Do you enjoy John Wick?”A little way into Monkey Man, a pushy arms dealer questions Dev Patel’s still-developing hero Kid. (The dealer has one of Wick’s signature handguns, the TTI Combat Master, in his catalogue.) It’s a meta moment that nods to one of Patel’s many action-movie influences; when the film’s pulsating trailer dropped, complete with crunchy gunplay and ouchy stabbings, comparisons to the Keanu Reeves franchise flew like bullet casings. Fortunately, Monkey Man is not a copy of Continental. It has an engine with something to prove, juice of its own, and energy to burn.
Patel, who began his career as a scrawny scamp in Skins, is that engine. Not many could have imagined a transformation into Bruce Lee. But during all of this, Patel was consuming copious amounts of violence; he binge-watched Enter the Dragon, The Raid, and violent Korean thrillers while crafting his own rebuttal. Monkey Man takes a simple revenge-o-matic plot—Patel’s unnamed kid seeks justice for his mother’s violent death and pursues the elite who allowed it to happen—and adds new elements, such as contemporary politics (Patel’s punches are sharp) and ancient Indian mythology. Get ready to meet Hanuman the Monkey God.
The improbable action god, Dev Patel, is here.
It has a new feel to it. More importantly, it seems enjoyable. The recently created imagery has a joyful vibe, as exemplified by Kid’s initial appearance at his favorite fighting ring wearing a monkey mask, greeted by an increasingly seductive Sharlto Copley (yep, the reunion between Chappie and Chappie that no one anticipated). Even though the fight takes a while to come—Kid spends the first act stifling emotional outbursts—when it does, it’s exuberant and inventive with a dash of crazy mischief. Shots from the first person are included. There is an elevator knife-kill that, even after a week, will make you wince. Fish are exploding here.
There are problems elsewhere even though the action stuns. The movie suffers from Excessive Flashback Syndrome (EFS), throwing too many sun-dappled glimpses of Kid’s fortunate upbringing at the audience. However, after making intriguing starts, the witty sidekick Alphonso (Pitobash) and the amiable prostitute Sita (Sobhita Dhulipala) are underutilized. Additionally, the otherwise gripping story wanes little in the middle due to a lull about the Kid being cared for by mystics known as the “hijra.”
Even so, there are unique and serene cinematic moments that enhance the proceedings, such as a tabla drum training segment and a Kathputli puppet show. And the finale, which takes players through a crooked nightclub floor by floor like a journey up a cursed mountain, should satisfy even the most diehard mayhem fan. The improbable action god, Dev Patel, is here. Answered his phone.