Runtime: 131 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of monster action, violence, and destruction, and for some language)
Who should see it? Godzilla fans.
Serving as the gargantuan sequel to 2014's Godzilla, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is directed by Michael Dougherty and features a screenplay co-written by Dougherty and Zach Shields with an additional story credit for Max Borenstein. Aside from furthering the exploits of our favorite gigantic lizard, King of the Monsters is tasked with setting the stage for next year's epic kaiju showdown between Kong and Godzilla. And the filmmakers sure do want audiences to know that Warner Bros. and Legendary's MonsterVerse is headed in that direction, as there are plenty of references to the fabled Skull Island and its towering primate. Occasionally, the nods happen too frequently, but the cinematic universe craze isn't slowing down anytime soon. On that note, stick through the credits for hints concerning this franchise's future.
Most audience members flocking to the theater are seeing Godzilla: King of the Monsters due to the promise of grand kaiju action, and they'll be delighted to witness plenty of monstrous mayhem. Unlike the 2014 Godzilla, the titular titan is front-and-center more-often-than-not. The spectacle doesn't always match the grandeur and majesty of the trailer presentation, but Dougherty delivers some satisfying kaiju brawls full of striking imagery. Though these fights aren't without flaws. Sometimes, it's challenging to follow the action due to the weather, fluorescent lighting effects, shaky-cam, and quick cuts. It'd be a stretch to call the action incomprehensible, and these attributes didn't detract from my enjoyment, but I feel they're worth noting nevertheless. One detail which compensated for this was the varied color scheme for each monster and their abilities which assisted in differentiating the creatures from one another.
As glimpsed in the trailers, there are some magnificent effects-heavy wide shots which I'd gleefully frame and display in my home. King of the Monsters touts impeccable creature design for its wide array of mythic monsters, and these beasts are wonderfully realized through breathtaking visual effects and Lawrence Sher's stunning cinematography. Lending additional gravitas to the grand spectacle, Bear McCreary's score contains many percussive, choral-heavy arrangements, and I'd be remiss to neglect the sound design which enabled the kaiju to roar their way onscreen.
Of course, there's more to this movie than monsters... The human component and narrative are severely lacking in comparison to the kaiju confrontations, but honestly, what else would you expect? I've seen King of the Monsters heavily scrutinized for that whereas I'd consider the characterization in this sequel to be an improvement over Godzilla (2014). The central splintered family dynamic presented here is far more compelling than what unfolded five years ago, largely thanks to the performances which I'll touch on momentarily. I was invested in the fate of the core family as well as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, which already outweighs merely caring about Bryan Cranston in the first film.
Kyle Chandler's Mark Russell is the most prominent character in this super-sized sequel and Chandler does a fine job with the material given. Amongst the ensemble, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ziyi Zhang, Aisha Hinds fill the stock scientists and military personnel while Bradley Whitford and Thomas Middleditch provide a decent dose of comedic relief.
Depicting the two carry-over characters from Godzilla (2014), Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins are utilized in vastly differing capacities. Watanabe is granted a poignant scene and continues to invoke a sense of gravitas for the franchise while Hawkins is sadly wasted with minimized contributions (she mostly delivers expositional dialogue).
Separated from the rest of the cast for plot-related reasons, Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, and Charles Dance each are sufficient series additions. It was nice to finally see Millie Bobby Brown transition to the big screen after her breakout turn as Eleven in Stranger Things, and her feature acting-debut offered a role befitting of her talent. Despite sharing the screen with so many seasoned actors, Brown holds her ground and manages to be a stand-out when all is said-and-done. Meanwhile, Vera Farmiga leaves a favorable impression in spite of her character's complex motivations, whereas Charles Dance's malevolent presence felt underutilized in the grand scheme of things.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is an unabashedly stupid popcorn flick that will surely rule the box office this weekend, but awe-inspiring kaiju confrontations compensate for its narrative shortcomings. Long live the king!
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