Everyone, today, we review a thriller that starred Dev Patel, Jordan Peele, and some other people. It was released earlier this month. So now, let’s discuss Monkey Man.
Plot: In the jungle forest of India, a young boy named Kid (Jatin Malik) witnesses the murder, and massacre, of his family by corrupt authorities. Now, as an adult, and wearing a mask of a monkey during fights, he fights in boxing at an underground pub called Tiger’s Temple. Now, will adult Kid (Dev Patel) have the money from those fights to be able to settle a score with those who, for a long while, wrecked his life?
Well, I will say that Monkey Man does have a very good storyline. For a man in India, especially to rise from a lower class, and trying to make his way to the top, it was definitely good for this film to show how difficult life can be for people who live in nations like that. Not to mention that the main character, Kid, was willing to work as hard as possible to get to where he needed to be. Granted, his motives may not have exactly been the best, but still. Still, this film does do a great job of showing how people are willing to go to take vengeance on others when they most likely don’t have Jesus in their lives. Yes, from time to time, Christians can also make mistakes, and get lost in things like vengeance, bitterness, and things like that. But yeah, possibly another topic for another time. Anyway, the action, though way too violent at times, was very good, most notably when it came to flashback scenes that occurred throughout this film, and even the climax of this film. As for the scenery of places like some of the jungles of India, some of the temple designs, or even the villages, definitely talk about some of the best cinematography that a movie could have. It was also to get some potential surprise messages, such as how taking revenge is never a good thing, even if that message could have been executed a little better.
So, with those things out of the way, what downsides did this film have? Well, for one, the New Age stuff with the whole religion of India, and that whole mumbo jumbo deal seemed to be thrown in your face a little too much. Also, this film seemed to be way too violent at points. Honestly, at times, part of me felt a little surprised that Monkey Man was rated R, and not say NC-17, or something like that. Additionally, there were some moments near the end, especially the climax, that could have been handled, and executed better than they were in the end. Finally, Kid, the main character of this movie, could have definitely had a bigger, and better character arc than what he had in the first place.
And that’s my review for Monkey Man. Is it a bad film? No! In fact, adults, and maybe teenagers will for sure enjoy this film. Still, some people may find themselves wanting to watch other action films a little more than this one. That being said, Monkey Man isn’t a bad film. Even so, it could have improved. But hey, movie makers in Hollywood don’t seem to believe in relaying more uplifting, and positive messages in their films as of nowadays, do they? Well, all the more reason to be grateful for the fewer times that they do portray the more positive messages in their films. I would say that because it has a fairly good storyline with some good action, likely still see it. Just don’t expect a feel good action film for the most part.
Final Grade: B
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 