Review of Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) by Jkrunch2166 — 01 Jun 2019

TL:DR - If, and only if, you're a Godzilla fan, this is an absolute must-see on every level, narrative mistakes be damned. First off, let me preface this by saying yes - I'm a a huge Godzilla fan. Have been for all my life, as evidenced by my massive collection of Godzila figures, clothing, and even my tattoo of the Big G that adorns my left bicep. Whether or not you are a fan will deeply impact your opinion of this movie, as it is a big, overstuffed blockbuster in the vein of the maligned Bay-formers movies. The difference here is that the creative team behind KOTM clearly are Godzilla fans, and it is reflected throughout the course of the film. From a narrative standpoint, this movie has issues. While I will say that the main characters were far more interesting than the piecemeal cardboard cutouts from the 2014 film (sans Brian Cranston), it was laughable how Mark, the film's main character, just happened to know all of the right information at exactly the right time. He was an expert in everything, and knew just what to do at the right time. Given how he was on a ship with literal MONSTER EXPERTS for a good chunk of the movie, they easily could have split his dialogue with designated expository characters, like Ken Wantanabe's Serizawa, to humanize him a bit better. It's also worth noting that sadly, like the aforementioned Bay-formers movies, a lot of humor simply doesn't land, though when it does it's outright hilarious. As is the sheer sustainability of the main cast. You can suspend your disbelief as much as you want, there is no conceivable way anyone could have survived the monster brawls that happened directly over them while the scurried about like helpless ants. But the oxygen destroyer was the biggest missed opportunity in the plot. Being the narrative heart and soul of the very first movie, it only serves to have a glorified cameo here. Now at the film's beginning, we see a Congressional panel grilling Monarch about their supposed failure to monitor these creatures - why not introduce the oxygen destroyer here, with the government saying this is monarch's last chance or this weapon will be used to wipe the beasts out? It also would have better explained why one of the film's villain does what they do, as if the beast's weren't released, they would have been easy targets for the weapon. It would created an interesting question - is there a right time to play god, and if so, when? And how much of the natural order should be preserved at the cost of human existence? Sure, the movie touches on these questions, but in the film's current state, there is something more to be desired. Beyond that though, this movie served as a love letter for Godzilla fans, by Godzilla fans. The biggest issue from the 2014 film was Godzilla's was relegation to a supporting roll in his own film. That is remedied here, as the conflict between him and the enigmatic Monster Zero is the core of the film's plot, as the two battle for supremacy in their prehistoric food chain. Most importantly, the personalities of the monsters are in-line with their original counterparts. Supporting monsters Mothra and Rodan are handled with care and respect, although the latter does unfortunately get lost in the shuffle after his epic debut. It is understandable though, given how packed to the gills this movie is with action set-pieces and visual eye-candy. To a normal viewer, this may seem like chaos for the sake of chaos, but to fans like me, this is Hollywood simply making up for lost time.

Whether it be the phenomenal score that features modern renditions of the classic Akira Ifakube tunes, the sound design that brilliantly recreates the sounds of these titans, or the cutting edge visual effects, the creative team learned from their Eastern forefathers to deliver a product that honors Godzilla's legacy, something that can hardly be said of the previous two American iterations. Your mileage may vary, but as a lifelong fan, and especially as a Massachusetts resident and Red Sox fan, this movie, while certainly not perfect, was a grand slam.