Recently single for obvious reasons, stoner Rell (Peele) cheers up when he finds an adorably tiny kitten he names Keanu. When his house is burglarised and Keanu is stolen, he teams up with his best friend, family man Clarence (Key), and they follow a lead into gangland Los Angeles. Trying to act tough, they're mistaken for a pair of legendary killers by gang boss Cheddar (Method Man), who has now adopted Keanu himself. What follows is a madcap odyssey into the criminal underworld, where everyone seems to want to kill everyone else.

The film opens with a brilliantly staged pastiche shoot-out that's directed, edited and scored in like a scene from John Wick. Yes, subtle and not-so-subtle references to Keanu Reeves' oeuvre fill the screen, including his casting as the kitten's voice in a dream sequence. But the main jokes here are aimed at inner-city crime thrillers and black subculture movies, which are the only references for these two dorks from the suburbs who are trying to sound street-smart.

Key and Peele are likeable in the central roles as regular guys playing up to a stereotype. They add humour and underlying warmth to their interaction with each other and with Cheddar's henchwoman (Haddish). The supporting cast members are clearly enjoying themselves, diving fully into the mayhem to make even the most pointless scenes entertaining. Cameos are fun: Faris has a riotous scene as herself, while Forte's stoner dealer is amusing. But no one has a chance on-screen against this painfully charming kitten that everyone is willing to kill for.

Loose and engaging, the movie begins to feel overlong as the plot meanders from scene to scene, mixing pastiche levels of hyper-violence with rather dopey comedy. The result is both silly and somewhat unsettling, as if gruesome death is so normal in this community that it can just be shrugged off. But is also has a lot of heart. And taken as a bit of fluffy nonsense, it's rather good fun.

themes, language, violence, sexuality, drugs

15.Jun.16