Big Picture Big Sound

Dev Patel's directorial debut "Monkey Man," an otherwise generic revenge picture, comes to theaters with an interesting asterisk next to its name. In today's media landscape a lot of movies are bypassing theaters, or appearing in theaters for a small window, in the name of instant gratification through streaming (or direct-to-consumer as the Hollywood suits would corporatize it). "Monkey Man" worked in reverse: it was originally supposed to debut on Netflix, but was sold to Universal for a theatrical play. It's heartening to see that there's still some emphasis on the movie-going experience.

Patel stars as Kid, an everyday man just trying to get by. Kid does what he can to make money, including getting brutally beaten while wearing a monkey mask in an underground fight club in India, where he's paid far less than the bruises on his face would insinuate (Sharlto Copley plays the boss of the underground fights, who Kid frequently has to haggle with to make a few extra bucks). He works as a dishwasher when he's not getting pummeled, but Kid is always looking for a new way to come into some money.

When Kid was young his mother was killed, and the reason "Monkey Man" was acquired for theatrical release is to watch Kid's violent pursuit for vegeance on the big screen. Kid winds up infiltrating a shady group of elites and systematically begins wreaking havoc upon them. As a director, Patel isn't afraid to get down-and-dirty in the midst of a fight scene, which can be visceral but is occasionally tedious. His camera is always on the move, creating a dizzying experience through handheld work, which ends up distracting from scenes that should be more immersive. But, Patel deserves credit coming out of the gate, ready to get bloodied up. He's not a protagonist that walks away with just a single scratch on his face.

As an actor, Patel has never truly taken off in the mainstream, despite the movie star charisma he possesses. New movies often strengthen a performer's star status, but each time Patel appears in something new it's a reminder he has never quite ascended as he was once anticipated to do. Time after time, he has proven his ability and range, from his breakout in the Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" to lively comedic supporting roles in "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and his would-be James Bond audition in the little seen "The Wedding Guest." In fact, Patel's name has been thrown around the opinionated halls of the Internet as someone who would make a great Bond. It looks like he got tired of waiting for that call and instead made his own "John Wick."

There's some true fight artistry on display, but Patel's big vision is something that can bog down a first time filmmaker's final product. He spends a lot of the movie trying to inject visual flair into every scene, which becomes tiresome instead of impressive. Patel struggles to find a marriage of story and action, but clearly decided to emphasize the fight scenes. They can be cool to watch, but "Monkey Man" proves even an action movie needs a little more than that.