Monkey Man is the sort of film that delivers on its promise. Yes it is an intense action movie focused on well choreographed fights scenes, but it is also an inspiring tale of liberation critiquing caste and class as well as highlighting trans characters. Patel has made an impressive debut with his first directoral effort.
Monkey Man is ambitious for sure. There is a desperate kinetic energy throughout, with Patel barely taking time to breathe as he barrels through his story. But it fits with his underdog mythology that he's building here and keeps the tension at a high level throughout. There are some moments of contemplation but he balances this quite effectively, allowing the backstory to unfold to give gravitas to his fight movie. It all comes together quite well.
Monkey Man is a champion of the oppressed and centres marginalized characters in their fight to prove their worth. This elevates Monkey Man from just being a John Wick take off. Patel is not only making a strong debut as a director but his performance is top notch too, bringing more than just his trainer perfected body to the role. He makes "Kid" a truly watchable and relatable central character.
This one is a winner and I'm sure I'll enjoy watching it time and again.
Monkey Man
Starring: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Vipin Sharma, Sikander Kher, Sobhita Dhulipala, Ashwini Kalsekar, Makarand Deshpande
Director: Dev Patel
Writers: Paul Angunawela, John Collee, Dev Patel
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