OSCARS 2025: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

As far as recent revivals of decades old I.P.s by movie studios eager to mine a recognizable name for whatever cash they can, the modern “Planet of the Apes” films are quite well respected. The commitment to spectacular but grounded special effects and thoughtful storytelling made what I guess you'd call the “Caesar Trilogy” far better received among critics and fans than you'd expect of yet another reboot. Caesar's story, however, came to a natural end in “War for the Planet of the Apes.” Which made some leery when it was announced that Disney would be continuing forward with the series. It's not like the House That Mickey Built is known for not driving an idea well into the ground these days. Matt Reeves had received a lot of credit for making the last two movies so good and he had been replaced with the much less notable name of the guy who directed “The Maze Runner.” Perhaps succeeding against lowered expectations is a factor. Nevertheless, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” seems to have continued the “Apes” tradition of being a sci-fi blockbuster a little more character-driven and intelligent than your average CGI-fest.

Smartly, rather than attempting to directly sequelize Caesar's story, “Kingdom” is set hundreds of years after his death. In the shadows of the moss covered structures that were once a city resides a village of intelligent chimpanzees. Noa is the offspring of the chieftain of his tribe, who practice falconry and have built bonding with the birds into their society. Humans have become whispered about figures, referred to as “Echoes.” One fateful night, Noa's village is descended upon by apes wielding staffs with built-in tasers. They kill his father and capture his friends but Noa escapes. He soon meets up with Raka, a follower in Caesar's ways, and they trail a human woman. She can speak, stunning both apes. Named Mae, the female leads them to a beach where a tyrannical ape leader calling himself Proximus Caesar is using slave labor to attempt to break into a massive vault. Proximus desires the ancient weapons that are inside while Mae believes what's within can help restore the human race. Noa emerges as a leader of a slave revolt against Proximus' iron fisted reign. 

The visual effects that made a whole society of walking, talking apes in the previous three films were lauded for their realism and expressiveness. "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" uses whatever advancements in digital technology that have been made over the last few years to take the series to loftier heights. The chimps move like real animals. They have the weight and details of flesh and blood creatures. Moreover, their faces as astonishingly detailed. Noah's eyes, Raka's often smirking lips, Proximus scowling muzzle: All convey the same level of emotion you'd get out of photographed actors. The cast – smartly made up of up-and-comers and character actors willing to commit fully to physical, vocal performances that don't show their faces – certainly deserve a lot of credit. However, it's difficult not to think of the special effects crew, the artists and animators, riggers and technicians, as the real stars here. They create a cast of hominid heroes and villains that are not only realistic but also deeply compelling to watch. In that sense, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" represents a phenomenal half-way point between an animated film and a live action production. 

The incredible special effects go a long way towards creating a fictional world the viewer can get absorbed in. By setting "Kingdom" far in the future, long after the fall of mankind as the Earth's dominant species, we are thrust into a place recognizable but also fundamentally different. The visuals of skyscrapers caked in moss, becoming a new jungle for the simians to explore and swing, is certainly striking. Moreover, a lot of work went into conceptualizing a new society that feels plausible. Noa's clan have their own rituals, their own rules and traditions. The bonding with the eagles, gathering eggs that the apes care for until they hatch, resemble manhood rituals from any culture but is definitely something new in this series. Their language has evolved, a mixture of signing and repurposed phrases, such as calling humans "Echoes." The further outside his village he goes, the more glimpses Noa gets at how the apes have developed their own culture, with their own habits and religions. It brings something back to "Planet of the Apes" that the reboot series hasn't focused much on until now: The sense of being dropped into an alien, but fully formed, new world that we can get lost in as we observe how this different culture functions. The term "world-building" gets abused a lot but this is how you do it. 

