Monkey Man — Movie Review
In the first act of Dev Patel’s directorial debut, Monkey Man, the name of John Wick is invoked. Similarly, the marketing appears to channel the Keanu Reeves-led action franchise. Indeed, during the film, the titular main character befriends a dog. It’s important for viewers to know going into this film, should they buy a ticket, for better and (more notably) for worse Monkey Man is no John Wick.
The marketing for the film promises non-stop action and thrilling fight scenes. That element is in here, to be sure, but it comes as the breading in a heavy, dramatic sandwich. Monkey Man begins slowly as we are introduced to the main character who is doing … something. We aren’t told exactly what, but it seems important to him. Over the course of the next 113 minutes, we slowly learn exactly what Monkey Man is doing and why. Slowly is the operative word. There are high-octane fights peppered in here and there, but mainly, the film builds the character’s motivations for nearly two hours.
Perhaps Monkey Man attempts to subvert expectations, but as the second act crawls along, the film’s runtime is felt. The tension, all built during the initial action sequences, dissipates until the viewer is left wondering what this is all for.
It’s not all for naught; Dev Patel’s visual style choices invoking the grit and grime of India’s seedy underbelly work well for the film. Patel acquits himself nicely as the protagonist, working as a quiet warrior. However, the film’s shaky-cam action style buffers the hard hits and violence when it does arrive. And as any notable action sequences are few and far between, those scenes could use the punch taken away by the jolting and nauseating camera moves.
Monkey Man’s promise of a thrilling action jaunt is sullied by its insistence on being a self-important allegory. Those entering with that expectation will likely be satisfied. However, those looking for an action thriller with tightly choreographed, pulse-pounding fights, as the marketing seemed to indicate, may look elsewhere. Monkey Man is not that film.
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