There was a time when primetime network procedural dramas were the talk of the town, but that time has long gone. Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie doesn’t feel like a shameless cash grab like so many other attempts to revive decades-old IP. However, it’s not very good — feeling like a shell of the show’s former self.
The film follows Monk as he has stepped away from consulting for the police and solving crimes, as he is drawn back in to crack one more case — this time one that’s incredibly personal. As is the case with the show, as much of the fun comes from Mr. Monk’s antics as him solving the crime, but there’s really not much fun to be had.
One of the biggest issues with the movie is that it feels two years too late. The idea of the notoriously germaphobic and OCD detective Mr. Monk dealing with a world of people who have become just like him in light of the COVID-19 pandemic is intriguing, but we have become so inundated with Covid-centric media that it’s become tiring.
Mr. Monk’s Last Case feels generic and dated
The other way Mr. Monk’s Last Case attempts to comment on “current” events is with a suspect, played by James Purefoy, who’s a rich, egotistical entrepreneur trying to go to space. Sound familiar? It might be funny… if the character were used for any sort of cutting satire, but he’s not. It also doesn’t help that the usually talented Purefoy is phoning in his performance.
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Unfortunately, Monk’s crime-solving style also seems more fit for a 60-minute format than feature length. Even though the film clocks in at only a little over an hour and a half, it feels stretched incredibly thin. Between the gags that don’t land and the mystery that’s frustratingly easy to solve, the movie attempts to fill in the gaps with earnest character beats that somehow still feel underdeveloped.
Mr. Monk’s Last Case is the type of television movie shot like an extended episode of the series, not a bigger and better version. The production wears its network-sized budget and condensed production timeline on its sleeve. For example, parts of the film that are supposed to be set on Purefoy’s SpaceX-esque compound have such lackluster production design that it will draw viewers out of the movie.
If nothing else, this works as an excuse to see Shaloub in his signature role again. Unlike so many other revivals, it doesn’t feel like Shaloub is doing this merely for the paycheck. He clearly loves this character, as does the series’s creator and film’s screenwriter, Andy Breckman. They want to push forward Monk’s arc in a meaningful way but are held back by the need to frame it around the central mystery.
Mr. Monk’s Last Case is a pretty big disappointment. The mystery is generic and predictable, and the humor and commentary both feel extremely out of touch. It’s a shame — if the title rings true, Shaloub’s tenure as the detective went out with a whimper, and it would have been much better to leave the series alone.
Mr. Monk’s Last Case is streaming on Peacock beginning December 8.
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Rating: 5/10
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