I'll admit, I haven't seen any of director Wes Bell's other films. He's made animated shorts that seem to deal with a similar level of sci-fi world-building as what we see here. I hear that the "Maze Runner" movies are better than most YA adaptations. In some ways, I wonder if coming from that background didn't serve Bell here as well. A reoccurring line throughout "Kingdom" is characters referring to objects, concepts, and traditions as "important." This seems to be an acknowledgement of how the sequel employs the grand archetypes of the Campbellian Heroes' Journey. Noa is a young protagonist that emerges from unassuming roots, at first wanting nothing more than to achieve his goal of pleasing his father. He has a childhood best friend, named Soona, that he shares a somewhat romantic bond with. Circumstances beyond his control force him out of his childhood home and out into the world, where he quickly gains a wise mentor figure. To free his family and avenge his father, he comes into conflict with a would-be conqueror. Eventually, the knowledge and skills he's acquired over his journey lead him to victory, the boy-ape having grown into a man-ape without loosing the purity of spirit that got him there. Narrative short cuts like these have been used badly before. Look no further than the YA adaptations and other stillborn franchises that flooded theaters after "Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter." At least for me, they totally worked here. I was immediately intrigued by Noa, excited to see him go on this journey. The film knowingly uses classical concepts – a villain after a hidden treasure, a slave rebellion out of "Spartacus" – to add a mythic quality to its world, cast, and story. 

Ball and screenwriter Josh Friedman – whose other credits also suggest this kind of thing is his specialty – are well aware of how they are invoking the most reoccurring story tropes throughout human history. The evolution of legends, beyond the lifetime of their origins, is another branch of the story. Caesar's words continue to spread long after his death. Raka is something like a monk of a sacred order that studies Caesar's teachings, attempting to follow them as closely as possible, even when he doesn't totally understand them. Proximus, meanwhile, uses the name and ideas of Caesar for his own ends. He uses the phrases and words to make compliant slaves, to make himself seem great, while only pursuing power and control for his own benefit. Living in the modern world means we are exposed to, everyday, new and disturbing ways the words of prophets century passed have been diluted, mutated, and misused to promote the power-hungry and keep the masses blinded. Yes, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" presents Caesar as a Christ-like figure, whose writings have spawned faithful practitioners and fanatical followers. It's a heady idea to insert into your talking monkey movie. 

Obviously, sneaking parallels to the modern world and social commentary into its sci-fi setting has always been standard practice for these movies. Caesar is referred to as a "Lawgiver," another of many callbacks to the original "Planet of the Apes" films. Such as John Paesano's excellent score, which recalls and builds upon the familiar motifs of Jerry Goldsmith's classic themes. The biggest way "Kingdom" honors the "Apes" legacy is by centering a big question throughout these movies: Can man and ape ever peacefully co-exist? Proximus believes mankind is too dangerous and wicked to be tolerated. Mae seems uncertain of the apes' intentions throughout. Noa and his kind are peaceful, not wanting any conflict, yet he's also aware that mankind has a history of putting other animals in cages, of using and abusing them. The use of this theme positively recalls the much maligned "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" but it suggests bigger questions too. Can other cultures ever live in harmony? Is the story of mankind one exclusively of conquest and imperialism? That extends to the natural world too, which humanity has repeatedly destroyed and exploited in their selfishness and ignorance. Is that human nature? Is a better way achievable? All of these are ideas "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes'" grapples with. 

As thoughtful and patient as Rupert Wyatt and Matt Reeves' previous entries, while paying homage to the older films and also moving in an ambitious new direction, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" is an excellent example of the kind of grand storytelling capable in a big budget, special effects movie. I liked it in theaters but, upon revisiting it, I found I loved the sequel. Bell has got a full dance card right now – including the long discussed film adaptation of the "Legend of Zelda" games, which employ a lot of the same themes seen here – but hopefully he gets to make more of these hairy adventures. Ya know, putting apes on horses and giving them pet eagles was likely to win me over no matter what but "Kingdom" actually rocks all on its own, succeeding as a sequel and a new beginning. [9/10]

Series Report Card: Disney Animated Features (2024)

62. Moana 2

The Disney Corporation's quest for absolute cultural dominance has been on-going for a long time now. When I was a kid, the studio sought to extend the awareness and popularity of their hit films through spin-offs on other platforms. This took the form of mountains of merchandise, direct-to-video sequels of mostly unremarkable quality but also television shows. "The Little Mermaid: The Series," "Aladdin," "Hercules" and a few others are recalled with some degree of fondness. Getting to see the characters you loved in the movies every week on TV is, admittedly, a fun idea. Even if these shows never quite lived up to the source material. That kind of continuation has mostly fallen out of favor lately, as Disney has shifted focus to big-budget, theatrically released sequels and remakes... At least until they launched their own streaming services a few years back, eager to attract subscribers with programs set in their beloved Marvel, "Star Wars," and animated universes. 

