O Último Caso do Sr. Monk

Tony Shalhoub is now 70 years old, I most recently enjoyed him in 'Mrs Maisel' where he plays a character with similar issues. But not nearly as OCD as Adrian Monk. This movie really offers not much new, it even includes most of the old TV series cast members.

But that is not a bad thing, in fact it is a good thing. It is familiar, we don't need to get used to a whole host of new characters. This movie, at just over 90 minutes, is as good and entertaining as the typical 'Monk' TV show.

There is a death, made to look accidental, but some things just don't add up. It is a bungee jump gone wrong, the cord is six feet too long, but the experienced jumper is very meticulous in constructing his cord. "Measure twice and cut once" is his approach. (As it turns out I figured out pretty quickly how the crime was likely committed and it turned out I was right.)

So most of the second half of the movie is seeing how Monk will gather and piece together clues. His interaction with other characters is as much fun to watch.

No, this isn't a great or innovative movie but it is entertaining if you like 'Monk.' My wife and I watched it at home, streaming on Peacock.

Some TV reboots -- or movie-length one-offs based on long-cancelled shows -- turn out to be major disappointments. Not so with "Mr. Monk's Last Case," in which the Defective Detective is called upon to investigate a horrifying accident involving his daughter's fiance. Once again, he drives everyone crazy with his obsessive/compulsive behavior -- the scene in which he pretends to be a bartender goes on for too long (which, frankly, the series' most memorable comedy bits often did, anyway) -- but watching him try to play master mixologist under the judgmental eye of a horde of customers was still laugh-out-loud funny. Balancing out the chuckles: Monk's suicidal tendencies, borne of the fact that he hasn't solved a murder in ten years (and hasn't even been asked to), the memoir he has written has elicited a polite but firm "No!" from his publisher, and he's beginning to feel not just unhappy, but useless. (Never has Shalhoub looked more hangdog, more emotionally drained; every crease on his aging face tells a sad tale all its own.) Most of the old gang is on hand to help him, the villain is as evil as any he's ever encountered, the ending is a tear-jerker, and if the Big Reveal -- that inevitable moment when he explains exactly how the crime was committed -- seems a bit predictable, so what? The movie is a fine addition to the Adrian Monk mythos, and -- even better -- it looks like this won't be his swan song, after all. Maybe he'll follow in Columbo's footsteps and keep coming back. We can only hope.

I'm a die-hard Monk fan and eagerly awaited this movie. However, I was disappointed to see the depressive turn the writers took with Monk's character. As another reviewer wrote, I too would have loved to see Monk embracing how the world dealt with germs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr. Monk gleefully witnessing the world wearing masks, using sanitizers amd wipes would have been hilarious. It seemed as if the writers weren't aware of the subtle nuances that make Monk "Monk". All in all, It was an enjoyable hour and a half. I loved seeing the old crew back together but it definitely missed its mark.

I am a Monk fan and Tony Shalhoub didn't disappoint. He was, as always, a delight to watch. But most of the other actors were mediocre, especially McGee, whose grief was not at all convincing. Even Ted Levine was unconvincing in his conflict of interests. The story had such a great potential if each actor had tackled into it and had taken their role as seriously as Shalhoub. Except for Monk's wife, everyone seemed to be there just to create a background for Monk.

I earnestly hope this is not Monk's last case, not only because I will gladly watch more of Monk any time but also because he deserves a better "last case," if there has to be one.

Well, I hope this won't be the last case for Adrian Monk. It's been so long since the series ended and it was a sheer joy to see the whole gang back together again.

Tony Shalhoub is such an underrated actor. He pitches everything just right and it's as if he has never been away for so long. He retains the quirkyness, the awkwardness and some great humour.

The plot is good, James Purefoy makes a good baddie and the supporting gang all do a great job. Jason Gray-Stanford (Disher) chips in with some hilarious attempts to solve the case, too.

So while i understand that Shalhoub might not want to get involved with another Monk series, I do hope he'll agree to do the occasional movie.