Monkey Man
Monkey Man
An anonymous young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systematically victimize the poor and powerless.
rg9400 reviewedNovember 1, 2024
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.