Summary
- Dev Patel’s intense action scenes showcase his transformation into a gritty action star.
- The film delves into Indian class disparity and crimes against the trans community, adding depth to the brutal narrative.
- Patel’s directorial debut struggles with pacing due to excessive flashbacks and sentimental moments.
Dev Patel punches, kicks, claws, and literally bites his way through repugnant enemies in a brutal actioner that runs overly long. Monkey Man addresses socioeconomic and sexual oppression with a bone-crushing, laborious delivery steeped in Hindu religious themes. The film can be too easily described as John Wick in India without the guns, but Patel will kick your ass and break a foot doing it. He packs a visceral wallop in his feature directorial debut but goes overboard with good intentions. A dependence on excessive flashbacks and melodramatic close-ups strains patience between the savage beatdowns.
An anonymous man, later nicknamed Bobby (Patel) as a cruel slight, fights in a grimy cage match wearing a monkey mask. He’s out of his league against a superior opponent. Jeering spectators throw bottles and spit as he slinks out of the ring covered in blood. But Bobby is used to getting pummeled for money. Tiger (Sharlto Copley), the greedy promoter, only gives him half the promised payout because he didn’t put on a good enough show. The audience wants to see more pain and suffering. You can always bleed a little more.
Bobby has a fleeting memory of a lost childhood with his beloved mother (Adithi Kalkunte). She holds his hands as they walk through a lush jungle. He’s entranced by her stories of Hanuman, a divine monkey punished for not knowing his place. These visions haunt Bobby as he relentlessly pursues a lifelong mission. He will avenge her at all costs.
Monkey Man
2.5/5
- Release Date
- April 5, 2024
- Runtime
- 1hr 53min
- Fight scenes are gruesome and well-executed
- Thematically interesting with a focus on class systems
- A great central performance from Patel
- There are pacing issues as a result of over-use of flashbacks
- Somewhat repetitive formula
A Ring of Pain
Mumbai readies for upcoming elections on the eve of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Religious leader Baba Shakti (Makarand Deshpande) feigns modesty while on the verge of taking political power. His devoted acolyte and the powerful police chief, Rana Singh (Sikandar Kher), is a fixture at his side. Meanwhile, Bobby has been studiously watching Rana’s sister, the vile Queenie Kapoor (Ashwini Kalsekar). He’s finally hatched a plan to get within striking distance of them.
Monkey Man sears with a damning portrayal of Indian class disparity. The poor masses cling to slivers of survival while the wealthy flaunt opulent lifestyles. Their luxury cars whizzing past rows of dirty orphans sleeping on the streets. Mothers cling to infants as the desperate beg and steal to fill hungry bellies. They are blatantly ignored in a city that considers them worthless. Bobby uses this hidden army as spies, and they become crucial pieces in his bloody quest. The film also tackles crimes against the trans community, with Patel shining a critical light on the ignored, forgotten, and subjugated. A clear message accompanies his barbaric violence.
Patel uses handheld cameras to spotlight the hustle and bustle of daily poverty. These viewpoints are seen from children’s perspectives at low angles. They weave through traffic with shaky and jarring movements that are meant to be unsettling. This methodology continues in the flashback sequences. The mother towers above the boy as a trusted authority figure. He always follows with a focus on her eyes, smile, and gentle touch. In this way, Patel captures innocence before it’s shattered. The protagonist is transformed by vengeance. In contrast, Steadicam overhead, and long tracking shots during the vicious climax indicate a murderous purpose and a laser focus. There’s no wavering in his quest to slaughter everyone.
\n “”>
Dev Patel’s Best Performances, Ranked
An underrated actor with a diverse resume, we look at Dev Patel’s best performances ranked.
Kill Them All
Monkey Man’s blended visual approach has mixed results. In his directorial debut, Patel succeeds and fails with key editorial decisions. It seems as though he didn’t want to cut any material, with everything given equal importance, so each part of his script gets equal time onscreen. This doesn’t work when the flashback sequences become a hindrance to pacing.
What happens to the mother is fairly obvious in the first act, but the slow reveal of her fate slogs through the entire story. Unfortunately, with this, Patel falls down the slippery slope into fawning sentimentality. This is a common mistake for first-time filmmakers. That said, he nails the hedonism and villainy of the despicable antagonists. Bobby becomes a fly on the wall to Queenie’s illicit activities and Ashwini Kalsekar nearly steals the show from the machismo-dripping tough guys.
James Bond Fans Are Calling for Monkey Man Star Dev Patel to Be Next 007
Following his first action movie lead in Monkey Man, James Bond fans think they’ve found the next 007 in Dev Patel.
Monkey Man achieves its most important goal; the action scenes are absolutely ferocious. Patel, a superb dramatic actor, becomes a bonafide action star with a gritty and powerfully physical performance. Bobby isn’t a badass from the start. His willingness to accept punishment for a greater cause unleashes a monster. He’s pretty much invincible while plowing through baddies like shredded confetti. The gunplay here is quite minimal, instead depicting torn throats, snapped limbs, and gouged eyes. The gruesome carnage fits the protagonist’s motivations. Bobby wants to feel death at his fingertips. They showed no mercy to the innocent, so he returns the favor in spades.
Monkey Man is a production of Bron Studios, Thunder Road Films, Monkeypaw Productions, et al. It will be released theatrically on April 5th from Universal Pictures. You can watch the trailer below:
