Ambitious…. But messy.
There is some good stuff here but also some things that just didn’t work. At times the action looked phenomenal, at other times I couldn’t follow what was happening with the shakey cam and the way some of it was cut. I liked the story and exploring the past. The training break between 2nd and 3rd act was the weakest part of the movie. Also felt little unsatisfying with the way it wraps. I think Dev showed some good traits though and will definitely check out whatever he does next. Shout out to Shantel Copley, he’s great as always!
This movie is already good on its own, but it becomes 10x better when you know what Patel went through to get it made.
The movie has already cemented itself as a classic of the vengeance subgenre, with echoes of Woo and Park Chan-wook, while bursting with enough originality for it to avoid feeling like a carbon copy.
It's a primal yell of a directorial debut from Dev Patel, already an underrated actor, who uses his unique experiences with religion and his own Indian heritage to bring the story of the film to life.
You can smell the blood and sweat wafting through the screen
Dev Patel really said I'm gonna outdo the bathroom fight scene (MI:6) and the kitchen fight scene (Tenet) and the elevator fight scene (Winter Soldier) while also addressing social and political themes and call it "Monkey Man"
"If a man wishes to challenge the gods, he must become more than a man. He must become a beast."
A commendable directional debut for Dev Patel, I can see the potencial, but Monkey Man is short of "good". It's very much an Indian version of John Wick with a strong inspiration from The Raid movies. Some intense action sequences that deserve praise but I expected a little more considering the aforementioned inspirations. It's short of a few more action sequences for me and the second act was so boring it slowed this down to the point where I wasn't enjoying it anymore. It killed all the tension established in the first act. Thankfully it picked back up in the third act but because the second act was so slow I expected an even bigger payoff in the third act which it didn't quite deliver but... almost.
I applaude the attempt at character development, it's a rare thing in these movies, but I think it should have been more sprinkled throughout the runtime instead of an entire second act. The folklore/cultural stuff was a nice touch but there's too much of it. Too much shaky cam during some fight scenes, it's hard to look at and follow everything that's going on. Very stylish movie all around, memorable visuals, love the neon lighting with the mirrors, intense editing (perhaps too intense) and I digged the musical choices BUT an overdose of that drum instrument. Overall Monkey Man was a decent watch but it's mainly held back by the second act.
The movie came out right before a significant election in a country known for its diverse culture and vibrant democracy. Dev Patel shows everything that's been happening in the country for over 30 years-religious terrorism, ethnic cleansing, mob culture, and hate politics are all shown without holding back.
Nowadays, due to Al, there are lots of song edits that make you feel sympathetic towards people you should be criticizing. This movie reminds us to be firm and stand up to technology that tries to control us instead of being fair.
Indian police acting like US cops and most of the people speaking english. That's the weirdest part. They could make it natural.
I so enjoy a good vengeance movie, and I loved almost everything Dev Patel did in this one. His passion and creativity are impressive and admirable, and I hope he is so proud of this vision brought to life! It always excites me to see just one fresh or unique element I have not seen in a movie before, but Monkey Man had nearly a dozen moments like this! I had my cringe face on for much of it bc OUCH! It was wonderfully brutal! My only complaint is a very small one, and an honest question: Why did his character in the movie make a point to bleach his mask before looking for his final fight...and then just...take it off right as it started..? I wonder if some scenes with the mask were cut bc the idea just seemed a bit randomly abandoned. I hope a later rewatch will bring me better understanding! Also, if you are someone who needs subtitles due to hearing loss or processing delays, you may want to look for subtitled screenings OR watch via streaming if/when the option is available to you. I missed some details due to my own difficulties (some accents can be a challenge), but it was still more clear to me than the average Christopher Nolan film (not to compare the content at all). Overall, I had so much fun watching, and I will be thrilled to see more from Dev Patel in the future, no matter the genre!
The action scenes and fights, well, the rest is not bad, but it is not necessary to show the same memory several times. The Indian John Wick, sometimes yes, although more like the raid.
There are parts of this movie that don't work for me. But when it goes hard, it goes so relentlessly hard.
(Childhood trauma really is a bitch)
At its center, Monkey Man is the same revenge story we've seen dozens of times. Dev Patel attempts to mask its unoriginality with South Asian folklore, dizzying camera work, and strange music choices. There are moments that it works, but in the end, I celebrated the arrival of the closing credits more than I did the main character's final victory.
Monkey Man was a decent directorial debut. I went into it expecting a standard revenge thriller that has become so popular in the wake of John Wick, but I think it has a bit more depth to it than that. A bit. It sort of indirectly tries to tackle more complex sociopolitical criticisms, but it doesn't really do so head-on, making it feel a bit tacked on. The cinematography is at times really stylish and striking, and at other times, devolves a bit into shaky cameras and quick edits that feel chaotic during action sequences. Dev Patel is a star, but this isn't necessarily the best showcase of his acting. I think, for a debut, it's still surprisingly strong, and I prefer this to something like John Wick because it does attempt to at least give the character more depth. Though it does drag a bit in the first half, specifically near the middle. The second half is much stronger. I think the movie is at its best when it is setting the scene with some beautiful non-action cinematography.
Slightly too long, but pretty much every other element of 'Monkey Man' is more than enough to compensate.
