The Throne Belongs to Godzilla
- Dusty W. Fleischman
- Jun 12, 2019
- 4 min read
Godzilla, King of Monsters (2019)
Directed by Michael Dougherty
Cast: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins,
Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hands, O’Shea Jackson Jr., David Strathairn,
Ken Watanabe, Zhang Ziyi
Released: May 31, 2019
Like Superman, James Bond, Star Trek, and Elvis, the radiated monster from Japan has withstood the test of time. The Godzilla franchise is the longest running film series in the history of cinema. It is also a worldwide phenomena that has been produced by film companies on two different continents.
Beginning in 1954 with self-titled Godzilla, the rampaging reptile has been tearing down cities for over 60 years, and in 2019 Legendary Pictures bring up the 35th film in the franchise Godzilla, King of the Monsters. The film is a sequel to the film company’s 2014 installment which launched the modern day “Godzillaverse” which will crossover and co-exist with the King Kong franchise. The film is not a direct reboot of the 1956 Ishiro Honda, Terry O. Morse Godzilla, King of the Monsters! which is more of a re-edited reissue of the original 1954 film. So never fear ‘Zilla fans, the filmmakers in 2019 did not follow that particular trend when producing their film. This is a direct follow up to 2014 film.
Monsters, monsters everywhere, and not a hope of surviving would be the mantra of this film. However, ironically, it is not the monsters that are the villains here. Nope, it is that trusty ole’ world destroyer, homo sapiens. That’s right human ignorance and self-justification spark the fire that could lead to the end of the world. Imagine that, the human race being their own worst enemies again. But, I digress, we are not here to talk about how backward human thinking can cause an extermination level event, we are here to talk about monsters. And Godzilla, King of the Monsters, brings us a double dose of monster mania. All the classics are here, Rodan, Mothra, Monster Zero, Ghidorah, and of course the big guy, Godzilla battle it out for monster supremacy. I shouldn’t have to tell you who wins. But I will tell you this, the action that takes place is well worth a ticket of admission. The film is fast paced, and action packed. There is a good story that doesn’t divert the audience’s attention too far from the monsters. (Which may be one reason why there was no Hollywood powerhouse cast in the film) Still, the cast that was chosen did a great job of telling the story and even offered up a few laughs.
Kyle Chandler certainly held his own in a very emotional role that saw his transition from vengeful monster hunter to understanding supporter. In another tough but well played role was Vera Farmiga, who sets the wheels in motion for monster dominance at a moment of weakness only to bounce back and show the ultimate strength. I’s starting to wonder if there is anything that Vera can’t do. She is certainly one of the best actresses in Hollywood today. Quite possibly the show stealer (aside from her big green co-star) was Millie Bobby Brown, the wonderful young actress who plays the child caught in the middle of Farmiga and Chandler’s emotional whirlpool. A few returning stars from the 2014 film were Sally Hawkins and Ken Watanabe.
The story picks up a few years after the monster battle in San Francisco. Godzilla is believed to be lost at sea, but the threat of the ancient titans has gotten the attention of the U.S. Government. The powers that be want the creatures that have been found contained in ice, mountains, and other secure locations destroyed, and Godzilla hunted down and killed. M.O.N.A.R.C.H. is fighting on behalf of the mythical beasts and wants to keep them in isolation and believe that Godzilla is not a threat, but an ally. All hell breaks loose when an ecoterrorist “kidnaps” a scientist and her daughter (Farmiga and Brown) and steals the technology that was created to control the creatures by symbolizing an alpha signal. The brainiacs believe that the best way to save the Earth is to eliminate the human threat (other then themselves of course) and set the monsters free to take back the planet. As in most hair brained schemes the shit hits the fan when they release Monster Zero (Ghidorah) and he becomes the new alpha making follwers of the remaining titans, well except one. We all know who that is. It is a battle of the big boys when the three headed dragon meets the Japanese building crusher and the world is going to be their arena.
Not going to tell you how it all goes down because I want you to go see the movie. I will say that it is some of the best on screen monster footage since the dawn of the digital age (I am still a big fan of the “man in a monster suit” films) But I do recommend you check this one out, even if your not a big fan of Godzilla. The movie still stands pretty strong on its own.
Long Live the King….
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