd enough. The plot is shoddy at best, and the shallow levels of character give way to whatever joke seems to be funniest at that moment.

None of that would matter, of course, if I just found the movie more consistently funny. Not that it's devoid LOL moments; Key and Peele both have a knack for putting a twist on a line or a facial expression to give it an added layer of wit (i.e. how they act when they think they're about to be killed). Unfortunately, they have created such anticipation through years of brilliant TV work, anything less than wall-to-wall guffaws can be a disappointment.