The Film Buffa Reviews: Dev Patel's 'Monkey Man' is its own beautiful beast
The "John Wick" comparisons are welcome, but this soulful Indonesian action blast breathes a unique flame.
Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but it can take years to completely fulfill. Nobody knows this sad but true state of affairs better than Dev Patel’s mysterious, nameless underground fighter. A man stripped of his heart at a young age, he steps into a ring and takes a beating every night for paying customers, pairing it with a thankless restaurant job. One would think he’s taken a few too many knocks to the head or wants to enroll in a remake of Fight Club. But there’s always a plan in place.
Patel directs and stars in the energetic and soulful Monkey Man, a quick-moving action film that will inevitably draw comparisons to the John Wick franchise for its modern fight, “Wick Fu” techniques and revenge-soaked plot lines. There’s also the fact that Thunder Road helped produced both films. When Jordan Peele, a producer here as well, throws skin into the game, you pay attention. Universal took a handoff from Netflix, giving the film a theatrical release. The scope of the tale fits the larger canvas.
The young man isn’t just stepping into the ring for kicks, split lips and gas money; he wants the people responsible for killing someone very close to him. A wound that has been gaping for decades has surely taken its fair share of twists and turns, but a new lead at his day job turns the lock on his path to revenge. But it’s still a path that goes through the ring of horrors.
If you remember Nicolas Cage’s quiet truffle hunter in Michae Sarnoski’s glorious indie film, Pig, well enough, the style and punch-drunk nature of the fight club scenes should seem somewhat familiar. Patel drenches the audience in those moments very early on in Monkey Man, mixing in those painful memories that fuel his simmering rage.
That’s the only painful thing about taking this movie in. You love Patel and want him to fight back harder against his oppressors, but he takes a good amount of damage. You wonder if it’s an act to get close or a will to take as much damage as one who harbors his level of guilt possibly can. The watch isn’t easy, but the Rocky style of storytelling fits the aesthetic perfectly.
If there’s a mark where it stands above Wick and recent revenge action flicks, it’s the kinetic and playful soundtrack and gorgeous cinematography. It’s flashy and fresh, knowing good looks run far with a dedicated filmmaker at the helm. The production design pulls visual flavors from Slumdog Millionaire, the place where it all started for its unstoppable leader.
The reports of Patel doing whatever was necessary and pulling multiple kinds of duty on set show on film. He gave this film everything, and that’s in addition to being the beating heart of its story. He cuts an athletic yet vulnerable stature in the ring, one that reminds of Jake Gyllenhaal’s “hit me as much as you can” bouncer in the Road House remake, but done a lot better. Here, there’s a clear marker behind his effortless rage and tolerance for damage, not just a death wish.
Patel makes it all mean something. He has a nice eye behind the camera as well, paying more tribute to The Raid films than Wick with the sensational action, but still ushers in some of the latter’s tactics to thrill and entertain in a round of fisticuffs. He shoots a more claustrophobic fight scene than pulling the camera back, but you know it’s Patel taking the hits. Instead of using special effects to enhance the blood, sweat and tears, he just relies on sharp choreography and practical movement. There’s a riveting bathroom showdown that teases a later duel that is relentlessly shot and keeps on going. The unnamed Monkey Man at the heart of this film takes its fair share of beatings, which makes the ones dished back in return much more meaningful.
The supporting cast doesn’t disappoint. Huge credit to Sikandar Kher for giving us a true villain to loathe and despise with the passion of a thousand suns; his villainous silhouette with an iron clad jawline next to a burning building plays like a graphic animated film showing human colors. You hate him immediately. Sharlto Copley spins a pompous electricity around a cagey fight announcer, and Pitobsh Tripathi provides the much-needed comic relief as the lead’s unexpected partner in vengeful crime. He even gets Patel to smile twice. Vipin Sharma lends gravitas to a vital role in the second half of the movie that I wish not to spoil completely.
Let’s just say Patel’s nameless avenger gets knocked down, and needs time to get back up. He finds help and purpose in his recovery, and his Mickeys look a lot different than Burgess Meredith. The underdog aspect of this revenge saga never overstays its welcome, only lengthening the joy of such a well-made action flick. Yeah, you snobby drama addicts, this one thrives and dies on its hand-to-hand, knife-assisted combat. But there’s a thoughtful pulse to the bloody rhythm, a finish that sets Patel’s Monkey Man above the rest.
It’s the first time in 2024 that I have left a movie and legitimately thought, “wow.” It’s influenced by, but not a replicant or mimic of, a few recent and not as recent action movies. There’s even an hilarious instance where Patel’s on the run and tries to go through a plain glass window down a few stories like Keanu Reeves’s legendary gunman, but fails horribly. Laughs like that keep the balance that is required in this kind of film.
Make no mistake: Dev Patel’s Monkey Man is its own, beautiful beast.