While the reaction was divided between hardcore fans and critics, 2014’s Godzilla was a financial hit, grossing over $500 million. Though Gareth Edwards was open to returning for a sequel, he also wanted the film to work on its own. After a successful opening, Legendary Pictures immediately greenlit a sequel with plans to develop a trilogy with Edwards directing. Eventually, Edwards dropped out to direct Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Krampus director Michael Dougherty was hired. For this installment, Dougherty wanted to include more monster action as well as focus more on Monarch. Legendary announced that they had acquired the rights to Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah, so they wanted those included. This was to be the start of a new cinematic universe that revolved around Toho’s legendary kaiju. After a three-month shoot and extensive post-production, Godzilla: King of the Monsters was released to theaters in May 2019.
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Synopsis
Five years after the San Francisco attack, the world has started adapting to the existence of monsters being dubbed “Titans”. Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) is working with Monarch on the “Orca”, a device that emits frequencies Titans respond to. While she and her daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown) witness Mothra’s birth, a group of eco-terrorists kidnaps them. Meanwhile, Monarch scientists Dr. Ishirō Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Dr. Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins) recruit Emma’s ex-husband Mark (Kyle Chandler). Despite his objections, he agrees to help find his ex-wife and daughter, who are hostages of Alan Jonah (Charles Dance). However, it turns out Emma is working with Jonah in reviving the Titans to cleanse the planet, thus eradicating humanity. She awakens Rodan and King Ghidorah, who is controlling the other Titans and causing untold destruction to reshape the Earth. With limited options, our heroes must call upon Godzilla to fight.
Review
While Godzilla: King of the Monsters delivers on the monster action as Dougherty promised, it suffers in the story department. As much as I ragged on 2014’s Godzilla for having mostly uninteresting characters, I was still invested in the story. Sure, Godzilla didn’t show up until the hour mark, but there was enough build-up to where the wait felt validated. Here, the monsters are in the film so much that, at times, it becomes sensory overload and gets overwhelming. It doesn’t help that the story is fairly uninteresting and the dialogue largely consists of unnecessary philosophizing and exposition dumps. Also, while the 2014 film had some characters I liked, there are even fewer characters I care about here. Admittedly, the acting from Farmiga, Brown, Chandler, and especially Dance is strong, but there’s not much to their characters. They could’ve been played by anyone and it wouldn’t make a difference.
Criticisms aside, I can’t say I didn’t find some enjoyment in the giant monster brawls and nobs to older films. For one, they mention an “Oxygen Destroyer”, which was the device used to kill Godzilla in the original film. Also, the characters initially call King Ghidorah “Monster Zero”, a nod to the American title of Invasion of Astro-Monster. Plus, there are a few music cues taken from the older Godzilla films, so this should please hardcore kaiju fans. As much as I criticize the sensory overload of the monster brawls, they are easily the highlight of the film. The best fight is towards the end where Godzilla takes on King Ghidorah while Mothra and Rodan duke it out. All in all, if you’re just interested in seeing giant monsters fight, this film should satisfy you. Overall, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a mess, but it’s a fairly enjoyable mess.
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