Be warned: this video contains some spoilers for Non-Stop.
"What about Non-Stop though!"
Key & Peele may be the greatest sketch show going right now. Every episode offers tons of laughs, but also thought-provoking insights to our modern zeitgeist. Whether they are parodying the outlandish names of footballs stars, translating the hidden anger of President Obama, or satirizing the ongoing battle of the sexes, Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele offer comedy that's way smarter and more satisfying than the average sketch show. But if I had to pick my favorite running gag, it's their movie-loving valets. These two ever-amped up fanboys have become such a part of me that I can't watch a trailer for an action movie without briefly imagining what they'd make of it. And thankfully, I don't have to when it comes to Liam Neeson's next venture, Non-Stop.
In a beautiful moment of cross-promotion, Key & Peele teamed up with Non-Stop to show what might happen with these excitable action fans came face to face with their jam, Liam Neesons. The results are explosive, and can be seen up top. The trailer for Non-Stop can be viewed below:
I think the reason the valets are my favorite Key & Peele characters is that they so perfectly depict what it's like to really be a fan of something. You might look a total fool as you expound on your devotion to action movies, or My Little Pony, Doctor Who or Downton Abbey. But who cares? The sweeping joys of fandom are so ripe and intense that they easily wash over the embarrassment you might feel when people stare at your cosplay or geek out.
Beyond that, it's a strange thing meeting a celebrity you consider your jam. Of course, we'd all like to imagine we'd be cool and collective, tell them we admire their work. Maybe get a high-five or a picture? Of course, few people manage to be this cool. Celebs often recount stories of fans bellowing catchphrases or screaming their name. Most residents of New York or Los Angeles can share a story about a time they saw a celeb, and miserably flubbed the exchange. When I first moved to New York as a teenager, I had a series of run ins with stars that ended in me being flustered and embarrassed after rambling out a list of movies of theirs I loved, or shouting their name and then freezing like a deer in headlights. It happens. Key and Peele get it. And so they give us this, which pays off our frenzied fandemonium with Liam Neeson getting in on the game.
If the valets are your jam, enjoy:
