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Keanu

MPA Rating: R-Rating (MPA) for violence, language throughout, drug use and sexuality/nudity.
Moral Rating: not reviewed
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults
Genre: Crime Comedy
Length: 1 hr. 28 min.
Year of Release: 2016
USA Release: March 13, 2016 (festival)
April 29, 2016 (wide—2,600+ theaters)
DVD: August 2, 2016
Copyright, New Line Cinema, division of Warner Bros. Picturesclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, New Line Cinema, division of Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, New Line Cinema, division of Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, New Line Cinema, division of Warner Bros. Pictures
Featuring Keegan-Michael Key
Madison Wolfe … Alexis
Will Forte …
Nia Long …
Luis Guzmán … Bacon
Method Man …
Jason Mitchell … Bud
Rob Huebel … Spencer
Jordan Peele
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Director Peter Atencio — “Key and Peele” (2012)
Producer New Line Cinema
Principato-Young Entertainment
Distributor Distributor: New Line Cinema. Trademark logo.New Line Cinema, division of Warner Bros. Pictures

Here’s what the distributor says about their film:Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, a.k.a. the popular comedy duo Key and Peele, star in New Line Cinema’s action comedy ‘Keanu.’

The duo play Clarence and Rell, cousins who live in the city but are far from streetwise. When Rell’s beloved kitten, Keanu, is catnapped, the hopelessly straight-laced pair must impersonate ruthless killers in order to infiltrate a street gang and retrieve the purloined feline. But the incredibly adorable kitten becomes so coveted that the fight over his custody creates a gang war, forcing our two unwitting heroes to take the law into their own hands.

Peter Atencio (‘Key and Peele,’ ‘The Last Man on Earth’) directed the film from a script written by Jordan Peele and Alex Rubens (‘Key and Peele,” ‘Community’). Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Peter Principato, Paul Young, and Joel Zadak are the producers, with Ben Ormand serving as executive producer.

Peele plays Rell, an introverted stoner artist, whose precious cat, Keanu, has become his favorite model, and Key is his chipper, all-too-eager-to-please cousin, Clarence. The film also stars Method Man (‘The Fast and the Furious,’ ‘Red Tails’) as the menacing gang leader, Cheddar; Tiffany Haddish (‘Real Husbands of Hollywood’) as the stone-cold gangster, Hi-C; and Jason Mitchell (‘Straight Outta Compton’) as the hardened young banger, Bud; with Luis Guzman (‘We’re the Millers,’ ‘Journey 2: The Mysterious Island’) as Bacon, a Mexican cartel kingpin; Nia Long (‘The Best Man Holiday’) as Clarence’s beautiful wife, Hannah; and Will Forte (‘The Last Man on Earth,’ ‘Nebraska’) as the eccentric scumbag drug dealer, Hulka.”

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Movie Critics
…Fans of “Key & Peele” should enjoy it. For those who aren’t fans, Keanu is a great start and gives them something to build on. Grade: B…
Tim Hall, SeattlePI (Hearst Seattle Media)
…lamer-than-expected… A two-hour online cat-video binge would yield as many “awws” and probably far more laughs than “Keanu”…
Justin Chang, Variety
…though, they keep the laughs coming… Keanu doesn’t on the whole match the sheer hilarity and brilliance of the “Key & Peele” TV sketch show… [2½/4]
Brian Truitt, USA Today
…“Keanu” is downright stupid at times, but hiding under the layers of dumb is some brilliant comedy involving everything from strip club etiquette to face tattoos. …[3/4]
T.M. Powell, CBS Tampa Bay
…Key and Peele disappoint… bears little of the wit that made their Comedy Central show such a sensation… [2/5]
Nigel M. Smith, The Guardian (UK)
…a 10-minute sketch that’s been inflated to bloated feature length. Running 90 minutes too long…
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
…the silly string of captures, escapes and car chases are all formulaic stuff that Eddie Murphy did long ago and better. …[2½/4]
Barry Paris, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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