New to On Demand and DVD: Godzilla: King of the Monsters

© 2019 Legendary and Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved Godzilla TM & © TOHO, CO., LTD

Monsters. Those colossal creatures who roam the Earth and lay waste to anything that stands in their way. We’ve been fascinated by movie monsters since the early days of cinema. Stories around Godzilla, the larger-than-life monster who has taken on all comers, have been relayed for years. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla will see if he has met his match against a slew of our favorite foes.

The crypto-zoological agency known as Monarch has been keeping a watchful eye on these legendary beasts and others like them in their outposts around the globe. But sinister forces are at work who would like nothing better than the release of the creatures and the devastation of the world.

This isn’t a movie about plot. Sure, there is a thinly veiled narrative running through the destruction left in cities around the globe as Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah and Godzilla lay waste to a variety of landscapes in their battle for supremacy. And that thinly veiled plot is all that is needed to connect the dots and get to the aspects of the film that work well.

I really liked the look and feel of Godzilla: King of the Monsters. From a visual perspective, Godzilla has never looked better, and the eerie atmosphere around the world creates an immersive landscape for this summer spectacle film. It’s a popcorn movie and it feels like a popcorn movie. Shutting your mind off is a prerequisite to enjoying this film.

And it’s easy to shut your mind off here. There’s a pretty awesome group of actors leading this offering, with main roles for Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga and Millie Bobby Brown, and supporting roles for such accomplished actors as Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins and Charles Dance. There are no small roles with this heavyweight talent driving the film, and that is only the tip of the talent.

With great actors across the board, I became a bit more forgiving of the challenges here, as there isn’t much to do on plot other than to set the table for 2020’s Godzilla vs. Kong. At times there are some laughable moments that pop up, but I still enjoyed and smiled throughout. I chose to concentrate on those actors I really liked and absorb myself into the film. I also wasn’t a fan of the dizzying action onscreen at times. Action from all sides of the screen didn’t allow enough time to distinguish the monsters from one other.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is big, loud and obnoxious and should be seen on the biggest screen you have access to with the biggest bucket of popcorn you can find — oh, and with your brain turned off. Then, you too will enjoy the King of the Monsters.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is available On Demand and on DVD beginning Aug. 27. Check your cable system for availability