GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS – Review

Who are the real monsters? The humans or the creatures that terrorize them. It’s a classic monster movie theme that, dare I say, can’t really be approached in a new way after over 70 yrs of creature features. Sure, it’s a trope of the genre that has effectively won over my heart time and time again. And yet, it feels a little forced and hollow when it takes a backseat to explosions, destruction, and roars from gigantic titans.

In GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS, the crypto-zoological agency, Monarch, is under fire as the government wants to take over their monster-hunting activities. Meanwhile, they have been able to locate several god-sized monsters, including Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed Ghidorah. Monarch’s Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) has developed a device known as the “Orca” which allows communication with the creatures by layering the sounds of species to create sonic-waves… or something or another. When Russell, the “Orca” and her daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown) are kidnapped by an eco-terrorist, Monarch recruits ex-member and Russell’s ex-husband Mark (Kyle Chandler, charming as always and delivering a level of energy not many in this film lend it) to help track and stop the terrorist plot.

Complaints surrounding the previous GODZILLA (2014) film — the first of now three films in a shared universe with KONG: SKULL ISLAND — centered around the lack of monster action. In truth, GODZILLA did play more of an ominous legend or boogeyman that people talked about instead of a character that’s in your face during the entire film. Writer and director Michael Dougherty (TRICK ‘R TREAT and KRAMPUS) aims to correct this in GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS. If the trailers didn’t make it clear already, perhaps Dougherty overshot a little when it comes to the monster/human ratio. KING OF THE MONSTERS is packed with fights between some of the most legendary Toho Co. monster creations. Die-hard fans will marvel at the opportunity to see some of these beloved creatures duke out, claw to claw, wing to wing, head to head (or head to three-heads if we’re talking about Ghidorah).

For those who haven’t grown up watching these characters on poorly dubbed VHS tapes, your patience might be tested along with your ability to withstand motion sickness without even moving. For long patches of film, you have close-ups or medium shots of giant monsters rolling around in the rain, water, or smoke, making it impossible to tell what scaly creature is hitting who. You could call this the TRANSFORMERS effect or the PACIFIC RIM effect, but either way, it becomes an indecipherable endurance test. Constant flashes of light from electrical outages and lightning strikes create a strobe effect that makes the shaky visuals event worse. For every stunning, wide shot that shows the full scale of these behemoths — something the marketing has clearly shown off in the effective trailers — there are 50-times as many shaky close-ups to the point where I gave up on the battle of who would be King by the finale.

There are a couple of moments where the connection between the humans and the monsters is actually felt both literally and figuratively. One early on is the birth of Mothra. Vera Farmiga and Millie Bobby Brown both lend the film one of the best heartfelt moments in its entirety, as they finally see the birth of something they have nurtured for so long. This is only surpassed later on by Ken Watanabe. When he decides to come face to face with Godzilla — the God he worships — it’s a moment that rings true for monster fans. We connect with them for there flaws but we also relate to them because they are ostracized and seen as outsiders. And director Michael Dougherty, who comes with a clear love of monsters and horror, treats the monsters with the level of respect given to Superman or other superheroes.

With all that happens in its bloated 2 hr and 11 min runtime, the story of monstrous superheroes never really draws general audiences in. GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS simply throws you in without much setup in order to give fans of the characters something to cheer for. In both story and execution, Dougherty has missed creating the human connection. Sacrifice becomes a central theme in the film, and what it sacrifices to give fans cool creatures and monster mayhem is a proper stage set for real emotions to fight alongside with the visuals.

Overall Score: 2.5 out of 5

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS opens in theaters everywhere May 31st