The Monkey trailer might look scary, but it is actually hilarious, bonkers, and entertaining in the best way. It’s Final Destination dialed up to eleven.
I am not going to lie, I watched the trailer for The Monkey and I thought ok, this movie is going to be terrifying, but will have some fun kills mixed in. Well, I was wrong. I wouldn’t say The Monkey is scary, not really, but it is a bloody blast. The kills are over the top and unique, the concept is silly and ridiculous (but not in a bad way).
Writer-Director Osgood Perkins was able to terrify me with Longlegs, which stars Nicholas Cage. But The Monkey is more my kind of movie. I love the Final Destination films. Even when the plot fails and they find themselves all over the place (some of them are fantastic, others are not, admit it), I have a ton of fun watching them. The kills are always shocking, surprising, and ridiculous. The Monkey takes that and dials it up to eleven.
The thing about this movie is it never takes itself seriously. From the very first scene (with a surprise actor you absolutely must avoid finding out about) to the very last shot, The Monkey knows what kind of movie it is. Everyone involved in the film knows exactly what type of movie they are in, and because of that, nearly everything about it excels.
The Monkey begs to be seen on the big screen, in a packed theater, with viewers that have no idea what wild ride they are seated for. This is one of those movies that audiences will be talking about with their friends for weeks to come, recalling their favorite scenes, deaths, and lines.
A movie like The Monkey can only be pulled off if the cast commits, and this one commits. Theo James stars as two characters. He plays twin brothers who have been “haunted” by a toy wind-up monkey since they were children. The monkey likes to kill people in ridiculous ways. After years of thinking the toy (but don’t ever call it that) had left their lives forever, one day it mysteriously reappears.
There are a few twists and turns in regards to the plot, which are more or less predictable, but let’s be honest, no one is watching the movie for the plot. It serves its purpose between the laugh-out-loud and the so insane you cannot believe what you are watching moments.
If you are worried that the trailer has shown too much and will make the kills in the film not as exciting or entertaining, think again. The Monkey is not afraid to push the envelope and loves going completely over the top. It is creepy, but never really scary. That said, if you are squeamish, it does deliver a lot of blood and gore in unexpected ways.
I have not had this much fun with a movie in a while, and was pleasantly surprised by The Monkey, which I was already pretty sure I was going to dig. If you are a fan of the Final Destination franchise, and fun, buckle up, because you are about to be in for the ride of your life. The best think about this movie is that it can easily become a franchise of its own. So please give it to us Osgood Perkins. I am begging you.
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About The Monkey
Based on the Stephen King short story, and produced by James Wan (The Conjuring, Saw), The Monkey is a new trip from Longlegs writer/director, Osgood Perkins.
When twin brothers find a mysterious wind-up monkey, a series of outrageous deaths tear their family apart. Twenty-five years later, the monkey begins a new killing spree forcing the estranged brothers to confront the cursed toy.
The Monkey comes to theaters on February 21.
