On the whole, Monkey Man is my kind of action movie. It's a bit more depressing than I typically prefer, but it also has a gripping revenge narrative, a simultaneously grimy and extravagant style, a booming soundtrack, and even some cultural flavour, complete with sociopolitical commentary. The mood is chaotic and the violence is ferocious, and Dev Patel presents it all with such energy and emotion and originality (while his influences are pretty obvious, I'd say that he brings them together in a relatively organic way) that his passion is never in question.
Yeah, the second half isn't quite as electric as the first, and yeah, you can sometimes tell that this is the guy's directorial debut (certain elements feel a little over-explained, and he doesn't always have the strongest handle on tone, particularly when it comes to balancing the traumatic backstory with the over-the-top fight scenes), but I guess that stuff doesn't really matter. At least, not when the action's this flawless. And certainly not when the spirit, the flash, and the sense of adrenaline are all this palpable.
Grade: A-
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