By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Move aside “John Wick,” there’s a new suit wearing, expert martial artist in town, and he’s tearing a path of vengeance through the streets of India. “Monkey Man” is a gritty, in-your-face type of action film that rejuvenates the genre with its creativity on a basic storyline. Even though the plot has been done plenty of times previously, this has enough heart mixed with culture that makes it a compelling watch.
Barely able to earn a living by taking a beating in an underground fight club on a nightly basis, Kid (Dev Patel) is desperately trying to maneuver his way into the corrupt power elite of the city. His reasoning becomes more and more clear as he flashes back to memories of his childhood with his loving mother. The trauma he experienced as a little boy not only left physical scars on his hands, but also internal scars on his soul from what he witnessed.
Now, his suppressed rage is driving him on a singular quest to exact revenge on all responsible, regardless of the danger in which he’s placing himself. As he prepares to enact his brutal form of justice, he receives assistance from an unlikely source of similarly shunned members of society. Throwing caution to the wind, he barrels straight into the lion’s den with his own life hanging in the balance.
Dev Patel pulls double duty as the star and director of the film, a daunting task, but one he executes brilliantly. Making his directorial debut, he could have easily created “Monkey Man” as another “John Wick” wannabe and still make plenty profit, but he made a concerted effort to infuse this production with passion and Indian culture. As a result, Patel achieves a fresh creation in a saturated market. He enables the audience to feel the bubbling rage and connect to its origination, making the fight scenes so much more invested, all while offering insight into Indian culture and beliefs.
Visually, Patel does an exemplary job showing the dark underbelly of Indian culture, shining a light on those who usually remain invisible, the downtrodden and social pariahs. He uses an unfiltered approach, allowing viewers to experience the dirt and grime of the city streets as well as the brutal bloodletting of the fight sequences. This adds a level of realism similar to that realized in “The Raid: Redemption.” He does resort to more frenetic cinematography, especially during the fight scenes, with chaotic camera movements that are dizzying at times. This is due in large part to severe budget cuts that forced him to use GoPros and iPhones for multiple shots, but he makes it work without it detracting from the quality of the production.
As the star of the film, Dev Patel puts his talent on full display, presenting a character who is broken from childhood trauma while still possessing a level of humanity that makes him likeable. The passion and commitment he put into this role is visceral, suffering multiple broken bones in the process of filming. As a previous Oscar nominee (“Lion”), Dev provides that special kind of performance that carries the film.
Also providing a notable supporting performance is Sharlto Copley (“District 9”), portraying the business-like persona of the in-ring announcer for the underground fight club convincingly. He turns a nondescript role into a memorable one with his appropriately flamboyant antics to rile the crowd.
For action fans, this film is an absolute must see. “Monkey Man” may be a basic revenge plot audiences are quite familiar with, but the execution and outstanding effort of the director/actor add that x-factor element so often missing from these types of movies. The energy, heart, and connectivity will have you pounding your chest in appreciation.
This movie earns:
