This is an experience which will make audiences’ blood rush. A new hero is born due to revenge that has been endured for so long. Monkey Man just keeps giving with angry vibes of classic destruction. The film is directed by and stars Dev Patel in a role that is like Slumdog Millionaire meets John Wick. The streets of India are full of dark allies and Patel’s direction and performance are wickedly rapid. With all the jumps and craziness in Monkey Man, I felt like there was an army of monkeys getting into fights all around me. Patel, however, is the strongest and most ruthless of them all.
In Monkey Man, the film introduces us to Kid (Patel), a young man living in a world of anger and destruction. At night he is astreet fighter at a club run by a man named Tiger (played by Sharlto Copley). Kid wears a gorilla mask when he is a street fighter and fights to help ease his anger. He feels rage from his childhood days when his mother was murdered. Kid has tried for much of his life to let go and take his fears elsewhere, but without success. Due to his continuous fights and earning little money, fighting has not helped him grow as an individual. Kidtakes a job at a high-end club and puts together the pieces of the wealthy men involved. With the help of a colleague named Alphonso (played by Pitobash), Kid’s anger eventually leads him to a connection with the man who killed his mother. This is where the rage really sets in.
Once Kid finds out who was involved in the killing of his mother, the true ape side of Patel’s character explodes. He goes on a tirade of destruction in which he destroys criminal operations, destroys bad people, and destroys businesses. Soon the authorities are on to him. But Kid won’t stop until he feels there is true justice for his mother. India’s landscape is theplayground for Kid’s destruction and the bad guys keep appearing out of many different corners. Patel’s angry side shines vividly in Monkey Man. How bad do things get? How violent does the film get? The answers to these questions are part of this film’s bonkers adventure.
As part of this massive display of revenge and destruction, I found the film to be very effective at tying in culture. The death of Kid’s mother had to do with land and poverty. The concept of unnecessary suffering fueled additional anger which causedrapid damage throughout the film and led to one of Patel’s finest performances.
With fighting and violence on the streets, Patel plays onedangerous man who is a winner as both an actor and as a director. This movie is a vivid heart-pumping rollercoaster rideand truly one of the top films of the year so far. I found this film full of clashes and explosions to be an insane and triumphant experience. Four out of four stars for Monkey Man.
