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Monkey Man (2024)

 

Monkey Man is a John Wick-style movie set in India with revenge and political overtones.

Story by, directed, and starring Dev Patel, the movie has an identity issue that seems intentional. There's a line in the film where a gun dealer says "You like John Wick?" hinting at how the movie is marketed towards that audience. Dev Patel has the look of someone who could pull off a John Wick-style movie too the problem is that the movie is a bait and switch.

Any Wick movie will need a good fight choreographer. Brahim Chab does his best as many of his prior times as a fight choreographer have been in no-name Thai or B movies. There isn't much of a story done through the fighting and there are too many cuts and odd camera angles.

The film has a particular producer, there are 23 in total which take that for what you will, but the particular producer is Jordan Peele. His name alone got me even more excited for the film as I've enjoyed Patel in most things and Peele has a few good movies. This film feels nothing like something he has made in the past, there is no stamp where I would say 'Peele must have helped with that scene.'

I wrote earlier that the film is a bait and switch. The trailer makes you feel like you're going to get a John Wick-style movie but really the film is about a man who seeks revenge, but to accomplish this he must get the help of transgenders to turn him into a martial artist seemingly overnight. His abilities don't come from hard work but supernaturally from his religion. I felt disappointed and the action was mid. Result: D+

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