On one hand, Monkey Man is a derivative, ultra-gory and by-the- numbers revenge story about a child who witnesses a terrible crime and grows up to avenge his family.
On the other, it’s an unexpected and extremely impressive action movie debut from actor Dev Patel, who writes, directs and starsas the wounded boy from rural India who grows up to take on some of Mumbai’s biggest crooks.
In a clear case of PTSD and self-destructive tendencies, Patel’s gorilla-masked “Monkey Man” scratches out a living by having the living daylights beaten out of him in an underground fightclub managed by the sleazy Tiger (Sharlto Copley, Patel’s co-star in Chappie).
He inveigles his way into the underworld of gangster Queenie Kapur (a fabulous Ashwini Kalsekar). But the six-foot, skinny-framed Monkey Man is no John Wick, and rage alone isn’t enough in his quest for justice.
Despite the imitative plot, Monkey Man delivers something fresh, with the hapless hero’s initial inability to defend himself, some admirably visceral violence, and the unorthodox relationships he forges along the way.
The other delight is that this fast-paced actioner is set in the gritty underbelly of an India seldom seen by Western moviegoers.
Far from chaste Bollywood romances, the girls in Monkey Man are all swearers, strippers and hookers; and instead of lavish choreography, we get stressfully realistic slaughter.
For a first-time director, the star shows plenty of flair with exhilarating camerawork. He could have cut 15 minutes of avenging and a subplot involving a stray dog. But how Patel, once the polite young manager in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, has declared no more Mr Nice Guy marks him as a director to watch.
Rating out of 5: ★★★½
Monkey Man directed by Dev Patel is in cinemas now.
