The Year is 2019. The Avengers have won. DC is almost nowhere to be seen and the Dark Universal Monsters Universe has hopefully been lost somewhere in the black sea. Wait... What is that? Is that a monster movie?? Is that Japans great lizard/Americanised cousin? Yes. Yes it is and he's here to show the world what he's made of! While first reading this you'll most likely be saying 'Wait. stop. Isn't that the Godzilla movie which critics are panning and hasn't scraped the box office??? Well on a technical level you'd be right, but sit right there and let me riff a little here;
Godzilla: King of the monsters takes a giant radioactive step from the world of 2014's first outing for the new Godzilla and actually shows more than 8 minutes (No really go back and see just how much he's in the film...) of the big green not referring to Mark Ruffalo but japan's own green wrecking machine. Godzilla is king. Especially in terms of monster brawls and I can hands down say this is the most cinematographic outing this side of the ocean for the big G and with it's varying colour hues from bright orange to the earie light angelic blue, stunning monster design and actual motivational personality's of all the big meanies, I'd say KOTM is very much a step in the right direction for this film universe Legendary are building.
Now it's not all roses and while well enough acted, the human stories are mediocre (Shout out to Ken Watanabe who still embodies that wise vibe who makes you feels like a teacher in the wings of his less successful proteges) It just feels inconsequential in the scheme of things and yes through a frankly bizarre character shift from Vera Farmiga (Again does well with what she has) where the plot is turned into a green peace gone mad/Dr Evil mash up, it feels kinda tacked on.
Millie Bobby Brown is another name added to the list of actors who acted where was possible and wasn't as wooden as I may have thought she'd just be. A side note turned up... to 12! (Sorry that's awful disregard that from this review. Please..) and also Kyle Chandler shouts a lot. He's angry and that's his character, literally no more words for him. Also speaking of No words as the film falls into its second half and the battles of Monarch and Tywin Lannister (Genuinely forgot this characters name and you will too, don't worry again, not important.) Charles Dance appears to begin having fun being diabolical but soon fades into the background and that is a downfall of wasted potential but heck, I guess King Giddorah was the bad one and he has three personality's enough so why bother with a human presence of villainy am I right?
Is KOTM a good movie? Yes.
Is KOTM a good Godzilla movie?? Heck YES
It's a Godzilla film. People going in and looking for life affirming, heart wrenching emotional and delicately crafted narrative. You won't find it.
However what you will find is a brawl of the mightiest monsters created on the big screen! Mothra, Rodan and the cosmic King Giddorah are all bought to stunning life and each crafted with personality, love and the care they deserve from someone who clearly respects where they've come from. In this case is a rare exception of a film which has literally been spun and crafted from a camp, B-Movie-esque style of film in which guys in rubber suits throw rubber sets at each other with giddy enthusiasm and child like wonder.
There are films made offensively in this manner, example: Anything Micheal Bay has thrown Optimus prime into head first, with horrible CGI creations smashing into identical creations as Shia Labeouf screams and runs in a circle. This is not that. At all. A human clearly made this with a level of understanding of filmography.
I strongly believe Michael Dougherty cares for the source material of a whimsical dinosaur fighting a three headed space alien and while for some that isn't enough, it is for me and if that's what you're looking for then that's exactly what you're going to get and you wont be dissapointed. Godzilla: King Of The Monsters may not be close to king of the box office, he is the king of Monster show downs and at the end of it all, when they try and hold back big G from King Kong..
I say...
Let them Fight!!!
Godzilla: King of the monsters takes a giant radioactive step from the world of 2014's first outing for the new Godzilla and actually shows more than 8 minutes (No really go back and see just how much he's in the film...) of the big green not referring to Mark Ruffalo but japan's own green wrecking machine. Godzilla is king. Especially in terms of monster brawls and I can hands down say this is the most cinematographic outing this side of the ocean for the big G and with it's varying colour hues from bright orange to the earie light angelic blue, stunning monster design and actual motivational personality's of all the big meanies, I'd say KOTM is very much a step in the right direction for this film universe Legendary are building.
Now it's not all roses and while well enough acted, the human stories are mediocre (Shout out to Ken Watanabe who still embodies that wise vibe who makes you feels like a teacher in the wings of his less successful proteges) It just feels inconsequential in the scheme of things and yes through a frankly bizarre character shift from Vera Farmiga (Again does well with what she has) where the plot is turned into a green peace gone mad/Dr Evil mash up, it feels kinda tacked on.
Millie Bobby Brown is another name added to the list of actors who acted where was possible and wasn't as wooden as I may have thought she'd just be. A side note turned up... to 12! (Sorry that's awful disregard that from this review. Please..) and also Kyle Chandler shouts a lot. He's angry and that's his character, literally no more words for him. Also speaking of No words as the film falls into its second half and the battles of Monarch and Tywin Lannister (Genuinely forgot this characters name and you will too, don't worry again, not important.) Charles Dance appears to begin having fun being diabolical but soon fades into the background and that is a downfall of wasted potential but heck, I guess King Giddorah was the bad one and he has three personality's enough so why bother with a human presence of villainy am I right?
Is KOTM a good movie? Yes.
Is KOTM a good Godzilla movie?? Heck YES
It's a Godzilla film. People going in and looking for life affirming, heart wrenching emotional and delicately crafted narrative. You won't find it.
However what you will find is a brawl of the mightiest monsters created on the big screen! Mothra, Rodan and the cosmic King Giddorah are all bought to stunning life and each crafted with personality, love and the care they deserve from someone who clearly respects where they've come from. In this case is a rare exception of a film which has literally been spun and crafted from a camp, B-Movie-esque style of film in which guys in rubber suits throw rubber sets at each other with giddy enthusiasm and child like wonder.
There are films made offensively in this manner, example: Anything Micheal Bay has thrown Optimus prime into head first, with horrible CGI creations smashing into identical creations as Shia Labeouf screams and runs in a circle. This is not that. At all. A human clearly made this with a level of understanding of filmography.
I strongly believe Michael Dougherty cares for the source material of a whimsical dinosaur fighting a three headed space alien and while for some that isn't enough, it is for me and if that's what you're looking for then that's exactly what you're going to get and you wont be dissapointed. Godzilla: King Of The Monsters may not be close to king of the box office, he is the king of Monster show downs and at the end of it all, when they try and hold back big G from King Kong..
I say...
Let them Fight!!!
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