Logan Sork Film Reviews
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
When it comes to big disaster movies with giant set pieces and thin characters, I’ll often write them off. Throw Godzilla in, and it becomes a different story. While I may not have seen every single film based around the iconic monster, Godzilla has been one of my favorite movie monsters ever created. When the 2014 reboot came out, I was mostly satisfied, but I felt like that film was lacking the iconic monster action that the franchise has been known for. With the 2019 sequel, King of the Monsters, this what I feel a proper Godzilla movie should be. The film doubles down on the monster action and include some great technical elements but leaves the story and human characters in the dust. So, while it may not be a good movie, it’s a great Godzilla movie, and that is all I ask for.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is directed by Michael Dougherty and is the sequel to the 2014 reboot of the Godzilla franchise. The film is set five years after the events of the first Godzilla attack, in which the world has now learned of the existence of others like Godzilla, a gigantic species of animals which once dominated earth called titans. We follow members of the monarch organization, a group dedicated to the studying of these titans led by Dr. Serizawa (Ken Watanabe), as they work to convince the world that the titans are needed and should not be exterminated. Among these members are Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga), a monarch scientist who has developed a device capable of communicating with the titans. During one of the testing’s if the device, she and her daughter Madison (Millie Bobbie Brown) are capture by a group of eco-terrorists who use the device to unleash a powerful titan known as Ghidorah. Ghidorah then proceeds to call all other known titans to destroy the earth, causing the humans to team up with Godzilla in order to take down the titan and prevent worldwide annihilation.
When it comes to Godzilla films, you’re likely hear for one thing and one thing only- the monsters. One of the reasons the original 2014 Godzilla wasn’t as well received by fans is how little monster action it actually featured, choosing instead to spread it out throughout the film in short bursts rather than have it be the main focus of the film. This film takes all of the criticisms of the last one and makes sure to correct upon the mistakes, as the real stars of the film are not the human actors but the monsters themselves. The scenes that feature the monsters (of which there are plenty) are awesome in every sense of the word, with the films state of the art visual effects making them leap of the screen with their lifelike appearances. The fight scenes are also filled with a great energy and are shot beautifully, making sure to cover every angle of the experience as to not take away from these great moments. It’s also nice to see each and every monster get some really cool moments to themselves, allowing each to shine as individuals. Those disappointed with the lack of monster action in the previous installment will surely have their criticisms answered as once the action gets going, it never really stops.
The monsters are not the only great thing about this movie, as this film is one of the best technically constructed films to come out of this year. I already mentioned how great the visual effects for the monsters were, but that is not the only place in which the effects shine. The effects that create the destruction caused by the monsters are also excellent as they capture the chaotic energy in a very convincing manner. There are also a lot of great set pieces throughout the film, ranging from ancient ruins to high tech laboratories that give the film some great range when it comes to visual set pieces. The cinematography is also excellent, as is the heart pounding musical score which takes queues from the original Godzilla films. All in all, this film is extremely well crafted from a technical perspective.
The script however is another story entirely. Now, when it comes to big budget summer blockbusters that feature giant monsters destroying cities, I’m not expecting a gripping drama with lots of well-developed characters. But this is a film that almost feels like it has no story but rather a series of scenes that work to set up the next big action set piece with characters thrown in to either spout exposition or give cheesy one-liners. This would usually be no big deal for me, it’s a monster movie not a Shakespeare play, just give me some great action and we’ll call it even. The problem arises when the film steps back from the action and tries to convince me to care for characters that I barely even know. If you’re going to force me to watch drama, it better be compelling even in the slightest. There are also a lot of interesting ideas and concepts about loss and grief that the filmmakers set up but never really do anything with. This is disappointing as this could’ve been the thing to make the drama more interesting but alas, it was forgotten about as soon as the monster broke loose.
Despite the poorly constructed story and uninteresting characters, King of the Monsters delivers on a lot of other aspects of monster films. The monsters are shown in all of their glory, whether it be in smaller moments on their own or when they battle each other. When the fights happen, they are awesome to watch and are filmed in a very entertaining way. And there are a lot of great set pieces and other technical wizardries to keep you entertained. Simply shut off of your brain whenever the film tries to be dramatic and you’ll find yourself enjoying this monster romp more than you probably should.
7/10