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Kid (Dev Patel) earns a meagre living on the illegal underground fighting circuit, going up against more skilled fighters for cash while wearing a gorilla mask. Calling himself "Bobby," Kid gains employment as a kitchen hand for Queenie (Ashwini Kalsekar), who oversees a criminal empire and provides drugs and prostitutes for wealthy VIP clients. Negotiating a promotion, Kid gains access to the VIP zone, where he sets his sights on the corrupt police chief, Rana Singh (Sikandar Kher), who was responsible for destroying Kid's village and murdering his mother. After a botched assassination attempt that nearly kills him, Kid finds support in spiritual leader Alpha (Vipin Sharma) and her group, who are sympathetic to his cause due to the tumultuous political situation in India.
Patel, who co-wrote the screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee, attempts to add substance to the narrative by touching on relevant issues in India, including political corruption and the oppression of transgender people. However, it amounts to window dressing, and thankfully, Patel does not traverse into unwelcome political grandstanding. Nevertheless, turning Kid into the hero of transgender people feels incredibly contrived and unearned, especially since Kid does not have a personal connection to them. More successful is Kid's spiritual connection with the Indian deity Hanuman, while the climax occurs against the backdrop of Diwali. This type of material is rare in mainstream cinema, and it adds an artful angle to an otherwise standard-order revenge movie. Monkey Man's first act gradually builds, relying on intrigue as Kid works on planning and executing his vendetta of vengeance against Rana. But after Kid's first armed conflict, the picture quickly loses its way, leading to an extremely dull second act that never finds its groove or builds any momentum. The movie's generic structure becomes all the more apparent during the painfully slow second act, when a defeated Kid rebuilds his strength, finds spiritual enlightenment and trains in combat before returning to face Rana again. At a basic level, it's the plot of Rocky III.
When Monkey Man is locked in action mode, it delivers in spades, with superb fight choreography and spirited bloodshed, captured with impressive visual panache. The finale, in particular, is a stunner, with Kid relentlessly and efficiently working his way through scores of combatants. After a drab second act, the climactic showdown is worth the wait. Monkey Man is not another vanilla PG-13 endeavour but instead a vicious R-rated revenge film that does not hold back on the graphic violence, but Patel also shows enough tact, never dwelling on the bloodshed or making it feel gratuitous. Patel's apparent influences are vast, from Korean cinema (think A Bittersweet Life) to The Raid and the John Wick movies. (One character even references John Wick while Kid is shopping for firearms.) Patel's directorial inexperience is never apparent during the impressive action sequences, and there's even a distinct arthouse touch to several moments throughout the movie, making this more intriguing and refreshing than a more standard-order B-movie. Patel has a distinct vision for Monkey Man, making it all the more disheartening that the writing and editing fail to serve him sufficiently.
Juggling directorial duties with acting, Patel is remarkable as Kid, with the performer ably conveying fear and pain through facial expressions while confidently delivering during the chaotic action beats. Although not an obvious choice for an action hero, Patel's fighting skills are genuinely impressive. The only other recognisable performer here is Sharlto Copley (District 9), who enthusiastically plays a scumbag responsible for organising fights and manipulating match outcomes.
With more editorial discipline, Monkey Man would have been one of 2024's standout action movies, particularly since Patel supplements the revenge story with an intriguing sense of culture. As it is, the movie works in fits and starts, but the experience is fatiguing due to its prolonged two-hour running time. Nevertheless, Patel shows incredible promise as a filmmaker, and Monkey Man remains more interesting than any number of generic Hollywood misfires.
6.5/10
