Released May 31, 2019
The crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces 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 super-species - thought to be mere myths - rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance. Buckle-in for a suspenseful ride and high level CGI effects.
CREDITS:
Directed: Michael Dougherty
Starring: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby, Ken Watanabe, and more… Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 131 minutes
SPOILERS BELOW
Before we get started, I wanted to make you all aware that this film has some direct tie-ins to the most recent Godzilla movie (from 2014) and Kong: Skull Island (2017). While it’s not absolutely necessary to watch them before seeing King of the Monsters, I would recommend it if you want to get the most out of this film.
So far, I’ve been seeing other critics say there are too many monster fights in this film and not enough of a human element included. You know, like drama. Um…isn’t that kinda’ the point of a Titan match-up movie? If you like all the old-school Godzilla movies (not the one with Matthew Broderick from 1998…we don’t talk about that one), you will absolutely love this film. I will admit, the human side of the story definitely falls flat on its face. There’s no real character development at all, and if you’re anything like me you’ll quickly get annoyed by how much Eleven (I mean Millie Bobby) screams in this movie – like Dakota Fanning in War of the Worlds kind of annoyed. But in the end, who goes to a Godzilla movie to see humans and their drama? The movie was great fun and a good time for those who want to see monster fights.
Personally, I think it’s kinda cool how they tie in Skull Island with a don't-blink-or-you’ll-miss-it moment. It’s more of a nod to the nerds who were paying attention than anything. Actor Joe Morton plays one Dr. Brooks from Monarch, which is the same character Corey Hawkins played in Kong: Skull Island. So, keep an eye out for that. On the flipside, those of us who remained faithful and stayed sitting through the credits after Skull Island (or who waited until it was released on DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming service and just fast forwarded through them) were rewarded by the teaser to King of the Monsters.
The bigger tie-in comes from the previous Godzilla movie, which should be fairly obvious by the first part of the title. So, this film highlights Godzilla's return, having him do battle with some of his greatest enemies from the old Japanese films. The battles are simply awesome, and easily make the movie worth watching. Also on the plus side, this film has a strong original score, unlike a lot of movies lately, so check it out. Thanks for reading.
P.S. Stay through the credits. You might think it would be about Godzilla vs Kong (which is coming out in 2020), but you would be wrong.
P.S.S. The largest contributor to the rating not being higher than 6.5 lies in the complete lack of character development. The human characters fall very flat and do not develop throughout.
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