The Take | Monkey Man (2024)
A decent action movie but fell short to be something more
After a traumatic childhood event, a nameless Indian young man, known by others as “Kong” “Bobby” and eventually”Monkey Man”, emerged from the streets to wage an all-out war on the “gods” of the city.
Co-produced by Jordan Peele, <Monkey Man> is the directorial debut from Indian actor Dev Patel, who also wrote, produced and played the protagonist in the film. He is best known for his roles in films such as <Slumdog Millionaire> <Chappie> and <Lion>
The trailer gives out strong John Wick vibes, and the film delivers on that promise. Not only do you get a cute dog delivering you guns that Wick used, you also get some adrenaline-pumping action sequences, from underground fight events to high-speed chases to battle royale in a hotel penthouse. If you’re looking for some bloody-entertaining action, you will not be disappointed, but if you’re expecting something more, you might be.
At first glance, <Monkey Man> is a simple revenge story. The brutal death of Bobby’s mother effectively drives his entire revenge quest, but Patel seems to not be satisfied with such a simple premise. He wants this character to not only be an action figure but also an icon that symbolizes the uprising of the Indian lower class.
In the film, Bobby’s personal tragedy is part of a brutal relocation scheme engineered by corrupt politicians and religious figures, allowing the narrative to conveniently expand midway into a Poor v Rich, Lower v Upper Class, Oppressed v Oppressors showdown. Suddenly, Bobby not only has some asses to kick but also some big shoes to fill, and neither Bobby nor Patel seemed interested in going down this path that would require longer and deeper character development, which means lesser action.
For most of the movie, Bobby is just an angry man seeking revenge for his mother, but after punching some sandbags along the rhythm of the tabla (a traditional Indian instrument) and consuming special herbs from special trees, he suddenly became the “Monkey Man”, a chosen warrior for the people who also happens to be a one-person kill machine? Not convincing enough.
There were some ideas thrown around during his emancipation: fight for the weak, return to your roots, etc… but there was no deep realization that gave him inner strength to let go of his past. He simply turned into an angrier man that was 10x faster and deadlier.
After Bobby’s resurrection, he went on a 40-minute rampage, which was arguably the best part of the movie. The film ends when the killing ends, an easy way out to avoid any more narrative missteps.
Before turning Bobby into a killing machine, the film spent considerable time building up his inner tension, making the first-half of the show almost a psycho-thriller. From witnessing unjust treatment to learning to shoot to having trouble pulling the trigger, the process was slow yet intriguing, and at times humorous. Patel did a great job depicting Bobby’s psychological state at different stages through his own performance and stylistic choices as a director.
In the Hindu religion, Hanuman, a half-monkey, half-human god, is a symbol of strength, courage and justice. Apart from the monkey-face mask, Bobby adequately embodied Hanuman’s values throughout. From scrubbing toilets and fighting dishonorable matches to punching his way to the top, Bobby’s journey is a statement of how people can take matters into their own hands, no matter their position in the social hierarchy. The concept and potential was there. It’s just a shame that he had to to be made into a larger-than-self, fight-for-everyone type of hero, instead of just staying a nobody trying to avenge her mother and do the right thing.
