I watched the new movie Monkeyman (2024). He’s better than John Wick

This week, the action movie Monkeyman, which many have dubbed the Indian analogue of John Wick, opened in cinemas.

Russian distributors went even further, claiming in the local trailer that The film’s producers are the same ones who worked on the John Wick films.. Western sources, however, have not heard anything about this interesting fact. It probably seemed to our distributors that it would be easier to sell such a movie to Russian audiences, and who would check whether it was true or not?

We decided not only to test this bold marketing move, but also to evaluate whether it is worth paying attention to. Spoiler alert: we left the cinema impressed. But first things first.

The script here is better than in all the John Wick films

What is the movie about:The main character of the story seeks revenge for the destruction of a village by corrupt police officers. The hero, previously raised in the forest and raised in the story of Hanuman, an Indian deity in the form of a monkey, disguises himself and lingers in underground battles to fit into the heart of the corrupt elite.

Both Monkeyman and John Wick are based on places, but they take different approaches to the theme.

While John Wick offers a brief tale of a former assassin who returns to his murderous profession, Monkeyman enriches the in-depth details and cultural aspects associated with the Indian way of life and mythology. It’s not a given that Wick’s enemies will appreciate this layering, as it strays away from the straight-up action drama.

Monkeyman offers something morethan the spectacular, but sometimes meaningless “trip to the shooting range” of a bearded man in a formal suit.

Monkeyman weaves in Indian social and political themes such as the caste system, political corruption and the oppression of marginalized communities, particularly transgender people known as hijras. The director decided to show how these oppressed groups fight for their rights and justice in society. It is important? Without a doubt. Is this interesting to the Russian viewer? Debatable.

The action is great in places, but there are two subtleties

Monkeyman has clear echoes of genre icons John Wick and The Raid, which feature elaborate drama choreography and intense chase sequences. There’s even a direct quote/reference to John’s weapon! If this is, of course, but not another tyranny of our translators.

Patel Patel (director and co-star of the film) takes the best of global action and puts it through the lens of Indian culture to create something unique. More bloody and brutal.

Fights are shown here with maximum level of war and cruelty. If “John Wick” is a dance with pistols, then “The Raid” is a hardcore movie about survival, then “Munkyman” is a sad, evil industry that uses cubes and all sorts of improvised objects instead of weapons.

If in “John Wick 4” everyone will remember, as a rule, with an electric kettle under the ceiling, then in “Munkyman” such a scene will most likely be a bloody showdown closer to the denouement of the film. A gorgeous, breathtaking, absolutely chaotic moment. And that’s what makes him beautiful.

The combat scenes are reminiscent of a boss-to-boss video game, with difficulty and contact increasing as the protagonist gets closer to his goal. We saw something similar in John Wick.

There are two problems, the first – during the viewing process there was a feeling that the operator was looking at a complex action carousel right during filming. The opening fights seem to be filmed from too close an angle. Some moments look too chaotic and stormy. This is especially true for chase scenes. It turned out too weak for this genre. Maybe John set the bar too high?

Only closer to the middle of the picture does the operator move away from the epicenter of the event or show a more accurate lens. Although the director could thus demonstrate certain technologies of “growing up” of the main character and his ability to more soberly assess the situation around him and be more disciplined.

The second problem is There’s too little action here, especially considering the two-hour running time. This is far from John Wick, whose showdowns with enemies always last 10-15 minutes. Don’t expect that here.

The director’s debut was successful, but not correct

As we have already said, the film was directed by actor Dev Patel, known in our country for such films as “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Lion,” for which he received an Oscar nomination.

Patel’s directorial debut can be called successful; the young specialist managed not only to create visual effects and dynamic cinema, but also touch on a deep, profound topic. John Wick was practically deprived of the latter.

The film combines several storylines including personal locations, dramatic criticism and elements of Indian mythology. This makes changes between the characters and their motivations, making the film more intense. But this attempt to juggle multiple stories sometimes worked to the film’s detriment, making it overcrowded and making the storyline difficult to follow.

For a modern viewer who simply came to see cool fights and shootouts, this approach may seem cumbersome and unwieldy. uninteresting. A spoiled look today. More spectacle, less thinking.

But the main problem of the film is an overabundance of flashbacks.

They were brought out to enrich the story by providing context for past characters, but sometimes there were too many of them. This made the narrative feel choppy and detached from current events. Some transitions between timelines seemed abrupt and did not always fit logically into the overall plot structure. Finally, some of the flashbacks just seemed too long.

You can watch it, but it’s not necessary

The main thing Patel achieves in his work is to demonstrate a unique, personal vision of the story, allowing the film to transcend simple genre categories. This is not only a stylish action thriller, it is something more.

For those looking for an “Indian reincarnation of John Wick,” this film may come as a bit of a surprise. “Munkyman” really incorporates elements of a cool modern action movie and winks at John in every possible way – there are intense fights, chases and shootouts. But its plot is deeply imbued with Indian traditions and philosophy, and the timing is lengthy in places. This may be less appealing to those expecting straightforward, non-stop action a la John Wick.

And in general, if you compare the stunt tricks in the two films, of course, the story about the sad killer looks much more dynamic, impressive and creative in the action scenes. After all, that film was made by the discoveries of experienced professionals in their field.

But if you are ready to accept the Indian cultural context, we recommend watching it. It’s not just a movie, it’s an experience that can broaden the understanding of what new action cinema can be.