Hanuman, a Hindu deity, is considered to be revered for his devotion to another deity named Rama and the son of the wind deity Vayu. Supposedly, as the story is told, Hanuman mistook the sun for a piece of fruit and as he tried to eat it, he was punished by the gods who took away his strength and power. Often told this story as a child, Kid (Dev Patel; Slumdog Millionaire) refers to Hanuman in prayer and perhaps even channels the deity when he works as an illegal combat fighter while wearing a monkey mask in his latest film, Monkey Man.
As a child, Kid watched as his mother was raped and set on fire by the corrupt police chief, Rana Singh (Sikander Kher; Monica, O My Darling) and he still bares the physical scars after he tried to save his mom from their burning home. Now, an adult, Kid lives in squalor and works as a heel and a jobber in an underground fight club. One day Kid makes his way into Kings, a "social club" and manages to get a job in the kitchen. Working his way up, Kid eventually finds himself in the VIP room frequented by Singh and after months of planning, Kid tries to kill Singh. While his plan doesn't work out, it gives Kid the courage to change his life.
Patel serves not only as the star of Monkey Man but also as co-writer and director, with the latter being his feature film directorial debut. As an actor, Patel has always been very strong, from Skins and Slumdog Millionaire to Lion, he proves time and time again that he is up to the task. As a writer, he would be considered a novice, and aligning himself with veteran John Collee (Hotel Mumbai) was a smart move on his part. As for his directorial debut, Patel does a solid job with pacing and visuals.
One of the nicest things about new movies that have been transferred to 4K is that since they were shot with the. Most up-to-date technology, they often have incredible video quality on their home releases. Monkey Man is among the latest releases that has that advantage and the 2160p resolution is excellent. Color saturation is exceptional and clarity of details is incredible.
Along with the video, the Dolby Atmos audio is a treat to listen to as gunfire explodes from all around and musical moments are full and robust. Dialogue is clear and clean coming primarily from the front speakers. The fight scenes have their own layers of sound, from the crowd noises to the deep bass of punches and kicks landing on human flesh.
The combo pack includes the 4K and Blu-ray Discs and the digital download. The extras are housed on the Blu-ray Disc and include the following: Alternate Opening, Alternate Ending, Deleted/Extended Scenes (True Shakti, Mother's Death, Training Montage, Lucky Kid, Alphonso Death, Post Credit Button), A Labor of Love, Monkey Man of Action, Fateful Encounters, Roots Exposed, Feature Commentary, Monkey Man Extended Preview, Additional Monkeypaw Films on Peacock, and Universal Films.
While Monkey Man is a strong first effort for Patel as a director, there are some flaws. The action scenes are well choreographed and filmed and offer a level of carnage that action junkies will thoroughly enjoy. The story, however, is a little discombobulated, with several moving parts that, while loosely connected, don't necessarily work together. The symbolism of Hanuman is somewhat lost as an overall theme and the ending is only mildly satisfying.
I, for one, am looking forward to Patel's sophomore film as a director and I hope he has a long and successful career.
Grade: B
