Monkey Man (18) - seen at The Light Cinema, Wisbech
Starring: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley and Pitobash
Director: Dev Patel Run time: Two hours, one minute
Dev Patel co-wrote, directed and starred in this action thriller set in the fictional, Mumbai-esque city of Yatana - and he’s certainly held nothing back.
Patel’s directorial debut is a kind of John Wick/Rocky mash-up, albeit with some mysticism and set against a background of racial suppression.
It’s as if he’s wanted this opportunity his whole life as the film assaults the senses in a barrage of noise, action and 100mph visuals.
Slumdog Millionaire star Patel stars as ‘Kid’, an anonymous young man who unleashes a bloody revenge campaign against the corrupt regime that murdered his mother and continues to oppress and target the poor and the powerless.
Kid makes a meagre living as an illegal backstreet fighter known as Monkey Man, his moniker and mask inspired by the legend of Hanuman, a tale we see his mother tell him in childhood flashbacks.
His only purpose in life is to avenge the death of his beloved mother and we gradually find out more about both their stories.
So far, so good and it’s an interesting idea, but by running a story of state oppression and poverty alongside one of over-the-top Wick-style fight scenes, the film loses much of its right to be taken seriously.
But it’s a directing debut that leaves much promise and a beefed-up Patel certainly doesn’t have to prove himself as an actor - he gets more sinister and genuinely scary as the movie progresses.
All in all, a decent watch but I do get the feeling it set out to be a bit more than that.
By Jeremy Ransome
Rating: 7/10
