The second official Monkey Man trailer still has all the blood-soaked vengeance of the first. But with calmer, if not gentler, scenes leading up to the action. Produced by Jordan Peele with his company Monkeypaw Productions, Monkey Man follows the unknown young man, played by Dev Patel, on his path of retribution against the corrupted people in power who murdered his mother. But the trailer shows it’s more than mere payback. It’s also about how the rich and powerful ignore or downright abuse the poor.
Rather than the frantic beat of Panjabi MC’s “Mundian To Bach Ke” with Jay-Z featuring on the version in the first Monkey Man trailer, the second trailer’s song slows it down. Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” is still an iconic track, and more people continue to discover the powerhouse song, like TwinsthenewTrend, on YouTube. While the lyrics “I’ve seen your face before my friend” are a bit on the nose in the trailer, the buildup is outstanding. A mini-training arc in the trailer never ceases to rev up excitement. An anime fan knows training arc equals future delicious mayhem.
Monkey Man premiered at SXSW, and reviews are mainly positive from those fortunate enough to attend. It currently has a 92% fresh rating on RottenTomatoes. This trailer includes quotes from various critics and outlets. As a directorial debut, the consensus is that Dev Patel—forgive the pun—killed it.
After his role in The Green Knight in 2021, Dev Patel’s acting credits were short films and a Wes Anderson anthology. No doubt he was gearing up for this film. You could say Patel came back with a vengeance! I’ll stop now.
What do you think of the Monkey Man trailer?
Monkey Man releases on April 5th!
