Monkey Man

Monkey Man
Starring Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma
Directed by Dev Patel

Passion projects in cinema are a rare breed, as more often than not films are made by greedy corporations who want to capitalize on an already known property and churn movie after movie knowing the masses will flock to them because of name recognition, not caring about the heart of the story they tell. That may be a jaded view of cinema, but after seeing the amount of movies I have, you pick up on these things. "Monkey Man," for its flaws, is no such thing. It's a pure passion project directed, written, produced and starring Dev Patel, famous for roles in "Slumdog Millionaire," "The Green Knight," and his Oscar-nominated turn in "Lion." Once destined for a Netflix original, the film was picked up by Jordan Peele's production company and given the big screen treatment, and we're all better for it - while this might be a sort of by-the-books action revenge epic, it's heart bleeds in every scene, showcasing Patel's brilliance onscreen and his beginnings of a great director behind the scenes.

Kid (Dev Patel) fights in illegal fighting rings wearing a monkey mask and gets paid for losing, but he's spent his whole life fighting and preparing to get revenge against the corrupt Indian government that invaded his homeland when he was a child and butchered his people, including his mother. He tracks down the chief of police and gets a job working in the high end club he visits, and spends his time training for the fight to get revenge for his mother and his people.

One of the big mistakes "Monkey Man" makes is billing itself as another "John Wick" style film. While the action is as impressive, well-choreographed and intense as "John Wick," there's only a few of them in the film - unlike Wick, which pretty much throws in epic action set pieces every ten minutes. If you're going into this film thinking it'll be like that, you'll be disappointed by the actual lack of fighting. Instead, the film is a deep dive into the world of a man bent on revenge, and the corrupt and crooked system that India is unfortunately known for due to its over population and greedy law enforcement.

The majority of the film is spent with Kid (who never gets a real name, although he calls himself Bobby when he gets a job at the club) as he remembers his childhood with his loving mother living in the wilds, before their land was claimed by the government for expansion, murdering his people. We're given numerous flashbacks to that story, which is also a bit of a detriment of the film as we don't really need to see these numerous flashbacks again and again, but it comes from a beginning writer who is passionate about telling his story.

While the tale is that of revenge, something that's been told numerous times, this one feels more personal. It's like Dev Patel actually went through these events in his real life, as it shows with the passion and drive he shows on the screen. He's a brute force, even if he's a little out of his league at the start, learning from his mistakes and hardening himself into a committed warrior for his own personal cause. It's gritty, raw, and dirty - and that's a good thing. You feel like you're there in the midst of it, and Patel's fiery gaze speaks volumes, giving you a deeper appreciation for the character and his just cause.

The action, when given, is crisp, intense, fast-paced, and incredibly bloody. Limbs break, blood gushes, and guttural screams echo the room, making it a film that you really need to see on the big screen (thankfully Peele saved this from the humdrum Netflix void). You'll wince, cheer, and shout as you witness Patel emerge as a new action hero, and although his first directorial debut has some kinks in it, you can sense that his next few outings will polish his behind-the-scenes edges very well.

Touching on a story of revenge and justice, "Monkey Man" isn't filled with action, but when it does get to it, it's exciting and intense - and the story behind the action shines through in Patel's performance in front of and behind the camera.

The Score: A