KEANU Trailer

As adorably ludicrous as it is to imagine a cat dragging two mild-mannered men into a gang war, it’s clear that there’s more to Keanu than just a strange premise. The name and setup makes it an overt riff on John Wick and the trailer really keys in on racial preconceptions and how wrong they can be. That’s all well and good, but how about that aww-inducing moment when the cat is running to dramatic music and slides into the back of that guy’s leg?

Yes, I’m in it for the cat, but I also understand that a feature-length movie can’t be sustained by costumed animals and over-the-top action alone. Stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele come from a sketch comedy background, appearing in Mad TV and leading their own show Key and Peele. There’s a whiff of lightness to Keanu that indicates it might be a killer skit stretched way too long, but if they find some solid characters and a real plot to prop up all the ideas floating around, this could be one of those memorably weird comedies.

There’s lots of Key and Peele fans out there, and while others might check out this film thanks to that show’s impeccable reputation, this film is still a risk for distributor Warner Bros. They’ve tucked its release in between The Huntsman: Winter’s War and Captain America: Civil War, seemingly trying to build some good word of mouth to make the film into a sleeper hit. With how packed 2016 is with big releases, it’s hard for smaller movies like Keanu to find a place, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a chance on them. The cat will judge you if you don’t.

Keanu is directed by Peter Atencio and stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. It will be released in the U.S. on April 29th, 2016. For international release dates, click here.

Do you think this premise can sustain itself for an entire film? Let us know in the comments!