Directed by: Michael Dougherty
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Written by Nick McCann
70/100
Getting caught up in blind love is dangerous. I mean a film franchise can’t hurt you THAT bad, but it can sting if aimed right. Godzilla was and continues to be my whole world. Legendary Pictures did all kinds of right by bringing him back to American audiences, evening bringing King Kong with him to lay bigger plans. The Monsterverse was looking really good and the five-year wait for more radioactive creature mayhem was nearly unbearable. Now that time and a few watches have set in, it’s relieving to take the beer goggles off to acknowledge equal amounts of flaws and enjoyment.
In contrast to the 2014 film’s slow-burning suspense, “King of the Monsters” noticeably ramps up the pacing much like a traditional Godzilla picture. Although in their haste to no doubt match “Kong: Skull Island,” it becomes a little too fast. Exposition can feel jam-packed in places, some important reveals blend too much with everything else happening, and character moments almost fall by the wayside just so we can see who and how these titans battle next. Still, the film does a good job when it has to cowboy up, namely toward the end and with overall cool world-building. It’s clear that director Michael Doughtery has a huge love for this series and manages to reflect that with a tone that gives power and reverence to these larger-than-life characters. Not to mention a ton of easter eggs and references that feel both awesome to find and like wasted story opportunities.
Once again, there’s a large assembly of low-developed characters played by some excellent actors. I’d say these are some of the thinnest characters in this Monsterverse. Everyone overall does a great job selling the situation and some shine more than others, but many of them are relegated to info dumping, uninteresting cliches, or delivering imperfect humor. Kyle Chandler capably leads the troop, vengeful against Godzilla and what he’s done to him, while Ken Watanabe returns as a champion for Godzilla’s goodness. These two especially have a good screen presence together when they come around. Millie Bobby Brown also holds her own, conflicted by the large stakes and what her path leads her. Vera Farmiga could’ve used a bit more to endear her to her motivations, as radical as they are.
The monster front fares better, as you’d expect. King Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mothra join Godzilla this time around with fresh new looks and all their trademark abilities. In fact, CGI has been super kind to the flying creatures that once were stiffly held up with wires. Visual effects across the board are phenomenal, even if there is still a degree of obscurity (darkness, weather, so on). Nothing to where you can’t see what’s happening but also not to the level Gareth Edwards pulled off with his movie. That’s where I think the action struggles some, trying to emulate the last movie’s style but also giving more traditional looks at the monster battles. It’s a nag sometimes when the camera pulls away from the set pieces but there are just enough drawn-out shots to enjoy the action. There are some great highlights as well, with personal favorites being a jet chase with Rodan and the final fight.
The sound design also packs a lot of power. Every monster truly feels like they shake the Earth when they show up. Most of all, Bear McCreary doing the score just completely knocks it out of the park! His renditions of both Godzilla and Mothra’s theme tunes are excellent, while his original compositions actually stand out in key areas. Even after some years, it holds up immensely in the recent wave of underwhelming film scoring.
“King of the Monsters” has a lot of great intentions and it stumbles just as much as it gets right. With all that said, I’m glad this film exists. Many classic favorites in the series didn’t come without some blemishes and this one fits in with that sense. The bottom line was to send up just how influential this series has been and show that through modern blockbuster filmmaking. You hardly feel this much love and respect for a source material these days and it’s still worth the shortcomings.
“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” Trailer
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