Godzilla: King of Monsters
review by Bobby Blakey
When Warner Bros. rebooted the Godzilla franchise in 2014 it was met with mixed results, but I for one loved it. Shortly after with the release of Kong Skull Island they made it clear this was a connected universe and there was more to come. Now the next chapter is here with Godzilla: King of Monsters starring Bradley Whitford, Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, Sally Hawkins, Kyle Chandler, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Ken Watanabe. Could this next chapter of the franchise bring the monster mania fans have been hoping for or will it fail live up to the legend?
Godzilla: King of Monsters follows the heroic efforts of the cryptozoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient superspecies, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance. Knowing these movies are all part of a bigger universe already makes it exciting, but despite my love for the first Godzilla, this one brings together everything we have been hoping for.
The story is simple and at times felt rushed for the human characters with a bit too much seemingly falling into place, but as a whole it doesn’t even matter because it delivers so much more. The cast all do a fine job, but there are some elements that are really trying to make you get more invested in them, but with all the kaiju making their way to the big screen I can honestly say I didn’t really care what they were up to. Thankfully it does still work and push the story along well as we build right into the epic monster flick we have been wanting for years.
They waste no time at getting to the action and making it bigger and badder than the last. One big complaint with Godzilla was that they kept cutting away from the action and not give the big guy enough screen time. Have no fear as
they make up for it this time around to the point where it seems some people think it’s just too much. (Those people are dumb) Godzilla is at his best, but it’s the rest of the kaiju that bring it home with all of them getting their own time to shine while wreaking havoc throughout the world. This movie knows what it is and makes sure to slap you in the face with as much monster on monster fights as you can want and I loved every minute of it.
All of these new takes on the classic creatures are handled well and look insanely awesome. My personal favorite, Mothra wasn’t there as much as I had hoped, but stil brings the pain and serves some major points to the whole film. I know some might have issues here, but as a fan of all things kaiju I can say I got everything I wanted and more complete with references to Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island to keep it firmly planted in the same universe, but so much more. The end shot is epic and be sure to stay after the credits for a tag scene. Also be sure to read through the varying imagery throughout the credits as it plays into the already scheduled next chapter of the franchise Godzilla vs. Kong due out in 2020.
In addition to the film this release offers up bonus content including commentary, deleted scenes, and tons of featurettes taking fans behind bringing this latest chapter of the Kajiu universe to life. Join the fight to rule when Godzilla: King of Monsters available now on Digital and then on 4K Ultra, Blu-ray and DVD on August 27th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.