That was the form a follow-up to "Moana" was initially planned to take. The original film's storyboard artist, David Derrick Jr., would direct "Moana: The Series" with most of the cast from the movie coming back. Notably absent was songwriter Lin Manual-Miranda, replaced with a duo whose previous successes include an unofficial "Bridgerton" musical, a gag musical for Taco Bell, and popular TikTok videos. Not to devalue the talent of any of the above artisans, nor certainly the animators and designers who would work on the series, but it seemed like the kind of step-down in talent you would expect from a straight-to-streaming spin-off. That "Moana: The Series" managed to secure the involvement of Dwayne Johnson – also starring in the inexplicable live action remake of "Moana," entering development at the exact same time – was honestly surprising and, perhaps, a reflection of his own dwindling box office cred. But if a TV continuation didn't quite live up to the movie it spawned from, that would not be a massive shock, right? Film and TV are different mediums with different expectations. 

Maybe the Disney producers don't realize that though. Back in February, it was announced that the already well underway "Moana: The Series" would instead be coming to theaters as "Moana 2," the streaming series shifting into a movie. CEO Bob Iger explained that this decision was made after execs were supposedly impressed with the footage they had seen for the show. That Disney has had several high-profile flops recently, like "The Marvels" and "Wish," surely had nothing to do with this seemingly last minute decision to rush a sequel to a previous success into theaters. Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller would join the directing team, presumably to further along this change in direction. Only ten months after the announcement of its existence, "Moana 2" is in theaters and viewers everywhere can judge whether it measures up to the original or if its origins as a TV show are all-too-evident. 

A few years after leaving her island home Motunui, meeting the demi-god Maui, and restoring balance to the ocean, young adventurer Moana has turned her attention towards another goal: Exploring near-by island systems in hopes of discovering other cultures and communities, out of a fear that her village is too isolated. When she finds a relic on such an island, it's proof to her that such a quest isn't fruitless. This is when Moana receives a vision from an ancestor. Centuries ago, storm god Nalo separated the different cultures by sinking the island Motufetu to the bottom of the sea. Moana assembles a team – mechanic Loto, artist Moni, and farmer Keke – as she sets out on this perilous new journey to Motufetu and raise it back to the surface, opening the cultures back up to each other. Along the way, she will encounter Maui again plus new faces that seek to help and hinder her.

Many of the Disney Animated Features have become generational classics because they tell fundamentally simple stories. This is why the company has so often returned to fairy tales, mythology, and classic literature for source material. The ideas communicated in these tales are universal and will resonate with anyone, despite contexts as far flung as medieval China or African pridelands. Simplicity, however, does not always lend itself to the kind of long-form storytelling and world-building that entertainment conglomerates like Disney are now obsessed with. The sequels that Disney is increasingly focused on these days – as well as films like "Wish," which attempt to establish some sort of shared universe between the classic films – have all suffered from the same problem: This feeling of desperation to build an expansive lore, not dissimilar to what "Star Wars" or Marvel already has, around characters meant to carry much more universal themes. Thus, Wreck-It Ralph is now connected to the entire internet, Elsa is now part of an elemental quartet of magical deities, and the wishing star from "Pinocchio" is at the center of a tapestry of connected back stories.

Being set in the world of Polynesian and Māori mythology, “Moana 2” ostensibly has a rich source of characters and stories to pull from. Which it sort of does. A period of time in Polynesian history known as the Long Pause, wherein no seafaring discoveries took place for two centuries, inspired the premise. The antagonistic storm god Nalo and his sidekick, flying fox goddess Matangi, are loosely inspired by figures from actual myths. However, the other concepts in the sequel appear to be the invention of Disney writers. And they are underwhelming. Far too much of “Moana 2's” plot hinges on magical visions with the spirits of ancestors, glowing vortexes that take our heroes to other dimensions, and magical plot devices with loosely defined rules. Coming shortly after “Wish's” plot full of similarly fantasy novel nonsense like this, it's hard to avoid the suspicion that Disney is using A.I. writing programs. Your story being a mishmash of plagiarized bullshit randomly spit out by a robot is not a feeling you want your big budget sequel to have. 

