Good evening everyone! First off, hope you all had a happy Easter! Second, tonight, we are going to be talking about a monster/sci-fi film that has featured one of the most iconic monsters over many decades. Not only that, but there was a movie that came out just a few days ago that features him, and another iconic monster as well, by the name of Kong Vs. Godzilla. In preparation for seeing that film fairly soon, we are going to be talking about a film that came out just a couple years ago, by the name of Godzilla: King Of The Monsters. I probably should have seen 2014’s Godzilla as well, but whatever. At least I saw 2017’s Skull Island, and 2019’s Godzilla: King Of The Monsters. Maybe I should try to see the 2014 Godzilla film too, eh? Well, for now, here we go!
Plot: Five years after losing her son, Andrew, Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga), believing monsters to not be fully dangerous, decides to make an attempt to have monsters, and humans co-exist together. Although people like her husband, Mark (Kyle Chandler), and her daughter, Madison (Millie Bobby Brown) are reluctant to go along with this idea, can Dr. Russell succeed in her mission?
Well, what can I say, Godzilla: King Of The Monsters, which is apparently a sequel to 2014’s Godzilla, is a very good sequel. It’s not a perfect sequel, but it does have some good things in it. First off, the idea of not labeling all monsters as evil, and dangerous is a very interesting concept at least when it comes to this universe. In some ways, it could very well parallel to how, in real life, we shouldn’t judge people by the color of their skins, or certain animals as being fully dangerous, or other things along similar lines. It’s also cool to have people in this movie seeing good in monster characters such as Godzilla, or some of the other creatures in this film. Yes, we have seen similar storylines like this in films like any of the Jurassic Park films, or movies like those. Still, it’s safe to say that movies like this one seem to take a more different, and maybe even more of a unique route from films like Jurassic Park as well. In addition to all of this, some of the monsters do end up standing out. Could there have been depth to some of them? Most likely! Next, there are the visuals. Wow, movies like this one have really shown how far technology has come when it’s come to making movies. In fact, I’m sure that even older Godzilla movies, or even action films period would be jealous to see the kinds of visuals effects that movies like this one have. The music is also phenomenal. Bear McCreary composes the music for this film. Let me tell you that he doesn’t disappoint. I’m not that knowledgeable in terms of what other films that he’s composed for. Whichever ones they are, hopefully he’s done great with them like he has with this one. Additionally, the film can be a good reminder of how things in life may not always turn out the way that we may expect them to. Oh, and this film does a very good job at tugging at your heartstrings, particularly when it comes to moments around the middle to end of this film. In fact, definitely plan on having a package, or even a box of tissues with you for when those moments come. Maybe that could be both a positive, and a negative, eh? Oh, and let’s not forget the film editing in this film. Wow, if you want to see a movie with some surprisingly really good film editing techniques that could be like that if a Zack Snyder directed film, then that’s another reason to check this film out.
Still, there are some areas in which this film falls. First of all, both some of the human, and monster characters seem to be rather forgettable. Well, that’s not entirely true, as the main human ones, along with some of the monster characters do stand out. However, there are others that do seem a little one dimensional, and probably had a little more potential. Yes, the makers of this movie did most definitely try with some of these characters. But whether it was due to running time issues, or things like that, you can most likely tell that some of the human, and monster characters could have been written a little better. Plus, there were some of the supporting characters that we could have likely known a little better, and sadly didn’t. Some of the pacing could have maybe been reworked as well. Truth be told, there are points, more often than not, where the movie may have similar problems like the 2013 Superman film in terms of focusing a little more on the visuals, and the action than the story, and the characters. Well, there’s that, and the movie may have had slightly too many characters as well.
And that’s my review for Godzilla: King Of The Monsters. Although not quite the best of the best sequels out there, there are still some good things to enjoy about this film. In some ways, one could probably see why it didn’t quite end up being a box office hit. Even if it weren’t for movies like Rocketman m, and the remake of Aladdin dominating the box office around the same time that this Godzilla film came out, it wouldn’t be surprising if this film still might not hav done as well as the studio might hope. If you’re looking for a great sequel, you won’t quite see that level here. However, if you’re at least okay with a decent to good sequel, with excellent visuals, a fantastic score, and some really, really fun action, then still plan to watch Godzilla: King Of The Monsters, and see what you think!
Final Grade: B
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 