Ryan Shoots First: Godzilla: King of the Monsters
I was a big fan of the 2014 Gareth Edwards Godzilla film. It was a love letter to the 1954 original Toho classic. It even went so far to feature Godzilla sparingly waiting till the last possible moments to reveal him. I enjoyed the build up and when Godzilla finally let out that plasma blast it was a big moment. There were many that thought though in the modern age in a big Hollywood blockbuster we need a little more. I am happy to share that Godzilla: King of the Monsters is not short on Godzilla fights and adds so many other legendary Kaiju it is a different type of love letter. As more and more Kaiju were added to the Toho stable the series shifted to more and more focus on the fights between those monsters. Leave it Hollywood to summarize the evolution of decades of Toho films in only two movies.
It is clear that both Edwards and King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty are lifelong diehard Toho fans and it is cool to see two fans of a classic series represent the two different approaches. But for this review let’s focus on the drag out Kaiju Battle Royale that is King of the Monsters. The film is all about the Kaiju and does an excellent job giving reverence and mythos to each monster. They are more than just tools used to destroy buildings and make for cool fights. We even get a nod to Mothra’s classic fairies. The battles are also presented in bright colors of blue and yellow hues meaning there will be no complaints about not being able to see what’s going on. The film knows what people want to see and the scenes are brutal and vary enough that each one brings something new and dynamic to keep it fresh.
These hollywood Kaiju movies have to perform a very unique balancing act as the Kaiju are the main characters but there has to be some human actors of name value. The movie stars Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga and Millie Bobby Brown of Stranger Things fame. They are not the weakest point of the film and not the strongest. They are just kind of there to frame the story and lay the backdrop for the Kaiju fights. They are doing their best but they just are not the focus. Some actors in particular add more than others. Ken Watanabe reprises his role from the 2014 film as Dr. Serizawa. His role as a member of Monarch the organization that keeps tabs on all these monsters, allows him to provide some exposition and backstory on the Kaiju, the story seems to respect his character as an extension of the Kaiju making him probably the best character in the film.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters delivers on the action and seeing these legendary movie monsters depicted so faithfully on screen and in some visually stunning battles is worth the price of admission. See it on the biggest screen possible because this is what summer movie blockbusters are all about. Long Live the King!