“Moana 2's” underwhelming story may be a result of it being originally intended as a streaming series. There are other signs that a story meant to be much longer was cut down to 100 minutes. Namely, the primary villain of Nola never actually appears on-screen throughout the film proper, existing only as an angry face within a giant storm. This leaves the sequel entirely without a proper antagonist, making the plot feel increasingly shapeless as it goes on. Other elements of the god's scheme, such as the reason he resents humanity so much, are never elaborated on. The climax depends on a sloppy deus ex machina, with many story elements being explained through bloated expositionary dialogue. A Marvel-style, mid-credit teaser – something else we'd expect to see leading into a second season – does more to expand on the villains than anything in the actual movie. It feels like connecting scenes and episodes, that would've filled out a streaming season, got left on the cutting room floor.

Another sign that “Moana 2” hastily cut together a set of scripts intended for serialized television into a feature film is the lack of development for tis new characters. Moana gets a whole host of sidekicks for this journey. She has a little sister, which stays back on the island. Moni is an enthusiastic Maui fanboy – leading to the first utterance of the word “fanfic” in a Disney cartoon – that mostly exists to provide comic relief. This is the same purpose Keke, the grumpy old farmer, brings. These are characters defined by single gimmicks and lacking actual personalities. Loto, the tomboy engineer that builds the raft, has more potential but there simply aren't enough scenes to truly expand on her. When the film already has enough characters, it introduces a speedy coconut friend. Matangi is introduced with a big musical number that contributes very little to the story, also not given any definition beyond her affinity for bats. A series would have provided a lot more screen time to develop this raft full of new characters, which a movie simply lacks.

That “Moana 2” loads its story down with so many new companions for its heroine is frustrating, as the first movie had entirely too many of those already. Any fans of Pua the pig or Heihei the chicken or little tattoo Maui or the anthromorphized ocean itself will be disappointed. All of them are reduced to a handful of scenes. Maui himself, despite the Rock's prominent placement in all the advertising, is only in about half the film. Part of what made the first movie work was watching the young heroine bounce off all these other characters. The chemistry between her and Maui, the vainglorious hero who learned a valuable lesson from his time with the girl, especially drove the first film. Maui is here to provide the muscle during the climatic action scenes, which inexplicably involve cutting lightning bolts in half. Having difficult finding anything else for him to do, the film throws in a pep talk between the demigod and the adventurer, a sweaty attempt to justify why this guy is in the story at all. When paired with repeating center jokes from the first movie and call-backs to previous events – such as those cocoanut guys showing up again - “Moana 2” increasingly feels like a sequel designed mostly to remind the viewer of what they liked about the first one.

Where does that leave Moana herself? Disney Princesses and pseudo-princesses like Moana – which is joked about here – are defined by a simple to understand purpose, usually laid out in their “I Want” Song. Moana got what she want in the first film, exploring past the reef and defining herself. In the sequel, she's given the goal of wanting to reach out to other cultures, while also juggling the responsibility of having far more to lose this time. That is the intended purpose of the little sister. (Aside from a new little girl Disney can sell baby dolls of, of course.) This weight of responsibility is never truly felt. With so many new characters to introduce and old elements to revisit, Moana's arc feels rushed through and half-finished. She is pushed around by the plot, not a protagonist that directs it.

While I've heard many reports that the animation in the sequel is a visible stepdown from the original, another consequence of being a Disney+ upgrade, I don't think “Moana 2” looks all that bad. The film does presents some decently engineered action sequences. A confrontation set inside an enormous clam, something that actually does have a basis in Oceania folklore, is one of sequel's highlights. While the finale is far too heavy on twirling storms and flashing lights, a chase involving the raft and a sail is well done. While “Moana 2” does a decent job on the spectacle side of things, it's seriously lacking in the chuckles. The sequel has a disappointing reliance on gross-out gags, attempting to draw laughs from characters being covered in slime, sneezed on, or even a fart joke. Such desperate comedy stylings does little to dissuade the notion that “Moana 2” exists more as an extensions of Disney's brand name than as a story that actually needs to be told.

