'Godzilla: King of the Monsters': Brilliant spectacle, mediocre story
What's the story
Reviews of the much-awaited kaiju film 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' are in and critics are impressed by the amazing work done on special effects. It's the 35th film in the Godzilla franchise and a sequel to 2014's Godzilla. It stars Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, and Thomas Middleditch among others. Here's what the reviews say.
Plot
God-sized monsters collide and become a threat to humanity
The film focuses on the crypto-zoological agency Monarch and its members who find themselves (and the rest of humanity) struggling for their lives as humongous mythical creatures battle each other for supremacy. The film also features a collision of the mighty Godzilla with Mothra, Rodan, and the three-headed King Ghidorah. It is written by Max Borenstein with Michael Dougherty serving as director and co-writer.
Consensus
Rotten Tomatoes rated it at 55%, Metacritic gave it 50
As per review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "[The film] delivers spectacular kaiju action - and reaffirms that cutting-edge effects are still no substitute for a good story." Most reviewers have said that the film's storyline could have been better. A review by The Guardian reads, "A clunky sequel has rare moments of visual splendor but they can't disguise a laughable script with a ramshackle narrative."
The Good
Everyone has praised the film's visual appeal
According to Daily Dead, "On a visual level, nearly every single frame of Godzilla: King of the Monsters feels like a work of art, with many moments evoking the spirit of Frank Frazetta's artistic creations (especially during the scenes with King Ghidorah)." IGN said the film looks amazing and keeps its human characters interesting by providing them with some "really cool tech."
The Bad
Nearly everyone censured the film's storyline
IGN's review read, "Unfortunately, the film's plot is needlessly confusing, and not all that smart at times, and the lead characters could've used a little more fleshing out." The AV Club said, "Of course the monsters should be the stars of a Godzilla movie. But until blockbuster filmmaking goes entirely non-narrative, some attention should be paid to the rest of it as well."
The Ugly
The movie failed to impress many critics
As per Entertainment Weekly, "Godzilla: King of the Monsters is not a good movie. In fact, it's a pretty terrible one. Don't shoot the messenger, Kaiju fans." IndieWire called it "A sloppy, stitched-together offering with no sense of self." And New York Post said, "The whole movie is indistinguishable rubble." The Hollywood Reporter, however, called it "easily the most satisfying" of all the others.