The Pitch: When we first Kid (Dev Patel), his primary source of income is competing in underground fights while wearing a monkey mask. Kid holds his own but doesn’t win any of his matches, which is fine because his goal isn’t to win — his goal is to infiltrate a luxurious club right in the middle of his impoverished city, because the Monkey Man has a decades-old quest for revenge that finally may be close to ending — in blood.
Out for Revenge: With Monkey Man, star and first-time director Dev Patel uses his debut feature to craft a hell of an action showcase for himself, tearing into the project with the same ferocity Kid himself displays while taking on another pack of goons. While the movie at times leans a bit too hard on flashbacks and flashy editing to deliver emotional heft, it’s a more than worthy entry in a well-established genre, an entry that also manages to stand out thanks to its visual flair and fresh take.
The above plot summary is not that long for two reasons: First, because there’s not much plot overall, and second, it reflects the way in which the film is slow to parcel out the full scope of Kid’s reasons for wanting revenge. It’s an unnecessary, at times frustrating, element of mystery for a movie like this, since it’s not hard to figure out who exactly the bad guys are: Imagine a John Wick (a franchise deliberately name-dropped in Monkey Man) where you only found out about the dog getting killed halfway through.
Mentioning John Wick here, for the record, creates a moral obligation to mention that while a very cute dog plays a notable part in Monkey Man, the dog is fine. You can relax when it comes to the dog. Don’t get attached to any henchmen, though, as dozens of them get dispatched in a dazzling series of fight scenes that don’t skimp on the blood or (grounded) acrobatics — there are points where it feels like the camera will never stop moving, but never in a way that feels overpowering or distracts from the overall impact of the action.
Fists of Fury: Monkey Man wears its influences on its sleeve, yet thrives in its more character-focused moments: Featured prominently are members of a hijra tribe (known within India as “third-gender” individuals, which translates to Western audiences as trans), and their leader, played by Vipin Sharma, brings a wonderful depth of humanity to the movie just when it needs it most.
Meanwhile, the toughest challenge for most actors who step behind the camera is figuring out how to direct themselves, yet Patel handles it well — his performance as Kid isn’t perhaps the most nuanced of his career, but he’s got the necessary vulnerability to make it clear that Kid is far from superhuman, despite his physical prowess. He even manages to crack the occasional smile, a feat even John Wick struggles with.
Monkey Man (Universal)
Even with Kid, though, the film doesn’t do much to flesh out the vast majority of its characters. Instead, a lot of unspoken history can be felt in the margins of scenes — as one example, Sobhita Dhulipala plays a burned-out sex worker employed by the fancy club, who has just a few lines of dialogue. Yet her performance does expand the role beyond the trope, a spark of inner life visible in her resignation.
Beyond Patel, the biggest name in the cast is District 9 breakout Sharlto Copley, who also starred opposite Patel in 2015’s Chappie; his screen time is limited but he’s an unhinged delight. Meanwhile, Sikandar Kher and Makarand Deshpande, as the primary bad guys, bring the requisite menace.
The Verdict: While the stakes are never less than serious and the tone never wavers, there’s still a playfulness to many of Monkey Man’s fight scenes that makes them thrilling to watch — and to generate excitement for whatever Patel might choose to do next.
Could that be a direct sequel to this film? Patel isn’t confirming that one way or the other, but the anticipation is there. Monkey Man doesn’t get too deep as a narrative, but it proves that this kind of grounded violence has no borders, and that there’s always room for invention. There are at least two moments in this movie that feel totally fresh and new to the genre. And given how much has come before, that’s a true accomplishment.
Where to Watch: Monkey Man kick-punches into theaters on Friday, April 5th.
Trailer:
