MOVIE

Keanu the kitten steals moviegoers' hearts

Keanu is the latest kitty movie to hit the US Box Office and the movie is likely to be in our theatres soon.

Keanu, in which Keanu Reeves (who else?) lends his voice to a kitten named Keanu is the latest comedy movie from the famous Comedy Central duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. This is their first feature film.

The cat only had one voice, but Keanu was played by about seven cats. Three of the "cat actors" as Peele refers to them, were from the same litter. After the cats got too big, however, new kittens from an animal shelter were cast. Of course, not all of the cats looked exactly the same... so paw makeup was used.

Only real cats were used in all the sequences and no CGI effects were used. The director and producer worked closely with animal trainers, humane organisations and vets to ensure the animals'' welfare.

The story is basically about a cat kidnapping ("catnap") and the efforts to track it down.

The little cat, a source of heartwarming animal magnetism, is traced to the criminal arms of gang leader Cheddar (Method Man), wearing a do-rag on his little head.

To get the cat back, the owners played by Key and Peele have to pretend they are violent offenders themselves.

The kittens that play the title tabby in "Keanu " impressed their human co-stars so much, they've earned permanent places in Hollywood.

"They blew away my expectations," said Peter Atencio, director of "Keanu" and a self-described "crazy cat man" who has three cats, two dogs and a rabbit at home. "They took direction really well."

Keanu adds to the animals movies in town, headed by Jungle Book. Reviews have been mostly positive, with "Keanu" enjoying a 76% "fresh" rating on critics' aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.