Dev Patel jumps head-first into the action arena with “Monkey Man”, an intriguing revenge thriller that marks the 33-year-old actor’s directorial debut. The ambitious “Monkey Man” is a brutal and bloody amalgamation that attempts to pull equally from Hollywood and Indian action cinema. Patel’s management of both styles, in front of and behind the camera, is a big reason his hard-hitting first feature works when it does. That said, it’s not without its flaws.

In addition to directing and starring, Patel also conceived the story, co-wrote the screenplay, and co-produces alongside Jordan Peele. His film was nearly cancelled after numerous delays during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Patel pushed through and his finished film was acquired by Netflix. Soon after, Peele saw the movie and was impressed. He purchased it from Netflix and inked a distribution deal with Universal Pictures. And just like that Patel’s passion project had its path to the big screen.

Some have compared “Monkey Man” to the John Wick films and from the trailers it’s easy to see why. But with the utmost respect, this is no John Wick. And the comparisons don’t do Patel’s film any favors. First off, this is not the fast-flowing, action-fueled movie you might expect. The bulk of the action in concentrated into two expanded sequences – one in the first half, the other in the final act. That’s pretty much it. And while Patel pours himself into it physically, the sequences are lacking in several ways. More on that in a second.

Patel plays a somber young man with no name who’s tormented by his troubled past. We learn that as a child he witnessed the savage murder of his mother (Adithi Kalkunte) at the hands of a cold-hearted Chief of Police, Rana Singh (Sikandar Kher). Donning a blood-stained gorilla mask, the young man now works in an underground fight club where he gets beaten to a pulp for cash. But in the back of his mind all he can think of is paying back every crooked police officer, corrupt politician, and spiritual guru involved in his mother’s death.

The young man’s quest for revenge starts when he gets a job at a swanky night club/restaurant ran by Queenie Kapoor (Ashwini Kalsekar), a child trafficker and close associate of Rana Singh. He carefully crafts a plan and patiently waits to make his move. Unfortunately things don’t go as planned and he misses his chance to kill Rana. He manages to escape but is badly wounded and severely beaten. His near lifeless body is nursed back to health by a vaguely defined transgender religious sect who use a few chants, some drum beats, and a burlap sack full of rice to turn him into a one-man killing machine. Yep.

Of course the young man gives vengeance another whirl, this time leaving behind a much higher body count. Much like the earlier action sequence, the finish has its moments and Patel’s intensity and physicality carry the load. Yet even with some beautifully violent flashes of brilliance, the action as a whole feels surprisingly inert. That’s because Patel’s big stylish swings can sometimes get in the way. But by far the biggest problem with the action is Patel’s frustrating over-reliance on shaky-cam and quick-cuts. It mucks up the scenes and can be borderline disorienting.

Meanwhile through it all Patel attempts to weave in commentary on Indian politics and religion although without much context. And he makes several broad statements on power, class, and marginalization. But they too are more surface level than explored. It’s obvious what Patel is going for. But “Monkey Man” ends up stuck in a rather unsatisfying middle ground. The lack of depth in its setups and treatments weakens its messaging. At the same time, its attempts at messaging takes away from the action which could have driven the film if given more attention.

All of that said, Patel still accomplishes quite a bit. First, he remains a terrific actor and he gives yet another astonishing performance in a role unlike anything he’s done in the past. He also shows some keen senses and an unbridled ambition behind the camera. His decisions don’t always come together, but he clearly has a bright future as a director. As for “Monkey Man”, it’s an admirable yet perplexing first effort in desperate need of some fine-tuning. It’s a movie with flashes of genius but hampered by a few head scratching choices and some miscalculations that unfortunately hold it back. “Monkey Man” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS