Going as far back as Kurosawa’s 1961 classic Yojimbo (and probably even before that), the revenge flick always has a unique place in the heart of the audience.
Whether it be a samurai, a war vet (ala Rambo), a 21st century Liam Neeson role, or (most recently) the John Wick films, we all have that inner being that wants to exact revenge. Whether it be a bully, a boss/co-worker, or someone who cut you off in traffic, our (much safer) alternative to vengeance is watching it dished out on screen.
This brings us to Monkey Man, the directorial debut of it’s star Dev Patel (he was also a co writer of the script). Listed in the credits as “Kid” (though called “Bobby” at times), the film does not what has driven him to a vengeful state (at least until later on in flashbacks) like you see in the Taken films or the first John Wick.
The discovery of these tragic events when he was a child slowly reveal themselves to have a political aspect to them as Kid exacts his revenge. He inspired by the deity Hanuman. He eventually comes to the identity of Monkey Man, which he gets from his time making money in an underground fighting ring.
While the film does have a talented cast including Sharlto Copley, Vipin Sharma, Sobhita Dhulipala, and Pitobash, what one will walk away with from this film are two main things: Patel as an action star and as a director. This is not his first time in an action role (I have yet to see him in The Green Knight), but (as already mentioned) his first time directing. I looked back at his filmography to see the directors he has worked with: Danny Boyle, M. Night Shymalan (in the sake of kindness, I won’t mention the title), Neil Blomkamp, John Madden, and Wes Anderson. Still, his true inspiration comes from other movies such as Bruce Lee and Korean cinema, as he explains in a Letterboxd interview.
The film has some pacing issues, which results in it seeming to drag for its approximate two hour run time. True, there are sections of the film that need to be slowed down, but the scenes with kinetic energy (especially the purse robbing scene towards the beginning) are what we really remember afterwards.
Parents, keep the kids at home. While there is mild sexual content (there is a fight sequence inside a brothel with some “blink and you’ll miss” images), the violence more than makes up for the R rating.
It is always intriguing to see a new director emerge, especially if they are an actor (in the 21st century we have had the likes of debuts from Ben Affleck, Greta Gerwig, Bradley Cooper, and George Clooney come to mind). Whether Patel reaches their level of progress remains to be seen (if he ever makes another film). If he does, I will be there.
Overall:
Nothing else to say 