Academy Award nominated actor, Dev Patel, takes the director’s chair and writer’s seat, in his debut feature length film, “Monkey Man.” The violent and action-packed saga follows a young man (Dev Patel), who unleashes years of suppressed rage on the men who took everything from him as a child, and continue to victimize the poor.
Before I jump in, we need to all give major kudos to Jordan Peele for preventing this film from being swept under the rug. After a rocky road with Netflix, Peele swooped in to save the day, becoming one of the film’s producer, ensuring “Monkey Man” got a theatrical release.
And thank god he did, because Dev Patel comes out SWINGING in the most BANANAS and best way possible.
“Monkey Man” brings the legend of Hanuman into modern day Mumbai in ferocious thriller that does not hold any punches. It is intense, gutsy and boasts fight choreography that will leave you cheering for every wildly violent move Patel’s character makes.
It’s very clear that “Monkey Man” plays into the quintessential revenge thriller tropes famous in films like “John Wick” and “Oldboy.” However, it is Patel’s devotion to the technical craft of storytelling that makes the viewers’ experience with “Monkey Man” so much richer — and perhaps even more brutal.
And underneath all the bloodshed, the film delivers a strong critique on India’s tumultuous sociopolitical landscape while weaving in religion, mythology and equal rights.
Yes. Patel is biting off a lot more than he can chew at times with an uneven pace, but it doesn’t distract from the main story or how much I enjoyed the experience.
Overall, “Monkey Man” is a blood-filled vengeance tale is an ambitious blast establishing Dev Patel not only as an action star, but a forceful director.
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