I had a very good time watching what is Dev Patel's directorial debut. He himself is outstanding, having portrayed the role of the titular character perfectly. I had only seen the guy in two films ('Slumdog Millionaire' & 'The Last Airbender') prior to this, so very much happy to see him act further. An excellent job from him on and off screen, I'm happy that he managed to get this made in the end.
As noted, I do think the run time could've been trimmed a little. It's not a major issue of mine, at all, but at a few moments I did feel my interest wane a bit. The story itself is a good one though, one that is entwined with a lot of fight (literally) but a lot of feeling too. Visually, it's a beauty. As for those behind Patel, Pitobash and Vipin Sharma are positives; Ashwini Kalsekar does well too.
Most definitely worth a watch, especially on the big screen! I enjoyed myself, all in all.
This film was an important view of what it looks like to stand up to murderous fascism, those who use their outsized power to put their boots on the throats of those they oppress.
For being Dev Patel's first directing film, is not bad. The thing with this kind of one-against-the-world movies, is that mostly they all feel the same: Equalizer, John Wick, Sisu, Nobody, any Jason Statham movie. The plot is nothing new, just with the twist of being in an indian setup. Which I came to realize it doesn't suit me. Never seen any indian movie, but even after seeing this one, which it is (I believe) an americanized version of what an indian movie could be; I know don't like an all-indian setting. Maybe the result of ingesting years and years of american products, but even that this movie its ok; watching it I felt some rejection towards it. Still, I believe is a fair 6 because the fight scenes are pretty cool. The in-between? not so much
a good surprise, this movie has a beauty cinematic and good history :clap:
a good surprise, this movie has a beauty cinematic and good history :clap:
a good surprise, this movie has a beauty cinematic and good history
a good surprise, this movie has a beauty cinematic and good history
a good surprise, this movie has a beauty cinematic and good history
That's the real deal! John Wick on Indian steroids. Really worth watching!
Dev Patel brings a fresh perspective to the classic themes of old Bollywood in Monkey Man, infusing them with Hollywood's flair for vengeance. With Patel's nuanced performance, the film navigates a complex narrative, exploring themes of love and revenge in a way that captivates audiences. Monkey Man transcends cultural boundaries, offering a gripping cinematic experience that resonates with viewers worldwide. Patel's portrayal adds depth to the character, elevating the film to new heights. Monkey Man is a must-watch for anyone seeking a compelling blend of Bollywood charm and Hollywood sophistication.
Enjoyable action flick.. felt like two different movies with the first hour setting things up, which, to be honest, was a little slow but really increased the pace in hour 2. The action was enjoyable even though at times I couldn't make out who was hitting who?. I know it's Dev Patels first movie as director and he has done an incredible job, its exciting to see what's next. Good movie and well worth a 2nd watch when it's on streaming.
It's a by the numbers action flick, but the story told to reach each of those numbers was unique enough to keep things interesting.
The opening stanza of the story drags on for way too long. But once they move on from that the movie picks up a LOT.
In the main / climactic stanza, the fight scenes really do step it up. The action, choreography, cinematography is all pretty damned amazing. It makes this one heck of an action movie. Left me quite happy.
Like an over-caffeinated kangaroo on a trampoline, Monkey Man is jumpy.
The story of a poor boy from a lower caste in India who grows up to be John Wick jumps around in time, antagonists, and movement, as much of the it is filmed with a hand-cam.
While the movie isn't as arty as it claims (it is, after all, just an nth incarnation of John Wick) the frequent action scenes, the wonderful cinematography, and the strong directorial presence (Dev Patel helms his first feature) mean that Monkey Man is a solid film that delivers.
Why do these people think they are making a Terence Malick film? Just stick with the action.
Pretty disappointing. The action was great, but there was far too much time in between action scenes for my liking. Still, a promising start for Dev Patel's directing career and I hope that his next film will alleviate some of my pacing concerns.
It improves on the John Wick formula by taking itself way less seriously and not blue balling the viewer with too much schlocky worldbuilding. Patel’s directing is quite solid; I like how much of the character development is done visually, the visuals are always brewing with atmosphere and the final set piece is great. As a performer, I was completely sold on the physicality of it. He’s not afraid to turn the violence up to something that resembles The Raid, which I very much appreciate. Honestly I think you could have something great here if Patel overhauls his editing style next time around, because that aspect kneecaps this entire film for me. It’s like he wants to do something wild and bold, but overshoots in the process. Some of the early chase scenes are extremely overedited (the constant jump cuts and shaky cam don’t exactly help either), the pace loses all momentum during the boring second act, it’s got too many montages and flashbacks, he inserts real life footage to imply a layer of depth it never earns, the music choices are sometimes off; it’s a lot of bad choices piling onto each other. I also couldn’t really get into the villain, every time we cut back to that character we’re reminded of him being corrupt but there’s no real attempt at development. It’s just not a great film by any means, but I’d still love to see a sequel. Pulling a movie like this together as your debut feature is impressive, even with it being unrefined.
5/10
Shout by AlexVIP OG 12BlockedParent2024-04-04T20:00:08Z
That shit went hard, damn.
I don't think I've seen anything like that since The Raid movies? While it's not all on THAT level, nothing really ever came close. And first time (full movie) director Dev Patel? Mad props yo.