Monkey Man - Review
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- Опубликовано: 4 апр 2024
- Dev Patel makes his debut as a director in an action extravaganza that picked up Jordan Peele's endorsement. How does it measure up?
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My wife and I didnt even notice the shaky cam until some reviewers started talking about it online. We disnt mind it at all because it added to the claustrophobic vibe of the film. We had a blast watching it. Will watch again
I had the same thought! I was it on a Dolby screen. I didn’t notice shaky cam because the whole movie feels kinda close and personal. I honestly can’t remember what scenes had shaky cam
Hey Rohan, do you think you'll make a video about the movie? It seems like this movie has a lot of Indian themes and references that might go over the head of outside reviewers. I hear it's a critique of the far-right fascist government but I also read a review that it accidentally plays into Hindutva imagery. Is that true?
@@roadrollerdio565 hey, sorry just saw this haha. Yeah there's alot in the film that's overtly political, that definitely will go over peoples' heads and I think it might also be by design. You can tell that Dev cares deeply about the socio-political situation in India and about the perception of him and our people around the globe, he was also a producer on how to kill a tiger, which is a great doc that came out recently. In a slew of right wing fascist propaganda out of bollywood, this is exactly what we needed. It doesn't portay hindutva accidentally, what it does is use a tactic used by social reformers like Narayana Guru and Periyar from the South, in which you wrest back meaning from the fascists and dictate the use of your own religion and culture to fight back against those who seek to use it to oppress. If you check out my video on the erasure of the trans community I do this at the end where I use myths from hindu mythology but in service of trans rights and history in our country.
"Killing your darlings" is something Denis Villeneuve says a lot about his films
I thought the "shaky can" was used well to convey the emotional state of the Kid.
Nah, just poor filmmaking.
Me too
That doesn't make the action any easier to follow though.
@@travisspazz1624 well I used my eyes and it worked for me 🤷♂️
Shaky cam is usually not helpful in any way.
I saw this last night and I was surprised that the shaky cam worked for me. It seemed that the chaotic approach to the cinematography really matched the kinetic raw emotion of the character. This character wasn’t John Wick acting based on the years of experience it took to become the Baba Yaga. This was someone working purely off emotion and rage. The cinematic language seemed to help communicate this while something like John Wick works better with clean cut fight choreography. I think there might have even been a meta point to this near the beginning of the movie when getting the gun Dev Patel’s character is offered the gun of John Wick but turns it down for a revolver which he is told packs a lot of punch but requires you to be up close to the target but I might be reading too much into this.
Thanks for the review Dan! Always love hearing what you think about these new releases.
After much thought on the “shakey cam” aspect, I agree with you. It is a part of the story telling, and couple that with the stories of how they made the movie with a lot of challenges forced them to be more creative, it starts to make sense. ✌️
I mean you can use that same shaky cam justification for many films.
@@piusdoe8984 i agree but in this case context means everything
You absolutely can use the same shaky cam justification for many films. It’s a question of if the approach works as part of the larger cinematic language of the film and given that we’re talking about art the answer is always going to be subjective.
A couple other examples to consider. Was it a gimmick in The Wizard of Oz for it to switch from sepia-tone to color as Dorothy entered Oz? What about last year with Alexander Payne’s decision to shoot The Holdovers using techniques from the 1970s. How about the Blair Witch Project, was the found footage approach the right decision for that film?
Again the answer is going to be subjective and unique to the viewer and boils down to if some decision enhances or distracts from the overall product?
@@jcmitch000 in this caee, I meant the context of this particular film:
1) action driven by narrative
2) budgetary constraints
3) film made during pandemic with many borders closed, access to particular resources like cameras, locations, camera operators, stunt performers etc was limited. This forced creative choices had to be made.
4) filming in a foreign country; a particular part of a foreign country where no doubt those same resources in 3) would be even more limiting
5) having the talent to be self aware of all of the above and the balls to STILL release the film to the public knowing that these choices were made AFTER 10 years of thinking about the project BUT then having to deal with so much shit only to get MORE shit about shaky cam instead of focusing on the film itself & the effort to make it.
