When you consider just how much Dev Patel gave of himself to bring Monkey Man to fruition (a hand and a couple of toes, apparently), it truly is a marvel in artistic effort. From writing to directing to acting, the chaotic fights of the anonymous protagonist seem to parallel the gruelling endeavour to not only get a project greenlit and funded but also the long arduous shooting process, dealing with actors, extras, sets, the elements and so on.
And like his alter ego, Patel has triumphed through broken bones, a pandemic, and depleted financing to bring us a fun action adventure flick that pulls so much from mythology it almost becomes its own. This mythology, combined with inspirations from modern action films culminates in a story that is maximalist in both its aesthetic and its narrative, for both better and worse.
The Lost Kid
The story begins with the unnamed protagonist, Kid, being imparted the story of Hanuman the Monkey King by his now-deceased mother. The Monkey, who had a penchant for mangoes, one day came across a mango so large he had to have it. And so he climbed all the way up a large tree to eat the giant mango, only to find that it was the sun, and was struck down by the gods in punishment.
Years later, Kid takes part in the underground fighting rings of Mumbai in a monkey mask, channelling the hero of his childhood. The only problem is – he’s not very good. Routinely taking a beating, Kid makes his money mainly by making the popular fighters look good for the sleazy showrunner, Tiger, played wonderfully by Sharlto Copley who’s so regularly in his element when embracing these zany, off-beat characters.
He intercepts a stolen wallet and returns it to its owner, one foul-mouthed Queen Kapoor (Ashwini Kalsekar), manager of a sordid clandestine gentleman’s club where women are ordered off the menu-like game. He begs for a job and eventually gets one, partnering up with the slick-talking Alphonso (Pitobash), who carries the energy of a used car salesman. Working in the club’s VIP, he spots an unmistakable ear scar belonging to Rana (Sikandar Kher), the same man who took his mother’s life many years before. Kid sets his eyes on killing this man, and many of the film’s antics ensue.
Monkey Man misses a trick by not letting Kid’s all-consuming vengeance be established right from the word ‘go’. When we, the audience, and Kid are introduced to the scarred Rana, it feels like the first time meeting him, only to learn that he’s been the object of Kid’s years-long obsession. Had Kid’s thirst for vengeance been established earlier, this might have felt like a culmination. Instead, we get an introduction with the context being filled later.
Vague Villainy
About two-thirds in, Monkey Man decides to throw in yet another villain, Baba Shakti (Makarand Deshpande), a religious leader and politician who has garnered god-like worship from the Mumbai populace. It’s here that much of the Monkey Man‘s momentum begins to peter out, for the simple reason that the story doesn’t seem to care about what exactly makes this man tick.
Monkey Man frames Shakti as an important figure in Kid’s past, present and future. That’s all well and good, but the story conveniently leaves out why he did what he did. We know he’s powerful and wants to stay that way, letting us in on what drives this desire for power would make him a more dynamic antagonist. In The Dark Knight, Joker doesn’t chase chaos just for the mere fun of it, he’s also making a point about the illusion of order.
The point is, a complex villain forces the hero to make complex choices. For instance, in the late 2nd act, Kid is taken in by a group of gender-fluid worshippers of the Shiva-Parvati male-female godhead. Their philosophy of contradictory yet compatible concepts also extends to combat. The leader, Alpha (Vipin Sharma), teaches Kid that many ages ago theirs was an order of warriors. Alpha’s teachings help Kid reconcile the paradoxes of mercifulness and vengefulness, violent protest with peaceful intentions, which help Kid transcend as a warrior.
As interesting as this spiritual detour is for Kid, the crux of his becoming an elite warrior in this temple really comes down to him discovering a mysterious substance, and then an odd musical training sequence. After this, he’s ready to renew his revenge quest, except this time he’s stronger, faster, and more fearless, but any emotional development is lost in the mayhem of murder that Kid embarks on. Because Baba Shakti’s thematically a two-dimensional villain, he forces Kid into two-dimensional growth in that final stretch.
The Man in The Chair
Dev Patel has mentioned frequently in interviews that the movie is about vengeance and faith. It’s also a movie about class, societal prejudice, while also trying to blend modern action with mythology. This results in a maximalist narrative that tries to touch on a lot of different points but doesn’t always integrate them seamlessly. Instead, certain parts of the narrative feel designated to certain ideas, many of which are never revisited.
Monkey Man is truly in its element when dealing with vengeance and class. The fight scenes are energetic and visceral, channelling much of that John Wick’s violent physical humour, especially in the latter half. Patel is a good martial artist and moves fluidly from scene to scene, though he could still learn a thing or two from physical masters like Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves.
Patel does show some skill as a director here. He’s able to convey much without the movie telling you point-blank. An easy trait to champion from a competent filmmaker, but one that isn’t practised elsewhere often. From shots of zooming cars disturbing sleeping street children, to Kid sleeping in a room with dozens, listening to a girl relaying her prayers in the middle of the night, Patel uses the camera well to highlight the plight of the poor without pulling on heartstrings. He also shoots and edits Kid’s earlier fight scenes, whereas later scenes feel more controlled, featuring longer takes.
Monkey Man verdict
And so to wrap up, what Dev Patel has served up here is a multi-course meal with many different flavours pulled from many different creative regions. Reading and listening to interviews about the process of getting this Monkey Man made and finished, sounds about as arduous as the shoots of movies like Apocalypse Now and The Revenant. Dealing with an eye infection, broken bones, a crew member’s heart attack, a pandemic obliterating the funding, having to reuse crew members as extras, it’s amazing that the movie looks quite as good as it does.
Patel really flexes his directorial chops on this debut. If anything, this movie has too little explosion, opting instead to tell its story visually, something we never thought we’d say about a modern blockbuster. With amazing cinematography from Sheron Meir, great editing and a surprisingly stellar score from Jed Kurzel, Monkey Man creates a visually bombastic adventure that redefines what a modern action movie can be.
Monkey Man releases in theatres today, 05 April 2024.
