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Marvel’s Hit-Monkey is based on the comic book following author Daniel Way and illustrator Dalibor Talajić’s vision. This piece of work was first released in 2010 as a digital one-shot in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The “Killer of Killers” or Monkey will appear on the small screen as showrunners Will Speck and Josh Gordon take the helm. The show will be released on November 17th, and all ten episodes will be streamed on Disney+ and Hulu.
This article tries its best to avoid spoilers but includes certain parts of the plot.
Season 1 Premise & Summary
Marvel’s Hit-Monkey opens with a glimpse of the no borrowed time, straight action this series promises. The titular “Hit-Monkey” (Fred Tatasciore) is shown hunting down and massacring Yakuza members in a vicious, animalistic style mixed with the coolness of an ape with two handguns.
The rugged, fast-paced energy of the show introduces us to our other main character, Bryce (Jason Sudeikis). He is a smart-mouthed, trained assassin famous in the underground world and jaded by the lifestyle it forces. He is briefed for his next big job: the assassination of Ken Takahara, Japan’s most promising political candidate to “clean up Japan.”
Six automated snipers and a messy escape lead to the death of a political figure. Later, Bryce is found in a hot spring surrounded by snow monkeys who nurse him back to health. His stay at the oasis is short-lived, though, as military police track him and gun him down along with the tribe of monkeys who’ve helped him.
The only one left alive to seek vengeance for their deaths is Monkey… and the ghost of Bryce, whose soul is bound by the ape to mentor and guide him through both human and underground worlds to help him finish his vendetta against the people in charge of annihilating his tribe.
Other Plots
Hit-Monkey also follows the once shining star of the Tokyo Police department, Ito (Nobi Nakanishi), and his new partner, Haruka (Ally Maki) as they track the trail of bodies laid waste by Monkey and Bryce.
Lastly, we follow Shinji Yokohama (George Takei) and Akiko (Olivia Munn). They are an uncle-and-niece duo who pick up the duty of running for prime minister after the untimely assassination of Ken Takahara.
Discussion
Aside from the gratuitous violence and explicit blood sport, Hit-Monkey is what you would expect from a Marvel IP at this point. It has witty banter mixed with a fair amount of emotional downpour. If you’re looking for a show that’s easy to digest with friends or just bored on a Friday evening, scrolling for something to binge, Hit-Monkey will satisfy your needs.
The show excels most when it slows down enough to display the dynamics of Monkey and Bryce; their exchanges with each other, even with the lack of Monkey’s ability to speak, are amusing and at times heart-warming. The standout episodes were “The Long Goodbye” and “Home Sweet Home” where I think their relationship peaks and we learn the most about how they work together under pressure and how they are as individuals. These two episodes also show the consequences of their actions and really add emotional weight to the series.
Secondary Characters
We follow the six characters as the plot unravels to find whoever piloted the betrayal of Bryce and the death of Monkey’s tribe. This doesn’t seem to be intended for more than an action-packed tale of vengeance and redemption. In spite of that, I wish we saw more of our side characters like Nobi Nakanishi’s Ito. At times, he felt more like a plot device than an actual character. We are given hints about his past, but never see more than what he tells us.
Hit-Monkey also had more mystique to it than I originally thought it would have. However, with a show about a monkey assassin wearing a suit and mentored by a ghost, maybe I should have expected more. It later includes aspects like another ancient ghost assassin; a time-traveling samurai from feudal Japan; and…a monk that might have powers?! All these and a few more interesting faces are just some of what I’d love to see more of in Season 2. The show definitely has the promise of having a bigger adventure in the finale.
Behind the Scenes Work
Produced by Marvel Studios and Floyd County Productions, the latter known for their work with FX’s Archer series, we see a very similar style in art and animation.
It took a while for me to appreciate the animation and art style at first, but it grew on me. At worst, the animation was clunky, made apparent by a handful of scenes. Such is the case with the first episode, where bellhops assist Bryce into his hotel room. There were also times where the characters’ facial expressions appeared flat or inconsistent. I saw this mostly with Olivia Munn’s Akiko.
At best, an imaginative experience that sprinkled bits of more adventurous and classic art styles to enhance the overall “comic book” look of the show. This addition of various styles throughout the action scenes was my favorite aesthetic aspect of the show. I hope to see more of this come Season 2. Overall, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that art director Kevin Mellon and associate art director Brenda Weede did a fantastic job with capturing the show’s rough and mature tone.
Casting director Julie Ashton did a great job as the voice acting for the most part served its purpose. Jason Sudeikis lending his voice was convincing for Bryce as he slipped easily into the jaded, fast-talking assassin. Fred Tatasciore was the stand-out casting choice for the show; he expressed the many emotions Monkey had, with the limitations of only being able to communicate through grunts and animal noises.
Final Thoughts
Hit-Monkey took a few episodes to warm up to me. By the end, I was sad to have finished the series. It felt very much like Monkey and Bryce’s relationship as they slowly began to enjoy each other’s company throughout the series, so did I with the show. The animation style is still not exactly my cup of tea. Although, I’m sure that many viewers would not find it too difficult to watch. I found myself enjoying the style towards the tail end of the show.
If you enjoy lesser-known comic book characters and want to see a more mature take on a Disney show without it being too drenched in drama, you will most likely enjoy this show as much as Monkey enjoys persimmons.
Hit-Monkey releases with ten episodes via Hulu and Disney+ on November 17th!
Are you excited to see this series? What are your opinions on it? Let us know! For more action, animation, comedy, science-fiction, and monkey assassin-related news and reviews, follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Instagram (@thecinemaspot_). You can also follow us on Facebook (TheCinemaSpotFB)!
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