I would think if Dev and team had been given other circumstances, I think the shaky cam would still exist as part of the narrative but in a better way that won’t have people complain about it. Perhaps then, they would complain how boring it was consistent throughout the movie & didn’t really add much to the journey of this character. I would be curious to see if the same choices would have been made if all those challenges were not thrust upon everyone involved in this movie. Movie making is hard enough; so context means everything.
Note I largely agree with you. I just think you are ignoring context for THIS film. This shaky cam was not a gimmick for THIS movie because context means everything.
Respectfully, thanks for the discussion and pointing out the bleeding obvious repeatedly that everyone who can see knows. ✌️
It’s incredible that Jordan Peele has the stature to sway movie marketing just by attaching his name to something. That’s cool!
He has a first deal contract with Paramount I believe, where Paramount gets to have first say in all his projects and in return he gets to bring them a couple of passion projects of his so they would distribute
One of those was Monkey Man
Man has some sway for sure.
Man, Netflix turned this down? The company that made Gray Man, Red Notice, and many other crap?
From what I've read, they weren't sure about its prospects in India and sought alternative distribution.
Yeah it's not even clear if it'll release in India and Netflix gets significant amount of hate from a big portion of the audience@@DanMurrellMovies
@@DanMurrellMovies So Netflix are scared. Got it.
@@Aman-hm6cw heard 😂
What does "prospects in India" mean? Like, the Indian public wouldn't enjoy the movie and it wouldn't be profitable?
In Dev Patel interview with Jimmy Fallon he's body was badly hurt from head to toe and he didn't went to the hospital and it was filmed during pandemic
Why wouldn't he go to the hospital? He's the director/writer/star. If he's unable to be on set due to injuries he's fucking his own movie over big time.
@@BillySotherden if he went then they have to stop or shut it down so Dev never gives up and finish filming
It was during a time when most of world had closed borders, restrictions on movements, they filmed on an island in Indonesia and there were budgetary concerns too. So, for Dev to suffer for his art given all these circumstances is admirable. No one questions it when Tom Cruise or Jackie Chan does it, so why question it here given all these circumstances? 🤔✌️
good he deserves worse for pushing a hinduphobic story line under the guise of a Hanuman mask
The movie does an incredible job using Hindu myths to critique Hindu fundamentalism while staying within the action genre. “You can only deconstruct what you love.”
Oh wow, I expected you to rate it higher. Probably my bias. I saw it last night and while I agree with your criticisms, I feel like there were a ton of positives that weren’t brought up and I would have definitely put it in “It’s Good”.
It‘s actually amazing
The "Shaky Cam" was a symbolization of his mental state, he didn't have clarity or know what he was doing at first. You will notice in the second half of the movie all the scenes became very clear after he had realized his purpose for doing what he was doing.
Netflix didn't release it because it can be seen as critique of India's current right wing government. Pretty embarrassing on their part but a guess a billion odd people is a lot of potential customers.
Yup! U got dat ryt
@@ashwinpawar5325 Everyone dare to make movie and portraying Hindu believers in wrong image but they daren't to do the same with other religion followers or they will be beheaded
If you filter by languages you can see that Netflix actually has a fuck ton of Indian movies available, definitely not a small part of their audience
Our government won't encourage anything which insults our tradition and culture
@@telugufactsandmore2602 it doesn't attack religion, but right wing nutjobs.
Moviebob had some interesting background discussion in his review of the film. His explanation gives you an idea as to why Netflix didn't take it.
Saw it last night, I really like it.
There is Bloodywood track Dana Dan in the movie they are really great Indian Nu Folk metal band 🤘
Sweet I love Bloodywood, they are a perfect band to do movie music
@@stephanielitz4056 yes I always thought they would fit a great Action Oner
I was in the cinema and I was like hmm this could've been 20 minutes shorter.
I agree
Am interested in this one just because it got the Jordan Peele seal of approval. The reviews of "good, but not great" are a little disappointing to see, but I feel like I'll still enjoy this one. If I ever get time to go to the theaters, that is.
Jordan peele is very overrated
Seeing it tomorrow!
Always killing it, Dan!
