About the film (courtesy of Universal Pictures):
Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man stars Dev Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.

Monkey Man isn’t the kind of film that will sweep award season, but you know what? That’s absolutely okay. It’s a gleeful throwback to the wild, pulpy action flicks of the 70s and 80s, delivering buckets of stylized mayhem and a hero you can’t help but root for.

Dev Patel stars as Kid, a man that is clearly on a mission of vengeance as hinted to in countless flashback sequences. Kid has seemingly spent a lifetime getting to this point and will do whatever it takes, including sacrificing his own body, to make those responsible pay a hefty fine, with interest. The result of this singular focus is a protagonist who feels both grounded and thrillingly larger-than-life.

The action sequences are where Monkey Man truly shines. Director Dev Patel (yes, the actor pulls double duty) orchestrates visceral fights that blend brutal hand-to-hand combat with traditional weaponry along with whatever else anyone can get their hands on. There’s a kinetic energy and visual flair that’ll bring a grin to the face of any action junkie, making you wish you could rewind and watch it all over again.

The plot isn’t out to reinvent the wheel – it’s about a wronged man seeking justice in the face of overwhelming odds. Where Monkey Man succeeds is how it executes this classic setup. It’s infused with tons of action along with tragic loss and the need to root for Kid to cross every name off that he’s out to get

Performances across the board are a blast. Patel plays Kid with an intensity that simmers under the surface, while the villains are delightfully over-the-top – especially the police chief (Sikandar Kher) and Queenie (Ashwini Kalsekar).

My only real quibbles are that the storytelling gets a bit muddled at times, and the final act feels slightly rushed, but it’s also where the most gratifying action is. Still, these didn’t diminish the pure entertainment value of the experience.

The low hanging fruit and obvious choice to compare Monkey Man to is the forever awesome John Wick (2014) and that’s not wrong. Hell, the title is even mentioned in this movie itself at one point. Instead, I’ll liken it to Leon: The Professional (1994) from the aspect of a child (a very young Natalie Portman) being subject to unthinkable cruelty, but eventually becoming her enemies’ worst nightmare.

The second flick comparison is Nobody (2021), starring Bob Odenkirk. This one is more about the action and fighting sequences and how Odenkirk’s character clearly wasn’t the most talented fighter, but did have the drive and determination to get shit done, despite being pummeled in the process.

There’s lots of entertainment to be found in the 121 minute runtime of this action thriller. And you may have noticed that Jordan Peele is prominently listed as a producer. If you do end up checking this out in theaters, you’ll owe him a small bit of thanks since he screened this movie at some point and negotiated, aka bought, the rights from Netflix deeming this to me a must-see in theaters. He wasn’t wrong in his assessment either.

You can check out Monkey Man when it swings into theaters starting Friday, April 5th with early showings Thursday evening.