Review: Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Release date: May 30, 2019
Running time: 131 minutes
Starring: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown

The Godzilla cinematic universe (yes, one of the promotional videos called it something to that effect) is trying to reboot itself for a modern time.  Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the first movie in what Warner Bros and Legendary hope will be a revival of this property.  Let's start with the good, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a visual and auditory treat.  The CG is very well done, with larger than life monsters, explosions, and fights.  When these monsters clash, they take down entire cities with them, which the movie happily depicts.  Accompanying these visuals is some truly immense sound that will make you shake with every massive movement from these creatures.  If this is your kind of movie, you'll want to see it in theaters.  The effects are epic, the sound is fantastic, and the actions scenes are larger than life.

Unfortunately, the effects are the only good thing about this movie.  The plot makes no sense.  The story tries to tie the monsters in the Godzilla universe to a greater human history and the current woes facing our planet, but it is a little too serious for a summer action movie.  The plot itself and the actions the characters take also make no sense.  The story goes to great lengths to travel to exotic locales and have these monsters fight, but in the end the reasons for all this travel are confusing at best and just bad at worst.

The characters are likewise forgettable, with many poor choices being made to advance the plot.  And part of this goes with some lackluster dialogue and justifications for their poor decisions.  Many emotional scenes fall flat because the premise is so ridiculous.  

The problem with Godzilla is that it is a movie that really benefits from being on the big screen, but outside of the effects, there isn't a reason to pay the premium to go see it.  Godzilla: King of the Monsters is an effects spectacle with a convoluted plot and not enough self awareness to save it from the poor story and forgettable characters.

Rent it