You give it an ‘It’s Fine’ but I say it’s in the upper ‘It’s Good’ even closer to the ‘It’s Great’ category. The use of shaky cam was actually handled well considering the director wanted to convey the uncomfortably claustrophobic and anxiety-induced effect from the protagonist’s pov. In the first half of the movie, he hadn’t found confidence and strength to fully commit to murdering his enemy, so his mind was scattered and barely escaped the fight. But in the latter half of the movie, he builds his confidence, strength and the conviction to follow through with his plan, so the camera felt more steady and smooth following the action. The character arc and emotional centre of the protagonist was executed so beautifully well…I can’t really relate but there were moments in here I forgot Dev was acting and felt like I was invading someone’s privacy as he dealt with his demons.
I’ve seen a lot of counter arguments saying what the intended effect was. I respect that and I never doubted that Dev Patel close the shaky cam for a reason. But I also have to express my opinion on the effect, not just the intention. It’s all subjective, of course, and I’m happy others have different opinions.
@@DanMurrellMovies At the end of the day everyone has their own tastes so it’s not like it takes away my enjoyment of the movie. Thanks for the reply!
Tbh, while I felt The Beekeeper was dumb and derivative, the action sequences and camerawork was WAY better in that film compared to this movie IMO
I really hate extreme shaky cam action. That’s too bad…
Some shots were captured using iPhones and go pros due to budget cuts.
Great video Dan!
I appreciate Dan replying to comments on his videos correcting misconceptions.
Thanks Dan!
The kineticism and dynamism of the camera worked for me but it’s all personal preference I guess.
Great set pieces and didn’t feel the length at all.
Awesome cinematography- undeniably owes a debt to John Wick and an interesting debut from Dev Patel.
Bet he enjoyed being the lead of an action film when he would normally be relegated to a sidekick.
If no one casts you , write it yourself I guess.
I had missed any buzz about this film at all.
I’m going! Got to support Dev so he gets another.
Great review Dan!
I felt the same about the camera work and the length. There were a couple flashbacks that I was surprised were still going by the ends of them. And I had a headache by the end of the film due to all the shaky closeups and harsh editing 😅 Overall, not a bad film though, and Dev Patel was great!
Great review Dan
Thanks for your review, Dan! Much appreciated.
I saw this on Wednesday. I agree about the shaky cam.
I'm not going to reiterate the comments, but the shakey cam works thematically. I had no problems with the length of the movie. I was drawn in all the way. It's honestly my favorite of the year thus far (I thought Dune Chapter Two was great, but the mythology turns me off, and I really didn't like Hulk Mode in Love Lies Bleeding, even though the movie aside from that was absolutely solid).
Thanks Dan,
I wasn't sure if I wanted to see it.
Your review helped. I ordered my tix for tonight.
Now time to binge more disaster movies as this earthquake on the east coast has me in a mood for disaster flicks.
Didn't mind too much about the shaky cam but there are some horrendous music/soundtrack choices in the movie. Doesn't fit the scenes at all. But it is a really fun big swing. And some fight scenes are so brutal and fun. Love the creativeness of those.
As Bart Simpson said, “God shmod-I want my monkey man!”
"Monkey Man!"
-The Monkey Man Fan from Hey Arnold
Hope this arrives to Argentina.
Going this weekend. From what I've seen via the trailers/promotional shots, Anton Fuqua's debut 'The Replacement Killers(Chow Yun-fat, Mira Sorvino) comes to mind. Outstanding that Jordan Peele put his energy behind it to get it a theatrical release, and although many don't wanna see Bollywood merging into the mainstream, the Industry is in part thirsty for new faces,& talent.
I hope Dev and Netflix team up again soon though.
Well said on “killing your darlings.” Appreciate your voice out as a long time viewer (early collider era.) Respect, Dan! ✊🏽
For a debut film, it was a spectacular turnout. Yeah it’s another revenge film, yeah there’s too much shaky cam, but man there’s a lot of blood. Danny Boyle’s influence is felt in Dev’s directing style
Shakey-Cam on a large screen makes me so queasy that I need to look away. This adds another reason for me to skip some movies in theaters, along with:: 2) too long, needed to stretch and use restroom. 3) Can't understand the actors' speaking- wait to watch at home with captions.
