Dev Patel's directorial debut, Monkey Man is brutally and gloriously violent, cementing Patel's place as an action hero for a new generation.
Monkey Man Movie Review
When the trailer debuted for Monkey Man it immediately drew comparisons to John Wick– a lone man out for revenge, fists flying, etc. Patel and co-writers Paul Angunawela and John Collee acknowledge this fairly early on when Patel's Kid is asked by a shady arms-dealer, “You like John Wick?” At this point who does? And Patel, who is a huge fan of the genre, obviously likes it too, but make no mistake, this film is not a clone. Monkey Man has its own story to tell, one rich in culture, with plenty of inventive visceral action sequences to set it apart from the others.
Monkey Man is brutally and gloriously violent. Patel has delivered something that is high-energy, gritty, and poignant when it shines a blood-soaked light on the political machinations that led a sweet boy from the forest to grow up into a ferocious killer. Indian religion, culture, and mythology are key components to the film. Hanuman the Monkey God isn't just the inspiration for the title, that god's journey mirrors Kid's in more ways than one. Clever camerawork keeps you rooted in every carnage-filled moment, all while cementing Patel as an action hero for a new generation.
What Is Monkey Man About?
Kid (Patel), after watching his mother (Adithi Kalkunte) brutally murdered when he was a child, has grown up with one thing in mind–revenge. It won't be easy for this underdog, he is not a skilled assassin, but a young man who spends his nights wearing a gorilla mask and getting beat up in an underground fighting ring run by the sleazy Tiger (Sharlto Copley). He schemes his way into a job at Queenie's (Ashwini Kalsekar) high-end brothel, from there he begins to flesh out his plan to take down those responsible for the death of his mother. This includes the corrupt police chief Rana (Sikandar Kher) and Baba Shakti (Makarand Deshpande), a fake spiritual guru who hides behind his “religious piety” in order to fool the public. Along the way he gains some unlikely allies, a hustler named Alphonso (Pitobash), Sita (Sobhita Dhulipala) the escort, and a group of trans women, led by Alpha (Vipin Sharma). But if he wants his dreams of revenge to come true, he will have to train his body and his mind. As Alpha says, you must destroy to make space to grow.
In terms of plot, Monkey Man is pretty straightforward. A man wants justice for a wrong and he will do whatever it takes to get that justice, even if it means he must harm himself to further his goals. The protagonist isn't overly chatty or unintentionally funny (like say Wick). He spends much of the first act pushing down his emotions, fighting instead of feeling in hopes to dull the pain. Kid isn't some honed fighter, at first he is inexperienced beyond typical street-level skills of attacking an opponent. He is not prepared in the least to actually take on those on his list. Patel's grounded and emotional performance keeps you invested in this mostly mute character. He is an incredible performer and storyteller, knowing just the right time to film close-ups of Kid's face or pulling back for a wide shot that shows how alone Kid feels (even when in a crowded room).
By staying quiet, Patel lets his expressions and body language do all the talking, and it's easy to see the unrelenting pain as silent tears slide down his cheek or the unbridled rage simmering in his eyes. He's a tortured soul, backed into a corner, and ready to strike at any moment. On the flip side of his anguish is the community he finds when he needs it the most. Literally. It's one of the great parts of this film and functions as half of its beating heart, the other obviously being his love for his mother. His newly found family supports him, aids his training, and shows him (and those of us watching) that it's okay to pull strength from others. One man simply cannot do it alone.
Emotional throughlines aside, Monkey Man is a big action spectacle. To its credit, there is actually more meat to the film, as mentioned above, which allows for a nice slow burn build-up to the thrilling set pieces everyone is dying to see. This happens in the second act. There is something uber satisfying watching Kid unleash that rage on the people that deserve it. Things really get wild, iconic, and the audience is in for one helluva ride. Stunt choreographer Brahim Chab puts Patel through the works. The hand-to-hand combat is top tier, full of frenetic energy. Anything and everything becomes a weapon as Kid works his way through the bad guys. Nothing beats the elevator fight scene in Captain America The Winter Soldier for me but Monkey Man has its own and it definitely deserves some praise. It also boasts one of the best kitchen fight scenes ever. These fights aren't just about weapons though. At one point Kid uses his teeth to finish the job on an assailant… to say more would be to spoil it but it was truly a sight to see and my theater reacted accordingly.
VERDICT
Patel is the action star we didn't know we needed and after seeing this, we need to see more. Under his direction, each fight feels fresh and creatively approached. Although the low budget is felt when some scenes are murkier than others or when the camera is zooming so fast it has a dizzying effect, the good news is it doesn't detract from the thrill of the action. If anything it makes you more in awe of what Patel was able to accomplish when everything that could go wrong during production did. I hope Hollywood takes note of what he pulled off here and his eye for filmmaking. He deserves more opportunities to direct sooner rather than later.
Monkey Man is more than just an action-thriller, it's a complex story of humanity and what happens when love and faith are shattered by political corruption and mankind's disregard for others. The hero is someone we want to root for, right from the start, and Patel's earnestness keeps that admiration strong even as Kid morphs from street rat to a lethal weapon. It packs in heart but is also brutally and gloriously violent, with stunningly graphic executions. Basically, Monkey Man delivers the best kind of action mayhem that is sure to be a hit with the crowd.
Monkey Man is in theaters April 5. It is rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, rape, language throughout, sexual content/nudity and drug use with a runtime of 121 minutes.
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