Monkey Man Movie Review: What Did I Just Watch

I just watched Dev Patel's action revenge movie Monkey Man playing now in theaters and I will say I have a bit of mixed feelings. So let's start from the beginning. I was very excited and had been looking forward to the premiere of this film. I am a huge fan of Dev Patel and have been watching his career grow from his film acting debut in Slumdog Millionaire to now his directorial debut and action star role in Monkey Man.

Read: From Slumdog to Monkey Man - Dev Patel's explosive career

Monkey Man, produced by Jordan Peele, is a gritty artfully filmed action movie. The film is layered with social commentary, religious symbolism and provides a peek into the harsh yet beautiful elements of life in India.

The film follows Kid, a child who tragically losses his mother through a horrible act committed by corrupt government officials. Kid grows up into a man who is driven by this heinous memory that haunts him, to find the person who murdered his mother and seek vengeance.

I went into this film with limited knowledge intentionally. I wanted to have a blank mental landscape so I could draw a fresh perspective. After watching the film with a run time of two hours, I left the theater feeling perplexed and not sure what I witnessed on the screen. It was a slow moving film with uneven bursts of action throughout the first half. The story line felt a bit muddy in the beginning. However, once the true plot was revealed, it moved rapidly and provided cohesive clarity. This film definitely required concentration to not miss any elements as your try to put the story line together while watching.

As the credits rolled to the somber song Grow by musical artist FACESOUL, I arose from my seat slowly, trying to still process the film. I noticed that a few other movie watchers had the same reaction. I engaged two ladies in conversation while walking out of the theater because I needed to know other thoughts.

According to the two ladies, they expressed that the film left them feeling a bit unsatisfied. They felt that it did not bring them closure. They said that they loved the visuals and the story in theory. However, had moments of confusion and in the end was not sure what they watched. I remarked that I shared the same sentiments and that I felt this exact same feeling after watching Jordon Peele's Nope. I asked if they saw that film and they said yes and agreed that they too felt similar feelings after watching that film.

So let me talk about what I did enjoy. The soundtrack! There were more than one moment during watching the film that I found myself saying, "that song is hot!" I enjoyed the diversity of the music and how each song was strategically layered into the film to give you a surprise perk up in the viewing experience.

The visuals were dazzling. I enjoyed the stylized cinematography. There were many moments that used reflective surfaces like mirrors or pools of water, to show a continuous searching within Dev Patel's character. The character by the way had no true name. He gave a fictitious name in the film to achieve his end goal. However, we never learned his name.

I appreciated the symbolism and the Indian cultural aspects woven throughout the piece. I enjoyed the use of handheld camera work to drive the story forward. It especially added to the intensity of the fight and action sequences.

I also chuckled at the John Wick reference. I read many articles that were comparing this film to a John Wick movie. I wouldn't necessarily agree with that opinion because Patel's character had a deeper purpose than stabbing people with pencils for revenge.

I also enjoyed the cast. I was happy to see some of my favorite Indian actors, Sikandar Kher, Vipin Sharma and Sobhita Dhulipala. Also it was a treat to see Sharlto Copley, who I always enjoy his performances when he pops up in films.

Overall, I am glad I was able to see the movie and witness Dev Patel's work. The film took him 10 years to produce and he suffered much pain while filming. Like literal pain. It is reported that he broke a few bones during the process of taking on his action role.

To witness all the pain and passion that went into Monkey Man although I have mixed feelings, I still recommend watching this film. It is indeed a cinematic journey of compelling storytelling with stunning visuals.