Today’s quick review: Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Five years after the battle between Godzilla and two other Titans devastated San Francisco, Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) is kidnapped by Alan Jonah (Charles Dance), an ecoterrorist who wants to use her work to unleash other Titans on Earth. Her ex-husband Mark (Kyle Chandler) must put aside an old grudge and help Godzilla fight off a newly awakened threat: the three-headed dragon Ghidorah.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a sci-fi action movie that escalates the conflict kicked off in the previous Godzilla movie. King of the Monsters expands the franchise dramatically, awakening a cast of new monsters for the towering, radioactive lizard to fight. Impressive battles at a large scale, thoughtful world-building, and a decent plot make the movie a worthy pick for viewers who are interested in what it has to offer.
Fittingly enough, King of the Monsters’ biggest draw is its monsters. Godzilla is joined by Ghidorah, Mothra, and others in a worldwide brawl to determine who will sit at the top of the Titan hierarchy. The movie delivers primal, life-or-death fighting at a colossal scale, and it doesn’t skimp on quantity. Godzilla and the others are fearsome and majestic creatures, and the King of the Monsters does an excellent job of conveying that.
King of the Monsters also carves out new territory for the Godzilla mythos. Even with the movie’s far-fetched premise, the world feels surprisingly plausible. The organization known as Monarch puts a united face on the human response to the conflict, while the details about the Titans’ role in the natural order help buttress the audience’s suspension of disbelief. The whole package is tied together by the film’s straight-faced presentation.
King of the Monsters does have a few drawbacks. The outcome of fights can seem arbitrary, thanks to the tenacity of the Titans and the limited number of ways for them to tangle. The grey, rain-soaked visual tone of the film can make the action hard to follow, though the monsters’ energy effects and atmospheric settings help to vary things up. The story is reasonable for an action film and has roles for its characters, but isn’t especially deep.
Watch Godzilla: King of the Monsters if you’re a fan of monster movies or sci-fi action in general. King of the Monsters is a credible and largely successful effort to portray a world where giant monsters exist. Its large-scale action and reasonably well-balanced story make it a worthy entry into the series and a solid watch overall. Skip it if you’re not interested in the premise, if you dislike CGI, or if you’re looking for a deeper plot.
For a movie set in the same universe with a disaster movie spin, try Godzilla. For one with survival and war elements, try Kong: Skull Island. For a sci-fi action movie with a similar premise and more attitude, try Pacific Rim. For a less successful take on a similar premise, try Rampage.
6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for big monsters, plenty of action, and a fascinating world.