Godzilla: King of the Monsters Blu-ray Review - Roaring Good Extras!

By: Lynn Barker

As we join Godzilla: King of the Monsters, it is five years since the big critter wrecked San Francisco and the crypto-zoological group Monarch is secretly keeping many more of these giant Titans “asleep” or dormant. Having co-invented the ORCA, a sonar device for human/titan communication and control, Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) is sure Titans and humans must co-exist. 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

Attack on Mothra

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 huge moth larva …with blue eyes is waking up. It is only calmed when Emma tunes in to 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.

Madison and Emma are taken prisoner by JonahCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Call in Dad

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.

Madison's dad Mark sees Godzilla approachingCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

A Visit From Godzilla

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 exists 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. An injured Mark can’t figure out why Emma let the monster and Mothra loose. Is she working with Jonah?

Emma with Alan JonahCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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.

Mark and crew listen to Emma explain her reasoningCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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 the monsters keep fighting and more huge monsters rise. Madison calls her mom a monster for making this happen.

King Ghidorah

It is reasoned that Ghidorah is calling the other monsters to rise and fight Godzilla, his rival for supremacy. He may not even be from Earth! Meanwhile Godzilla is alive but very weak in an underwater sunken city that is his original home.

Godzilla peacefully watches humans on a subCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Mothra becomes the big beautiful moth we know and will come to Godzilla’s side in the fight. Godzilla needs more nuclear energy to gain strength so Mark and the scientists 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.

Dr. Serizawa knows Godzilla is our friendCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Calming All Monsters

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. Mark finally realizes he’s friendly and 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.

Re-empowered, Godzilla launches a nuclear blastCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Survivors?

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?

An end of credits scene involves the evil Jonah and his plan to continue selling monster DNA to the highest bidder.

Special Extra Features

• Monsters 101 – Godzilla, Mothra, Ghidorah and Rodan are described by director and actors. Their sizes, weapons, abilities etc. are listed as well as what they represent. A nice rundown.
• Evolution of the Titans –actors and filmmakers talk about living up to the long legend of Godzilla and making him bigger, better and more powerful for this film. Production and monster design are shown. Special effects and motion capture on humans was used to make Godzilla move and react with a human touch. A tribute to beautiful Mothra and scary flying Rodan and the sounds the titans make are included. A very nice extra.

Three-headed GhidorahCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

• Monarch in Action –focuses on the production design of the various world-wide Monarch bases as well as Godzilla’s undersea city home. Actors discuss their scenes in these facilities and we see some beautiful concept art. Like it!
• Millie Bobby Brown- Force of Nature is a tribute to the popular young actress showing her on set and we get comments from director and actors on working with her. Like Bobby, charming.
• Monsters are Real features our history with monsters. We are both attracted and repelled by them. Since we were cavepeople, they have created primal fears. Some monster myths are real. Cool!

Godzilla and Ghidorah battle in the cityCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

• Welcome to the Monsterverse – more on various titans focusing on King Kong from the Kong: Skull Island movie. This is no doubt to promote the next Godzilla vs. Kong movie.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes – very few, one with Mark having a family flashback and Millie’s Madison character punching a boxing partner vigorously and fighting with mom. Good acting!
• Filmmaker Commentary with Director, Producer and actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. is funny and contains lots of trivia and Easter eggs, reshoot and actor info. Well worth a listen.

Director Michael Dougherty instructs Millie on setCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Wrapping Up

If course I always like a gag or blooper reel and there isn’t one here but what is provided in the extras is informative and often entertaining and interesting. The film itself?  As we said in our theatrical review, “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”.

Madison and mom see Ghidorah on ice.Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

However, the titans themselves look awesome and their huge-scale fights are involving. Most of the extras on this Blu-ray/DVD/Digital set concentrate on re-creating Godzilla, his pals and enemies and that is appropriate. We awarded a weak 3 stars to the film but give 4 to this home entertainment set since extras are quite good. 

Godzilla: King of the Monsters Blu-ray Rating: 

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is in stores now!

Roar in with Your Feelings

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