We were all first introduced to Dev Patel as the scrawny slumdog playing Who Wants to Be a Millionaire with the hope of reconnecting with the love of his life in the Best Picture winner Slumdog Millionaire. Who would have guessed that little more than 15 years later Patel would prove himself to be not only a bonafide action star but a promising young director with his movie Monkey Man.
A revenge story about a man from a rural village in India who attempts to take down the powerful figures that burned his village and killed his mother, Monkey Man features plenty of bloody fistacuffs to satisfy all fans of the action genre. While that is enough to make Monkey Man a fun watch, there isn't a whole lot else going on in the movie.
But let's focus on the positive first, and that truly is the work of Patel. While the Oscar-nominated actor has taken on some roles in recent years that saw him delve into sword play (The Green Knight) or high-intense situations (Hotel Mumbai), he has never really been a straightforward action star like he is here. He pulls it off with ease in Monkey Man. He has the look of the modern day action star (fit but sleek) and brings plenty of intensity to his role as the unnamed avenger.
Even more impressive though is Patel's direction. The first half of the movie is frenetic and chaotic, which initially seemed like it would be a negative, as you could barely keep up with what was going on. But it proved to be a sound directorial choice. Patel's character is unhinged in the first half of the movie, consumed by rage and charging forward like a bull toward his desired revenge. However, when his initial plan does not work, he is given the opportunity to reflect and find renewed purpose, fighting not only for himself but others that have been oppressed by the powerful men ruling India. As a result the action changes. It still has plenty of energy but it is more controlled, allowing viewers to revel in the spectacle of the climactic fights.
This is a very encouraging sign, making Patel a director to be excited about, as he had a clear vision and made conscious choices to convey that to the audience. It's not an easy thing to do. He still has room to grow, but the potential is undeniable.
The rest of the movie struggles to have the same kind of depth or execution, however. The chief problem with this is the two main villains in the movie, Rana (Sikandar Kher) and Baba Shakti (Makrand Desphpande). They are bad guys, we get that right away, but that's about all we get. Little time is spent with them or their motivations, and they seem like empty caricatures for the corruption and greed of the powerful in the society of the story, stepping on the weak without consequence. It's enough to get us on the side of Patel's hero, but not enough to make them interesting. The best villain we get is actually Queenie (Ashwini Kalsekar), even though she is secondary and only given a few scenes.
As for the story overall, there are clear ideas that Patel and his co-writers are leaving breadcrumbs for, but nothing comes together in a truly satisfying way. We're all just waiting for the next action scene to break out.
If you're an action junkie, then there is little doubt that you will enjoy watching Monkey Man. However, while the action is intense and jaw-dropping, there's not a lot that elevates Monkey Man to an action classic like the John Wick movies (which are clearly an inspiration). But at the very least, we got Dev Patel, action star and emerging director, so that makes it a worthwhile entry to the genre.
Monkey Man releases April 5 exclusively in movie theaters worldwide.
