Monkey Man

LOL! Using fireworks as weapons is just insane! 😂 This movie is wild!

Dave Patel writes, directs, and stars in this blend of Hollywood and Bollywood, seasoned with the legend of Hanuman, the Indian monkey god. The camerawork feels like an Indian "Bourne Identity", the plot echoes "Kill Bill", and the action resembles an Indian "John Wick". It has everything, except a real surprise. Patel's body fat percentage, though, I'm genuinely jealous of...

Dave Patel's "Monkey Man" is indeed like "John Wick." I actually think his action scenes are even better than Keanu Reeves'. He's younger, in better shape, all muscle, and has unlimited potential. The last half hour of action is just awesome. The story is very much like a Chinese Wuxia film, where a young man, after being injured, is saved by a reclusive monk in a temple who imparts unparalleled martial arts skills. When the young man returns to the world, he's become the best fighter.

The excessive use of close-ups, subjective shots, and shaky cam in the action sequences is really off-putting and doesn't help the storytelling; it actually hinders it. I just can't get into this style. The protagonist's revenge plot is decent enough, and the gritty atmosphere of India is well-conveyed. The film is predominantly set at night, and the lighting is meticulous, with intricate set designs. I beg the director to use more medium and long shots so the audience can actually see the scenes clearly. This movie just gave me a headache.

The relatively young director and action performer ensures the film's toughness and watchability as a pure genre piece (in simpler terms, he's younger and more energetic than Reeves, Cruise, and others). However, there's still too much unnecessary dialogue. If we're really comparing it to the John Wick series, the problem might be the excessive information dump. Given that the final product is an R-rated action film, it would have been better to reduce the narrative elements, which could have at least helped balance the action and dialogue sequences. On the other hand, the pacing within individual action scenes is well-done, and while there aren't any truly innovative moves, it's engaging enough to avoid feeling repetitive.