Monga is a combination gangster story/ Asian male bonding story, which begins by revealing the early delinquent life of a group of boys who eventually make the leap to a full-blown criminal lifestyle. Much of this evolution takes place while the bonds that develop among the youths deepen. The film mostly focuses on three principles in the group. As their exploits become increasingly violent, they eventually join a criminal organization headed by Boss Geta, the leader of a local syndicate, and from there allegiances become more complicated. One of the young men does have an offbeat romance with a prostitute, but otherwise the core of the movie remains focused on the intense relationship between the males in this young gang. A betrayal by one member brings emotions to a fever pitch, but not with any unexpected consequences. While the film is well-acted, this viewer found it just a bit too long, at over 140 minutes. Also, the film strives for sympathy as we eventually watch these young men's lives come to ruin, a sympathy which does not come easily given their penchant for problem-solving through violence. By the end of the film they have long lost their innocence; sympathy from the viewer is not so easily gleaned, even though the film would like us to continue to think of them as wayward youth.
