It was difficult developing an outline for this review as it was becoming more and more of a Dev Patel appreciation piece; so much so, I feel most of it was recognizing the talent and adaptability of Patel that Hollywood either has yet to notice or refuses to acknowledge because of his ethnicity and color of his skin. Remember when Slumdog Millionaire was talked about everywhere, and people were giving Patel praises; followed up by another abysmal Shyamalan project, but Patel was never identified as a cause; then a list of projects where he was the token brown boy who delivered in every role. We finally got another chance to see him really shine in Green Knight, and each time he is acknowledged for a moment but never presented a franchise or popular IP to lead in. People see his skills, but the bias of the execs leads to the idea that people of color cannot lead franchises, at least not successful ones, when we clearly have examples where that is not the case. The issue is very little money is invested into these artists, and they choose to hire the amateur writer or limit the resources that someone like Chalamet would get for one good box office opening. Like many other incredible talents of color, Patel seems to struggle to remain in the spotlight, and not for lack of trying. Here, not only does Patel demonstrate he can still perform in front of the camera, but he also shows he is capable of telling authentic and original layered stories with depth and heart, and is able to innovate on a very common commercial genre. Meanwhile, he demonstrates for the first time on a feature he is a good ass director.
After my initial viewing I felt the space between the two major action sequences was a bit shaky and had some pacing issues. Felt there was a lot crammed into the space; however, I walked out feeling like I just got off a rollercoaster, exhilarated, happy, satisfied, pleased, and ready for round two. After a second watching I realize it was not poorly paced at all, and Patel has raised the bar for action revenge films, or action movies revolving around a lone wolf, even just after John Wick had already escalated it high in terms of choreography. Here, we get another revenge action movie with the typical beats sprinkled in. Then, we get more. We get heart and probably the first humanized protagonist with more than one drive or motivation; we get a character who realistically cannot go about this alone, and depends on his community—the same community that survives by sticking together and looking out for one another; we get a layered story about family, history, and holding on to your roots; we get an unapologetic representation of a culture and community that feels authentic because it is not telling you what it is, you already know because you have eyes; we get a movie that moves outside of toxic masculinity that is prevalent in the subgenre of revenge action and does romanticize white male violence; we finally get a character of color in the genre that does not succumb to a story that relies on stereotypes and racist undertones; we get a movie that explores different elements within society without preaching to us; we get a movie that is able to deliver fight scenes at the quality of John Wick, or at the very least the closest to it; we get a character who at no point becomes the strongest in the room, and instead remains the smartest and continues to adapt to their environment as situations are ever-changing; we get Dev Patel.
Monkey Man is a story about fighting with a purpose, never losing where you have come from, and that you are always stronger as a unit. Our protagonist shifts this revenge story to a hero’s origin, learning how to move on in life by the strength of their past, understanding that what is lost is not gone. So often we are presented with characters who simply personify vengeance, have little to no substance, and have a goal with a thin motivation, such as John Wick, although I consider it one of my favorite action franchises to date (easily top three). Our lead, known only as Kid is driven by anger, but finds a new motivation, which gives him the opportunity to move with purpose. He no longer fights for himself, to fill the void he has in his heart for what he had lost as a child; he fights for those who he loved, and the new community that he has become a part of. The kid fights for the marginalized and oppressed, those who are overlooked and exploited, those who have had their lives taken from them, and for those who are unable to fight for themselves. Yes, I mentioned John Wick, but the only real comparison I can make between the two movies is that they have incredible choreography. Both being revenge films is a weak match because there are plenty of these with similar endings to both. I would be hard pressed to think of more than a few revenge films that provide as much depth as this one. We will continue to have entertaining and fun revenge action movies, but how many will provide more than a revenge story? Furiosa and The Crow are following up later this year, and as much as I look forward to The Crow (and I’m at least interested in Furiosa), I know the story and there is only so much difference from The Punisher.
Thank goodness Netflix passed on this incredible movie because it deserves a proper theatrical release, and in no way does Netflix deserve such a project. Thank Jordan Peele for believing in the project and allowing Patel to be unapologetically Indian. Thank Dev Patel for giving me the first lead in a revenge action movie that I could relate to and connect with. Thank the cast for doing a wonderful job in bringing diverse personalities to this world, making it feel very real. Thank you for reading my review, and I hope you get the opportunity to experience how amazing this film is. Four months in, and currently only two movies in 2024 have really left an impact on me, this one being one of them. It is still early though. Bring in the summer, and until next time, be sure to look out for another. Check up on each other; check up on yourself. Remember, potential has no limit.