Was it giving headache,I mean was it too shaky
Thanks Dan
Whenever I think of good but not great action films that actually have a decent amount of emotional storytelling, my mind always immediately goes to The Accountant, starring Ben Affleck and Anna Kendrick. Sounds like this one has far more action and emotion.
Did anyone see the monkey face when people were sleeping Dev was saying down?
I was impressed it didn't feel long
Thanks for the review Dan. I'm actually gonna see it today. And I like that your help me go in to an enjoyable movie, but who knows I might have a similar or different opinion on your critiques on the movie.
Dan just like this video, thank you for the review 🤗
Agreed on the shakey cam, could’ve been used less but I did love the rest of the movie. I think the flash backs we see on the first half are his recollection of what happened and its not until he has the spiritual experience that he recalls it in its entirety. This is what revealed the bigger elements at play to our hero and gave him his purpose. The motivation he needed to try again and not just for selfish reasons. When you hear about the challenges in making the movie and getting it released, it made it much more impressive for me. Thanks for the review Dan!
Thank you for your review. Christopher Nolan & Tarantino are directors who also just can't trim down their films. Really wish they and Patel went in with the commitment to keep it tight.
This is longer than Dunkirk.
@@travisspazz1624 which still should have been a shorter film, and felt like 3 hours.
This is a really good review Dan.
I follow all the big movie critics and gotta say youre the most distinct.
Am I crazy I don’t understand the complaints for the shaky cam? I’ve seen some reviewers speak on it but I never really even noticed it thought the action was really easy to follow
Also can’t wait to see The First Omen. I’m not familiar with that franchise really and am just excited with how the movie has been looking in trailers and how much love critics are giving it.
Totally agree with your review, and I kind of wish I watched it before going to see it since I did go into the movie with too much hype. This type of revenge action troupe has been done a million times and this it didn’t really add anything new besides the India flair which I did like. In addition to the other criticisms you had, the amount I had to suspend my disbelief during the action sequences was too high. Even when he failed in the first encounter he still went toe to toe with the main bad guy, who was still a challenge for him after this training sequence… it doesn’t make sense that he’d have survived that first encounter. The escape sequence was also a bit ridiculous. I do like a gritty action movie but yeah everything was too drawn out and long in this.
Nice to see a more balanced review of this from Dan. I've seen many reviewers gushing over it, whilst apparently ignoring the film's weaknesses. It's a great debut but I agree with Dan - it's a very promising first film but with some tweaks, it could have been amazing.
saw it yesterday full adrenaline rush that scene in the elevator was so well done i caught myself moving my head as the blood spewed. so glad i dont review films for a living or clicks.
I love reviewing films for a living. It’s the driving passion of my life. It’s such a misconception that critics are miserable people who hate movies. I love movies and so do most other critics. Just because we don’t always agree doesn’t mean there isn’t a love for it.
Saw it yesterday and agree with so many of your points! Glad this got a theatrical release. I’d put it in It’s Good on your review scale. This genre is incredibly difficult to do properly and I think Dev Patel will get that confidence and clarity to cut some things down and rely less on the flashbacks and shaky/over edited fight choreography you mentioned. Hope he adapts something he likes and directs it!
(Caps are excitement!!!)
MONKEY MAN MATH
MONKEY MAN (Dev Patel) = ENTER THE DRAGON (Bruce Lee) BLOODSPORT (Van Damme) + ROCKY & RAMBO (Sly) + JOHN WICK (Keanu) + EQUALIZER (Denzel)!!!!!
Super must watch - I predict MONKEY MAN 2 - it’s the next iconic series for generations to come!!! Just like those I mentioned😊
When will it be released in India?
Ok. I hate to say it but Monkey Man is mediocre at best, imo. So much promise but comes up short. This is a really a streaming movie. The first 40 mins is a drag. Like straight up boring. I will say after the first fight sequence, it definitely get better. The camera fighting sequences was just jarring at times. The story was just ok. Music and score could have been way better. This is a once and done movie. 6/10.
