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Monkey Man seems like a passion project for Dev Patel. He’s all over the set, wearing several hats and masks to bring this one to the screen. It’s an action thriller that blends slapstick comedy with bloody violence. The film’s lore, partially summarized in its excellent trailer, connects to ancient myth and modern political drama. It must be bittersweet to hear Monkey Man constantly attached to John Wick, especially as it seems to aspire to more.
John Wick Clones Could Be a Genre
Dev Patel can take solace in knowing Monkey Man is far from the first movie compared to John Wick. Almost every fast-paced action movie has something in common with Chad Stahelski’s beloved franchise. I see films that have nothing to do with Keanu Reeves’ well-dressed assassins placed in the cultural movement for no reason. However, there are some egregious John Wick knockoffs on the market. The worst ones drop directly into the void, immediately forgotten by the wider public. Consider Netflix’s Blackout, a lesser John Wick with an amnesia gimmick. Worse yet, Beckman is a Christian John Wick missing all the positive qualities of both. Those films are naked in their inspirations, from how they shoot their action scenes to the way they dress their protagonist. I’ve seen people call Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw a John Wick clone. The term means nothing.
Monkey Man seems tenuously connected to John Wick at best. It’s about an ex-con watching the home he once knew fall prey to the financially rich and morally bankrupt. He becomes a prizefighter and sets out on a quest for vengeance. The trailer depicts Dev Patel’s lead character, Kid, struggling through combat. He bounces off a reinforced window in a brief slapstick scene. Alongside the gags, Kid operates from the lore his mother gave him as a child. He dons a monkey mask to fight in the ring, providing some deeply offputting imagery. Jordan Peele and his aptly named Monkey’s Paw production company saved Monkey Man from its once-planned Netflix release. The film’s unique look likely drew his attention. The subtext, imagery, and personal stakes set Monkey Man apart from John Wick and all his friends.
John Wick in Mumbai Was a Mistake
In the Deadline article that announced Monkey Man‘s new theatrical release through Universal, an unnamed insider called it “John Wick in Mumbai.” There are a few reasons that mysterious individual would use that term. It’s a succinct, though reductive, way to sell a movie. Many elevator pitches use the “It’s like this movie meets that movie” format. The premise could get studio execs to fund a project and audiences to see it. Tying the film to an established brand also encourages fans to expect quality. I think describing an action blockbuster as “like John Wick but…” is a go-to shorthand. Video games enjoy similar trends, like God of War clones or Souls-likes today. We look at anything with a guy in a suit, neon lights, and stylized violence and call it John Wick, but that’s unfair. Monkey Man deserves better than that, and so does John Wick.
The plot of John Wick follows the unstoppable assassin as he fights his way through the criminal underworld he once served. The first film is a simple story about a killer avenging his dog, but by Chapter 4, Wick stands on a pile of bodies bigger than his house. Mr. Wick’s journey features little in the way of social commentary or message-mongering. It isn’t particularly deep, but it is endlessly compelling. Not to denigrate John Wick, but can you really see Dev Patel seeing it as a passion project? What about Jordan Peele loving it enough to pick it up from Netflix? It’s pure, uncomplicated, B-movie-level action, but with the talent to turn it into art. Though we only have the trailer to go off today, there’s clearly more underneath Monkey Man than John Wick in Mumbai.
Shorthands are important in sharing art but shouldn’t be the only option. If we didn’t understand the basic tenets of an action film, how would we communicate their successes and failures? Instead of summarizing every new film as its more successful competition, we can use those examples as yardsticks. When Monkey Man comes out, we can ask how it compares to John Wick. From narrative depth to creative vision, Dev Patel’s debut will be something different. Give Monkey Man its chance to succeed without tying it to its stablemates. John Wick had his opportunity. Let’s give the Kid a shot.
