I’m going to be 100 percent honest with you: I’m not exactly sure of all the plot particulars or who was who in GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS, because I just came to see a gaggle of big effin’ monsters duke it out on the big screen.
And boy howdy it does not disappoint on that front. If you’re pining for kaiju fisticuffs, destruction and eye-popping special effects, you’re going to be happy; if you’re desperate for the world’s best dialog and sharply crafted thespian arts, you’re going to be shaking your fists at the filmmakers when the credits start to roll.
The plot? Where to start? Is it even important? Yes? Ok.
It goes like this: Our friends at Monarch – the secret organization we were introduced to in 2014’s GODZILLA, whose mission statement is “Discovery and Defense in a Time of Monsters,” have been busy pinpointing where all of Godzilla’s pals are located throughout the world. We met some of these folks five years ago, including Dr. Serizawa (Ken Wantanabe), Dr. Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins) and Admiral Stenz (David Straithairn). They’re joined by newcomers like the Russell family – Mark (Kyle Chandler), Emma (Vera Farmiga) and Madison (Millie Bobby Brown), as well as Dr. Stanton (Bradley Whitford), Dr. Coleman (Thomas Middleditch), Dr. Chen (Zhang Ziyi) and super trooper G-Team member, Jackson Barnes (O’Shea Jackson Jr.).
Without giving too much of the spoilery deets away, there’s a betrayal in the Monarch ranks and one of the aforementioned actors chooses to help Colonel Alan Jonah (Charles Dance) turn the planet back over to the original owners – Godzilla and his titan friends. You know Jonah is up to no good because not only does he have an evil name, but having Dance as an eco-baddie is like having Tywin Lannister as the spokesperson for Greenpeace.
As expected, things do not go down like the eco-terrorists have planned. Before long, Rodan, Mothra, Ghidorah and a handful of original non-Toho creatures lay waste to the planet. Let’s just say Washington D.C. and Boston are for sure going to need a lot of spackling and paint. And all of this, of course, is leading up to the 2020 release of GODZILLA vs. KONG (make sure to stay through the credits). In the end, GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS is loud and fun and exactly the kind of bombastic cinema that’s a perfect kick off for summer 2019.
GRADE: B
