MOVIE REVIEW — Godzilla: King of the Monsters
The King has Risen!
If you went into this movie expecting a cinematic masterpiece on the level of Citizen Kane, then I genuinely do not know why you went to see it. In almost all of the negative reviews for the film that I have come across, the biggest point of contention from critics seems to be a combination of a poor script and weak human characters. Just a reminder that this is a Godzilla movie. Right, got that? Comparing that reaction to those that this movie’s 2014 predecessor received, these critiques make little to no sense. The main critique of the 2014 film was that it was too focused on the human characters and did not feature enough Kaiju action, only for the sequel to be condemned for more Kaiju action and less/more well-integrated human drama. It is genuinely baffling that the critics reviewing this movie seemed to be expecting some level of masterclass cinema rather than letting themselves enjoy the movie as it was meant to be, but then again, modern day film criticism is in such a weird state. Without further ado, here are my thoughts on Godzilla: King of the Monsters!
Be sure to check out my Spoiler-Free Review of Avengers: Endgame as well!
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the direct sequel to both Gareth Edward’s (Rogue One, Monsters) 2014 reboot of the classic Japanese monster franchise, Godzilla, and to 2017’s Kong: Skull Island. This movie sees members of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch go head-to-head with a plethora of “Titans”, including the mighty Godzilla, who clashes with Mothra, Rodan, and his longtime rival, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance as the human race is forced to let them fight in a true Clash of the Titans.
The cast of this movie continues the trend started in the 2014 film, elevated by Kong: Skull Island, and somehow topped in this one with the key cast being made up of; Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, Bradley Whitford, Millie Bobby Brown, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Zhang Ziyi, Anthony Ramos, and the ever-so amazing, Charles Dance. Did I mention that this cast is on top of the impressive Kaiju roster of Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah, as well as some brand new Kaiju in the forms of Scylla, Muto #3, Behemoth, and Methuselah. From top to bottom, this film is absolutely stacked in terms of star power, and performances from everyone involved (including the Titans) really help elevate the movie, despite a lot of really poor writing and corny dialogue for the human characters.
Right so with all that being said, is this a good movie? Honestly, hell yeah! If you were like me and you partly enjoyed Edwards’ film, at least enough to want more of Godzilla in this new universe, then this film definitely is for you. I also enjoyed Kong: Skull Island admittedly more than the 2014 Godzilla, so as far as personal opinions go, I think this whole “Monsterverse” has only gotten better with each release. This movie takes the more serious tone of the first movie and combines it with the over-the-top action of Kong, creating a pretty great Kaiju flick. The monster designs are all as good as you could hope for, especially some of the new ones that were set up for future installments, with all of the action sequences feeling rather inventive in terms of monster-on-monster fighting mixed with human interference. Again, if you were like me and wanted more out of the action in the first film, this checks all the boxes and then some. It is also nice to see some level of continuity throughout these first three entries into this cinematic universe with this film’s opening re-showing the HALO Jump from 2014 Godzilla at a different angle, returning characters in the form of Watanabe and Hawkins’ characters, and the confirmation of the Hollow Earth theory mentioned in Kong: Skull Island. While this film does not require viewers to have seen the previous installments, it does reward fans for doing so.
The visuals of this film deserve more praise than they are getting, with almost every shot of the film being perfect wallpaper or poster material. The CGI of the monsters looks absolutely breathtaking throughout, and the cinematography also continues the trend of getting better with each release (I would take Kong: Skull Island’s cinematography over 2014’s Godzilla any day).
I am also just going to say it now, but Bear McCreary deserves at the very least an Oscar nomination for the amazing score that he composed for the film. Hearing the original Godzilla theme recomposed for this film, as well as other themes from previous films showing up throughout left me with goosebumps as all I could do was smile at the sounds and sights coming together to form an amalgamation of monstrous proportions. I really cannot do the score for this film justice, just go out of your way to listen to it (preferably after viewing the film) because it is just as beautiful without the visuals as it is with them.
As a whole, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is everything a fan of Godzilla or Kaiju movies in general could ever hope for from a mainstream, Hollywood summer blockbuster. The monsters take center stage and beat the ever-living hell out of one another while the humans are there to act as our POV for the whole shebang. I unapologetically loved this movie, and while yes, the human characters are the weakest aspect of the movie, they are not nearly as bad as critics are making them out to be and do not drag the film down to an unwatchable state. My official rating for Godzilla: King of the Monsters is an 8.5 out of 10. After seeing this movie I am as hyped as can be for Godzilla vs Kong, which is set to release next year. On top of that, the post-credit scene (yes, there is one for this movie) teases some top notch stuff for the future of this cinematic universe.
Be sure to check out Godzilla: King of the Monsters in theaters now! If you enjoyed this review, be sure to follow me for more and to follow me on my social media:
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Also, if you enjoyed this review be sure to check out my thoughts on Pokemon Detective Pikachu!
