Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the sequel to Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla in 2014 and is directed and co-written by Michael Dougherty. Coming to theaters on May 31, 2019, it brings together popular Toho monsters for Godzilla to play with including Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan. Fans have expressed disappointment with how 2014’s Godzilla was teased, but this time, Godzilla won’t be blocked by doors closing. With all the monsters coming out of the shadows, what we get is the best Godzilla film Hollywood has to offer.
After the events of Godzilla in 2014, the world has realized that there is a crisis involving the Titans. Monarch, the secret scientific organization that investigates these giant creatures, has grown in power and size to help prevent another catastrophe. However, there’s a new threat thanks to an eco-terrorist group led by Charles Dance’s Colonel Alan Jonah. His plan is to bring back the Titans, and he’ll need help from Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) and her Orca device to make it happen.
Right off the bat, we see how the Russell family was affected by the chaos in 2014’s Godzilla. This has led to the family having a falling out, with Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) and Emma splitting up, and daughter Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) moving with Emma. The human element has been an important part in a lot of the Godzilla films, and this movie is no different. Here we get to see a family trying to get back together due to the resurgence of Titans, and their bond will be tested when the future of the world is at stake.
Kyle Chandler always brings a solid performance, and he’s the type of dad that you would want on your side if the world is falling apart. Stranger Things has catapulted Millie Bobby Brown as a fan-favorite actress, and it’s a nice change of pace to see her in a project where she still has a family that’s willing to do anything for her. Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins reprise their roles as Dr. Ishirō Serizawa and Dr. Vivienne Graham, respectively. Watanabe gets a meatier role, and he still gets the best lines.
“So you’d want to make Godzilla our pet,” a senator asks.
“No, we would be his,” Watanabe’s character replies.
There’s a big ensemble cast including Thomas Middleditch, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Zhang Ziyi, Bradley Whitford, and Aisha Hinds, and it’s definitely a huge improvement over the lackluster characters from the previous film. (How are you going to kill off the best character, played by Bryan Cranston, in the 1st act of Godzilla?) As a side note, Godzilla fans will appreciate the backstory to Ziyi’s character.
Even with the human character, we all know audiences will be watching Godzilla: King of the Monsters to see Godzilla fighting Titans, and there will be plenty of that in the film. Gareth Edwards tried to tease Godzilla similar to how Steven Spielberg teased the T-Rex in Jurassic Park. However, it was executed poorly; for example, one scene had us seeing Godzilla roaming the city, only to have people running and closing the door, giving us only a quick glimpse of the kaiju. With the sequel, we won’t have any of that nonsense, and the monster will have plenty of moments to shine.
Godzilla will need a badass enemy, and he will face his deadliest foe yet with Ghidorah, a three-headed dragon-like monster. Ghidorah is no pushover, and he gets to have some fun wreaking havoc all over the world. Fans will be pleased with his faithful design and his backstory. Mothra is a moth-like Titan with wings that emit god-like rays. She is a sight to behold, and her theme and backstory pay homage to the original films. Rodan is another Titan that will be a menace to society. Come on, he comes out of a volcano like a newborn baby.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters doesn’t hold back on the big monster fights, and it’s definitely the best Godzilla film to date from Hollywood. Director Michael Dougherty crafts a blockbuster film that will have us rooting for all the different Titans, and each will have their moment to shine. We recommend watching this film on the biggest screen possible, and fans will love the different homages and Easter eggs featured.
Score: 4.5/5 Atoms
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