Airline pilot Pete Shelborn (Adam Scott) walked into a pawn shop with a toy monkey. The monkey had a drum in its lap and drumsticks in each hand. The pawn shop owner gives it a quick look and declares it broken. He's not interested. Shelborn is desperate to sell. Then the monkey strikes the drum. Through a ridiculous Rube Goldberg series of events, the pawn shop owner is killed. This does not surprise Shelborn in the least. He grabs a flamethrower from among the pawn shop's inventory and screams maniacally as he roasts the toy monkey.
In the late 90s, Hal and Bill Shelborn (Christian Convery) are twins who dislike one another. Hal is the butt of jokes at school, having a very difficult time. One night, they go through their father's things; mom (Tatiana Maslany) had said their father left without explanation. Among his things, they find the monkey. They soon discover that someone dies whenever the monkey beats the drum. Efforts to destroy the monkey fail. After several deaths, they agree to toss the monkey into a well.
In the modern day, Hal works at a pharmacy. He has scheduled a week off to spend with his son, Petey (Colin O'Brien). No sooner does he arrive at his ex-wife's house to get Petey than he learns his aunt has died a horrible death. The monkey is back!
The movie plays as a comedy-horror. The deaths are so graphic that it jumps into comedy. Hal finds himself splashed by buckets of blood, dodging flying limbs, and even witnessing Death riding a pale horse through town. "Over the top" does not begin to explain some of the events.
Good popcorn fun. Recommended.
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