Sorry, it‘s really „See it now!“. It’s a fantastic film that doesn’t copy the John Wick formula. I was blown away.
I somewhat agree with the length of the film. I think my main gripe with the film is the camera work. I think it worked really well for the fight scenes, but i think they could've stopped using such shaky cams and close ups on the more emotional scenes (With his mother, transgender women etc...) I feel it kinda irked me that it was used on 95% of the film and it really didn't need that. I was constantly yelling in my head for the camera man to pull out to a wide shot!
The fights were awesome, specially the last fight in the bar! Although i felt the fight with the big baddies were very rushed and could've been longer; right now they felt a little short and anti climactic. I hope Dev Patel makes more movies, i feel he really has a good visual eye for storytelling, and he just needs to learn that less is more and to choose his moments on where to cut down on things, and where in the story to put more time into.
Completely disagree with the shaky cam, etc. Like other people have mentioned, we didn't even notice it. This film was SO good. I was afraid it wouldn't be able to live up to my expectations, but it exceeded it! 10/10, 5/5 stars, A+! This is literally what cinema was made for. Very rare to see this kind of overall quality. It's actually insane that this is his first directing job.
This is a must see for me and my wife, I will see this weekend what I think overall
Totally agreed on the length. I felt like this could have been 15-20 minutes shorter. It kind of drug on for parts
Worth watching the BBC Ali Plumb interview and how they shoot action with no budget (old iPhone taped to the motor rickshaw) which many explain some of the shaky cam. I would recommend you watch the Telugu film Hanu Man, which was a recent Indian blockbuster and complements the Hanuman story really well
Ya not interested in a monkey who flies holding a mountain kind of stupidity
You should see Dev Patel's interview by Ali Plumb to understand how the camera work was done (on a low budget no less). Explains why there were shaky camera scenes.
It was a choice,the shaky cam works in these movie,it feels you are close to the action,if you watched the movie you will get it😊
@@hrushikeshsantoshdhore304 I haven't watched it yet but I am excited about it. I agree with you about how shaky cam makes you feel more involved and would be interesting to watch when done right. I coincidentally saw Dev Patel's interview right after I watched this review, so it made sense to me in context of directing the fight scenes.
I agree. It’s a great first effort which has a lot of passion. I know directors like to make reference to other films but it was a bit too much “john wickiest” and “only God can forgive”. I wish it had more original moments but it is a hard thing to do. Favourite bits were him feeding the dog which then helps him lol. Didn’t really like how after some training he became an unbeatable assassin. Too much suspense of disbelief… lost count on the 🙄… if it had been shorter, I might have enjoyed more. I will still support and watch his next films.
This one was definitely in the “It’s good,” on my scale, but I can definitely see the flaws of it holding it back for other folks.
I was on the fence about this movie but watching Dan's review. I will now go see it 👍
Monkey Man wow what a film, start to finish good acting, the set-pieces were stunning, and the choreography was great. 10/10 for a Dev Patel directorial debut and glad that Jordan Peele suggested a theatrical release and not a streaming platform as I can't stop thinking about this film and want to see it again
It is not like the trailers sell it as, and there is shaky cam - great...
Has nobody seen The Raid?? I still don't think any combat fighting action movie has topped it. Great choreography and you can see everything, makes everything more impactful
The Raid is the gold standard, but that is hard to keep. I don’t know if Dev Patel has any martial arts training, but he did a decent job as actor, director, and producer.
@@brianng8350Dev Patel did martial arts as a child.
watching the movie i had the feeling that i didn't know enough about indian politics / history to really get an emotional grasp on what was going on.
A good film but will look forward to the 'Editor's Cut' edition at a future time. Yes, too much shakey cam and inclose action scenes that detracted slightly from the experience.
Shakey cam? Digital/rental it is
This movie was marketed as nonstop action, and it's more than that. I enjoyed but agree with Dan. They were doing so much that some of the subplots were underbaked. Same for the supporting characters. Would have like to see more from them. Still, it was decent and left me looking forward to what Dev Patel will do next.
