Movie review: Monkey Man uplifts and brings visibility to marginalized identities
The highly anticipated film portrays complex topics through beautiful imagery
Monkey Man director and actor Dev Patel spoke about the movie at South By Southwest festival for the film's premiere. (Wikicommons/Ariela Ortiz Barrantes/Austin Kelly)
People are buzzing over Dev Patel’s Monkey Man, lauding its pulse-pounding action and poignant revenge narrative that was released earlier this month. Yet, the film carries a profound significance for 2SLGBTQ+ South Asians.
Introducing a transgender female character and India’s vibrant third-gender community, known as “hijra,” the film brings visibility to marginalized identities.
As Kid embarks on his quest for vengeance against the corrupt guru and police chief who murdered his mother, he finds an ally in Alpha, a transgender woman and leader within the hijra community. Throughout the film, other transgender characters don colourful saris and masks, joining Kid in a climactic battle, symbolizing unity against oppression.
“This is an anthem for the underdog, the voiceless, the marginalized,” Patel said in an interview with Variety. “I really wanted to include the hijra community, the third gender in India. … You look at the old carvings in these temples in India and the freedom, the sexuality, the philosophy, all of it, was so ahead of its time.”
“Ever heard of John Wick?” That’s the question thrown at Patel’s greenhorn protagonist Kid by an insistent arms dealer in the thick of Monkey Man. This dealer proudly displays one of Wick’s signature pistols, the TTI Combat Master, among his wares. It’s a knowing nod to the myriad action movie influences that writer-director-star Patel channels.
As the film’s trailer exploded onto screens with its intense gun battles and savage knife fights, comparisons to Keanu Reeves’ John Wick franchise were unavoidable. But fear not, Monkey Man charts its own course. It crackles with its own energy, possessing a momentum and purpose entirely its own.
If you told me a year ago that Patel would play India’s answer to Wick, I would have thought you were crazy. Yet, here we are, witnessing the birth of Monkey Man, where Patel not only stars but directs himself as Kid, a relentless man seeking justice for his mother’s violent demise, hunting down the high-powered individuals responsible, and infuses it with fresh elements, blending ancient Indian mythology (cue the appearance of Hanuman, the Monkey God) with contemporary political commentary (notice Patel’s incisive blows).
Despite his humble beginnings, Patel steeped himself in the genre, devouring films like Enter The Dragon, The Raid, and audacious Korean thrillers, ultimately crafting his own response.
The film pulsates with brutal combat sequences, a visceral blend of firearms and hand-to-hand skirmishes. However, Patel falls prey to the frustrating trend of shaky cam and rapid editing. While this technique may mask imperfections, it detracts from the clarity of the action, leaving viewers struggling to keep up. Monkey Man also grapples with uneven pacing, enduring lulls that overstay their welcome. With a bolder approach to choreography and a steadier rhythm, Patel could have elevated the film significantly.
It’s invigorating, but more importantly, it’s a blast. There’s an infectious thrill to the new imagery, like Kid’s initial foray into the fighting ring adorned in a monkey mask, overseen by the sly Sharlto Copley (yes, a surprise reunion from Chappie).
While the action takes its time to unfurl — Kid grappling with emotions in the opening act — when it erupts, it’s a frenzy of excitement and ingenuity, tinged with a touch of madness. Picture first-person perspectives, a chilling elevator knife kill, and yes, exploding fish.
Amidst the breathtaking action, there are stumbles elsewhere. There’s not enough screen time for the wise-cracking Alphonso (Pitobash Tripathy) or the charming Sita (Sobhita Dhulipala), both promising characters who fade into the background.
Nevertheless, amid these imperfections, there are moments of brilliance and cinematic splendor — a training sequence with tabla drums, a mesmerizing Kathputli puppet show — that elevates the film and climactic ascent through a corrupt nightclub, akin to scaling a cursed mountain, should satiate any action enthusiast. Patel, the improbable action hero, has arrived. Heed the call.
