Monkey Man, 2024.
Directed by Dev Patel.
Starring Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Sikandar Kher, Sobhita Dhulipala, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, Makrand Deshpande, Brahim Achabbakhe, Zakir Hussain, and Jatin Malik.
SYNOPSIS:
An anonymous young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless.
The story goes that director/co-writer/star Dev Patel (writing alongside Paul Angunawela and John Collee) had financial funding and locations taken away (due to the pandemic) right before the shooting of his debut feature Monkey Man took place, resulting in the crew filming on phones and go-pros. On a somewhat related note, he broke his hand filming the first major one-on-one fight scene. Needless to say, this was not an easy shoot, and it shows.
One gets the sense that Dev Patel and the filmmaking team are figuring out how to adjust on the fly with varying degrees of success; some scenes have unforgivably unfocused cinematography (sometimes with mouths and heads cut off) that distract from the already broad narrative strokes of vengeance through the perspective of Indian mythology, politics, and religion. Then, some pulse-pounding action sequences sometimes benefit from this kinetic, chaotic swirling energy. In the third act, the team is much more assured, pulling off adrenaline-rush tracking shots of glorious violence.
Referred to as The Kid, Monkey Man also suffers from shoddy pacing that is, unfortunately, not limited to an extended lengthy set-up. The character is clearly on a revenge quest, working at an underground fighting promotion, throwing the fights for cash that he funnels into an elaborate scheme to gain trust and climb the hierarchy by performing odd jobs at the front for a criminal organization. He starts as a low-level cook, making acquaintances and inching his way up to a sleazy party suite occupied by a corrupt police chief (Sikandar Kher) who, several years ago, took part in a village land grab that resulted in the murder of The Kid’s mother (Adithi Kalkunte.)
This probably makes Monkey Man sound like a deeply personal action tale that thrives off of emotion just as much as visceral blows to the face, but it’s a shockingly distant flick that struggles to muster up engagement in its more grounded, human elements. It’s a film referencing John Wick that doesn’t seem fully aware of how or why that series caught fire and skyrocketed in popularity, arguably improving upon the quality with each installment. It also means there shouldn’t be any hecklers criticizing writers for constantly comparing this new wave of action movies to that series when filmmakers are now blatantly referencing it themselves.
Even The Kid’s primary motive for revenge is withheld until a late flashback, despite already being clear about what happened. Structurally, the film is often frustrating and loses steam. There are exciting ideas at play, such as The Kid’s quest playing out as a hero’s journey relating to a mythological monkey and a symbol for working-class uprising and rebellion, at one point aided in his battle by a transgender community suited up for action (a point is made that there have been some attacks on them from unwelcoming parties.) The film also has a distinctive visual style, complete with a wholly unique training montage steeped in Indian culture, not to mention stylish neon lighting during action sequences, which also sometimes play out to a mix of eclectic song choices and a rousing, moving score from Jed Kurzel.
Again, Monkey Man has the formula down for shooting this violent fury in the final electrifying 30 minutes. Perhaps it’s also by design that the finale is the only stretch with long takes and an extended shot of hand-to-hand combat, but regardless of the reason, the first 2/3rds are occasionally a muddled blur, even if there are some moments of inspired brutality.
There is no way of knowing what Monkey Man would have looked and felt like if it had been crafted with the resources initially promised, but it’s also not much of a leap in logic that Jordan Peele rescued the film from a depressing Netflix-only, no-advertising, streaming fate by noticing the potential on-hand. The film is rough, with stretchers and glimpses of badassery that make one eager to see what Dev Patel can do with more experience and resources.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
