Godzilla: King of the Monsters Movie Review
If you care about a solid, believable storyline, this isn’t your movie.
Kidzworld saw Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Does the plot make any real sense? Are the characters worth caring about? Massive monster battles may be the only reason to rush to the Cineplex. Read our movie review to find out.
By: Lynn Barker
In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, it is five years since Godzilla wrecked San Francisco and the crypto-zoological group Monarch is hiding the fact that many more of these giant Titans exist and are being kept “asleep” or dormant. Hoping to converse with them via sonar equipment, Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) has co-invented the ORCA a device for human-monster communication and possible control. She thinks these Titans and humans have to co-exist to save our planet since Mankind is messing it up. Her daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown) has been taught to feel the same. When Eco-terrorist Alan Jonah (Charles Dance) wants Dr. Russell’s device, he kidnaps her and Madison all while Godzilla, with the aid of Mothra, rises again to fight monsters Rodan and three-headed Ghidorah.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters Trailer
Three-headed monster Ghidorah
Mom, Daughter, Moth and Mercenaries
Emma Russell and her daughter Madison live near an isolated Monarch research Outpost in China. We see that they are estranged from Madison’s dad Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) who turned to drink when his son was killed in the 2014 San Francisco chaos. Inside the large outpost lab, a creature is waking up.
Emma and Madison see Mothra riseCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
It is a huge moth larva …with blue eyes that is only calmed when Emma tunes into a certain sonar frequency on her ORCA device. Suddenly men with guns burst into the lab and shoot everything up. They are headed by Alan Jonah, who has been selling monster Titan DNA and kidnaps Emma and Madison with their device.
Alan Jonah and Emma Russell semi-agree on the monstersCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Enter Daddy
A Senate hearing on the problem of these giant monsters is interrupted when news of the raid on the Monarch facility comes in. Dr. Mark Russell is called in to hear the news of his ex-wife and child’s plight. Emma has rebuilt the machine he destroyed. He warns that the wrong frequency will stir up the creatures not calm them. Mark and Monarch scientist Dr. Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) argue. Mark feels the Titans have to be destroyed while Serizawa thinks some of them are benevolent and will help Mankind.
Dr. Serizawa and Dr. Russell have differing opinions
Godzilla is “Resting”
Underwater, Scientists study a resting Godzilla while, far away, the escaped Mothra has cocooned herself. Emma and Madison are taken to the Antarctic Monarch facility where Jonah has taken over and discovered a giant, three-headed Titan frozen in ice. Godzilla wakes up, approaches the underwater facility but just looks at the humans inside and swims off. Mark and the scientists follow him to the icy facility where Mark tries to rescue his wife and daughter but Emma doesn’t trust him. She uses the ORCA machine to waken Ghidorah, of the three heads and it attacks but Godzilla interrupts and the two Titans fight. Mark is injured and wakes in a hospital. He can’t figure out why Emma let the monster and also Mothra loose. Is she working with Jonah?
Godzilla awakensCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Mom’s Motivation and Island Madness
Via satellite broadcast, Emma explains that she believes the Titans are protecting the Earth while Mankind is destroying it. We must coexist with the monsters who bring balance. Mark and some scientist pals think she is crazy. Madison is beginning to think dad is right. On a remote island, the flying Titan Rodan rises out of a volcano terrorizing the locals. The military leads Rodan to Ghidorah and they fight. The soldiers set off an oxygen-destroying bomb hoping to kill the creatures but it just kills all life in a 2 mile radius while the monsters keep fighting and more huge monsters rise. Madison calls her mom a monster for making this happen.
Mark Russell and scientists listen to Emma's beliefsCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Big Boss Ghidorah
Mark and the scientists reason that Ghidorah is calling the other monsters to rise and fight Godzilla, his rival for supremacy. He may not even be from Earth!
Ghidorah rises from a volcanoCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Meanwhile Godzilla, assumed killed in the last fight, is alive but weak in an underwater sunken city that is his original home. Mothra becomes the big beautiful moth we know and will come to Godzilla’s side in the fight. Mark and the scientists reason that Godzilla needs more nuclear energy to gain strength so they travel in a sub to deliver it via a bomb but the firing mechanism is jammed. Someone will have to go deliver it in person. Dr. Serizawa volunteers for the suicide mission.
Drs. Serizawa and Graham see more monsters ariseCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Madison to the Rescue?
Knowing that the ORCA machine can calm the monsters and stop the fighting at least temporarily, Madison runs away with the machine and heads back to her Boston hometown to hook up to a TV set-up at Fenway Park so she can mass broadcast the calming signal. Meanwhile, a re-energized Godzilla rises from the ocean after the bomb goes off.
Godzilla at his most powerfulCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Mark finally realizes he’s friendly but rushes to Boston to find Madison as does mom Emma. Ghidorah follows the ORCA signal to Boston and fries everything. Godzilla arrives along with Rodan and Mothra for a huge monster rumble. Madison barely escapes and hides in her old home.
Mark Russell realizes Godzilla might be human-friendlyCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Who Will Survive?
Which Titans and humans will survive the ultimate battle? Will humans aid Godzilla and will he retain his title as King of the Monsters or perish forever.
Ghidorah and Godzilla ready to rumbleCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Stay in your seat for an end of credits scene involving the evil Jonah and his plan to continue selling monster DNA to the highest bidder.
Wrapping Up
If all you care about is seeing massive critters stomping on cities while trying to kill each other then even you might be disappointed because, although the creatures look pretty cool, all of the battles are so dark and murky that you can’t see much of the “fights”. Why these creatures can never fight in broad daylight beats me.
Dr. Russell and company watch Godzilla approachCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
If you are more into the humans who have to deal with the massive Titans, there is an attempt to make you feel involved with the characters but they just appear between monster brawls to evidently break up the action and stare at the giants in awe or terror … that is when they aren’t staring at screens or gizmos. The characters’ reasons for doing almost anything are often murky and illogical. Also, you can’t really put pressure on a race-against-time movie plot when you aren’t sure what the characters are trying to accomplish as they run around desperately.
Jonah, Madison and mom at the Antarctic outpostCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
A lot more could have been done with Millie Bobby Brown and mom Vera Farmiga’s troubled mom/daughter relationship. They are both excellent actors and do their best to stuff some feeling into this overstuffed movie plot.
Madison and her mom watch another Titan riseCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Overall, the film is packed with a talented cast of actors. Too bad they weren’t fully utilized. I did enjoy a touching scene between Dr. Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Godzilla whom the character has always supported as a good guy.
Godzilla will battle RodanCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
The few attempts at jokey comic relief fall flat. If what rings your movie-going chimes is almost non-stop action no matter why it is happening then you get it here. Heck, if seeing huge, iconic Japanese critters mix it up on an IMAX screen is worth the admission price to you then you will probably enjoy the film more than I did. I like a little movie inner logic and good character development and motivation along with my critter carnage so I go a weakish three stars.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters Movie Rating: 
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
See Godzilla: King of the Monsters in theaters now!
Stomp in With Your Opinion!
Are you just anxious to see the big Titans do battle? Are you hoping to care what happens to the characters as well? Do Godzilla and giant friends just scare you or do you think they are cool? Go into fight mode and give everyone your strong take on all things giant monster related!