I loved it! fun stuff and he was great in the role. The chest splitting scene was sick. Loved all the homages too. Could feel the passion
It is kinda wild how someone’s first ever movie can garner this much hype
Totally agree SXSW like to pump up when they like to politicize a movie. Nevertheless I enjoyed watching the movie as I am big fan of action movies. Agree with length there was unnecessary storyline added and slow down the movie from an action movie
i really enjoyed the shaking cam. it make me feel i was part of the experience. when i watch jon wick, i font feel part of the action. this is one of the best action i watched in my life. he will win the oscar for this movie
I just saw this tonight and i loved this movie, i dont agree with the critique on shaky cam, they dont use it all the time and when they use it i feel like it matches the style and asthetic of the movie, could the movie have been trimmed, i dunno maybe but i was engaged the whole time so i didnt feel like it dragged enough to take our 30 mins but thats just me, this is well worth the watch on the big screen and i hope dev patwl contuines with directing too , he did great for his first time
Split cracked, whacked and packed
Idk if it was just my viewing (AMC PRIME) but the impacts of all the action had little to no weight. Took a lot away from the movie imo. The shaky cam wouldn’t have annoyed me as much if I could actually feel it through the sound.
Late to this review having just watched it. While it is easy to dismiss it as a John Wick ripoff, I do like how he was super inept during his original revenge attempt and only succeeded once he obtained his spiritual awakening.
agree with most of dans review here, but should have been up to "its good". as a first debut the man excelled and on a 10 million budget.
I freaking love this man's analysis and insight for f**** sake...
The trailer kinda tricks you into thinking this was a different type of movie. But I still want to go see it in theaters.
I was excited for this movie, but the more I am hearing about it the more my excitement is waning. I think the shaky cam criticism that I have heard three times in last 24 hours might be one where I wait and not see it in theaters. The last two times I saw movies with shaky cam in theater, I felt nauseous. Oh well - Civil War comes out soon. Regardless of any reviews, I am going to see that
It’s a good mix - there are some shots that are stable - you see all the choreography and movies, but others are shaky. He does mix them up. Just saying it’s not the whole movie.
@@brianng8350 thanks for the comment. Did you enjoy the movie?
@lawnjart16 Mixed feelings. I thought it would be a dumb action movie like Sisu, but he added culture and politics into the movie, which might be a good or bad thing depending on the individual. There are not a lot of dialogue and motives. I do like the action when it is not shaky. There are scenes that repeats that I can do without, but it is the motivation of the character, which he replays in his mind. Definitely, some editing and trimming might make this movie better. Like the last few John Wick movies, some of the action scenes get exhausting even as a viewer...hahaha... But I give credit to Dev Patel as action star, director, and producer for the effort.
@@brianng8350 I appreciate the comment! I agree that the last John Wick was a bit exhausting :D Never thought I would say that on an action movie but man....
I think I will still catch it, but maybe just not on opening weekend.
Just saw it in the cinema. Great film, not without its flaws but overall an enjoyable experience! Given the budget and the filming conditions it's a terrific film.
random. I love Dans background. Tasteful, great references, and it doesnt look like he's sitting in a rundown toy store
Really liked it but I think all your points are spot on.
One question Dan. At any point in this movie does the rolling stones song play. If not it's a hard pass
I thoroughly enjoyed the Monkey Man. Dev Petal and Jordan Peele make a dynamic duo. ❤❤❤❤🐒🐒🐒🐒
Monkey man is a masterpiece
It doesn’t just live up to the hype . It exceeds expectations.
Personally not a fan of shaky cam, at all. Sadly another one to watch at home - shaky cam on the big screen can kick of motion sickness for my lovely bride.
Ypu perfectly captured all of my thoughts about this movie, literally agreed with everything you said
Its a hit or miss . For me its not really keeping my attention in the beginning so far. I was thinking the movie was about him gaining strength like an ape. That would of been interesting.
It actually turned out to be my favorite film of the year thus far.
Was excited to see the movie. The words shaky cam have taken me out. I cannot abide watching it in a movie.
Shaky Cam? Skip
Monkey man for best picture 2025
Personally I loved the shaky cam it made it feel like I was involved with the fight