Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie

The last time we saw Mr. Monk, he’d solved the murder of his wife Trudy (Melora Hardin) and found the daughter she put up for adoption Molly (Caitlin McGee). All was well for Monk. He easily survived the Pandemic and enjoyed his retirement. But all is not well for the once-famed detective. His publisher wants the advance back for his memoir. He hasn’t worked in ages. Molly is getting married to the reporter Griffin Briggs (Austin Scott). His friends have moved on. The world doesn’t seem to need an obsessive-compulsive detective anymore. But when Griffin is killed in what seems like an accident, Monk will find that spark of life he’d lost to solve the unsolvable case one last time.

Revivals seem to be all the rage these days. Wait long enough and the cast of any favorite show is bound to return in one form or another. Even when the cast has long ago moved on, if the money is good and the time is right, they will find a way to bring everyone back. Evidently, fourteen years was all it took for series creator and writer Andy Breckman to get the old crew back together for Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie. Together with series director Randy Zisk, the whole gang is back in town for one more murder. Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Jason Gray-Stanford, Ted Levine, and Hector Elizondo are back in the saddle and in fine form for this charming yet somber return. 

As this 97-minute feature aims to bring back the quirky fun of the series, it also treads the line of so many fan-favorite character revivals of finding our heroes on the down and outs. It’s kind of a frustrating trope to see everyone from Luke Skywalker to Indiana Jones to Mr. Monk in dire depressed states unable to enjoy their last years in relative happiness. Where I’ll give Mr. Monk’s Last Case a pass is that the story brilliantly addresses the feelings of loss or not being needed as we age. Our kids grow up. Our friends retire or move away. Life marches on and sometimes people just need to feel needed. This film might be a bit more melodramatic in that regard than expected, but it’s a plot line that felt relevant and didn’t cheat its resolution.

But it wouldn’t be A Monk Movie if there wasn’t a murder, right? While the mechanics of the murder itself might not be splashy or cinematic, it fits within the series’ oeuvre. Like the best episodes of the show, the little details pay big dividends. We know our bad guys will get caught, but how they’re caught is a fun reveal for another classic “Here’s what happened.” 

Will this be the last we see Mr. Monk? Maybe, maybe not? How this film resolves itself closes a few doors but opens up a couple more windows of opportunity. As a fan of the show I really enjoyed reconnecting with the series for its Blu-ray run from KLSC. At the same time, I was wrapping that coverage up, I was also digging through the KLSC’s Blu-ray sets for Columbo. Monk would be a great candidate for a movie-of-the-week style ongoing revival where we get one more case with a new group of friends. Now that we’ve had the somber return, it’d be nice to see Monk get back to his quirky inventive silly side in full.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie solves the case of the missing physical media release thanks to Kino Lorber Studio Classics. Pressed on a Region A BD50 disc, the film breaks free of its streaming confines. The disc is housed in a standard Blu-ray case with identical slipcover art. The disc loads to a static image main menu.

On Peacock, fans of Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie could enjoy the film in 4K Dolby Vision HDR. On disc, we get the film in 1080p SDR. Whether that is a licensing thing or the simple mathematics of how well this might sell, I don’t know. Regardless, we at least have the film on disc, and I have to say that it holds up well. It might not be as sharp, and crisp, with the vivid colors of the HDR grade, but it’s no slouch. This 1080p presentation offers a clean very detailed image with a healthy range of vibrant colors, brilliant whites, and impressive black levels. It might appear a bit more polished and modern compared to the original series episodes, but it makes an impression on disc.

And on equal footing is the DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio mix. To be honest, I was actually surprised at first that this was only a 2.0 track because it’s pretty damned active. From the opening meeting with his publisher (played by Shalhoub’s real-life Body Snatchers wife Brooke Adams) to the bustling airport, to a bungee jump, the mix is well-prioritized and engaging. The channel spread gives a great sense of imaging for all of these moments while letting the quiet conversational pieces come together. On that note, the dialog is clear throughout without issue. All around a good mix that matches the vibe of the original series.

On the bonus features front, we don’t really have anything to enjoy. Just a very brief Internet/TV Spot. Not even a real trailer, so basically we didn’t get any extras. 

• Internet/TV Spot (HD 00:16)

While this wasn’t the greatest new case from our favorite obsessive-compulsive detective, I rather enjoyed Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie. It might tread the line of the "old sad hero" trope, but it does so with a measure of grace and sets up what could be a fun run of future made-for-TV movies. Shalhoub is still the best man for the job. The film escapes the confines of streaming for a solid Blu-ray release. If you’re a fan of the series and the film the A/V sticks the landing for a nice physical media presentation. But the appeal of this film really is for the fans of the show. If you haven’t enjoyed Monk before, this isn’t the place to start, and you have about 124 episodes to get caught up on first. For Fans Only