You could have criticized the first “Moana” for being overly reliant on the Disney fairy tale formula. However, at least those songs were incredibly catchy and memorable. I have my own problems with Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway stylings, not yet having discovered what so many other people see in “Hamilton.” However, Miranda knows how to write an unforgettable hook and remembers that songs in a musical most always flesh out the characters or move the story forward. The new team of Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear do not give me the same impression. “Beyond” is the new ballad for Moana and it's okay. “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” is Maui's new number, a clear attempt to repeat the success of “You're Welcome,” that never captures the same energy or catchy rhythm. “What Could be Better Than This?,” which helps establish Moana's new friends, has a similar stop-and-start fashion to it that keeps a clear melody from forming. “Get Lost,” Matangi's introductory song, is trying hard to be a break-out pop hit but is similarly forgettable. The sequel simply can't form many emotional melodies or a memorable lyrics, the songs mostly falling flat.

This is the sad case with much of “Moana 2.” The circumstances of its production, being a rush job conversion of a straight-to-streaming mini-series to a full-blown movie, are difficult to overlook. It lacks the songs, the jokes, and the memorable characters that made the first one good. While there's some decently executed animation or one or two clever idea, the sequel simply never comes to life in its own right. The unfortunate feeling, that Disney's animated features exist more to raise stock numbers and sell toys and theme park memberships, is getting increasingly difficult to dismiss. “Moana 2” has cleaned up at the box office, meaning Disney shareholders and executives got exactly what they wanted. I imagine that superfluous live action remake, which has even less of a reason to exist than this sequel, will pull in the dollars too. Will anyone remember them in a decade? Will their songs become standards sung by kids across the generations? It's hard to say but, in the case of “Moana 2,” I seriously doubt it. [Grade: C]

Series Report Card: Godzilla (2024)

38. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Honestly, it wasn't a sure bet. Legendary's "Godzilla" and "Kong: Skull Island" were successful, while falling short of the culture-defining, Marvel-like domination the studio probably hoped for from their monster-filled cinematic universe. "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" was, in fact, a box office disappointment. "Godzilla Vs. Kong" underwent numerous reshoots and delays, enough that I began to wonder if the MonsterVerse was going to collapse during what was meant to be its finest moment. Timing, however, is everything. "Godzilla Vs. Kong" was one of the first major Hollywood releases after the COVID-19 lockdown eased up. It turns out watching a giant gorilla and a big-ass lizard beat the shit out of each other was exactly the kind of escapist entertainment the world needed after a year of real world horrors. The titanic title bout was announced as "saving cinemas." Naturally, Legendary, Warner Brothers, and Toho put their heads together to figure out a sequel. Godzilla and Kong would rumble again. Legendary was so determined to have a repeat of their previous success that they made sure Adam Wingard stayed on as director, making him the first person to direct more than one entry in the MonsterVerse. Three years later, the rematch between Godzilla and King Kong has roared into theaters, with the ungainly title "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." 

Since the events of their last struggle, Kong has remained down in the Hollow Earth while Godzilla has stayed on the surface, brutally smashing any kaiju that challenges him. An infected tooth forces Kong to the surface, making Monarch worry another confrontation might ensue. Yet something worst is brewing. A strange signal from within the Hollow Earth is effecting the dreams of Jia, the last of the Skull Island natives and the adoptive daughter of Dr. Ilene Andrews. She follows Kong into the Hollow Earth with kaiju conspiracy theorist Bernie Hayes, Titan veterinarian Tracker, and Jia. Inside, two civilizations are uncovered. One, a lost tribe of Iwi natives that have mastered the powers of the Hollow Earth. The other is a race of enormous apes, like Kong. They are ruled over by a sadistic tyrant known as the Skar King, who enforces his rule with an ice-spewing Titan known as Shimo. Kong, with Monarch's assistance, seeks to free his kind and prevent the Skar King from invading the surface. And he's going to need Godzilla's help to achieve that, something the thunderous lizard may not be willing to give. 

"Godzilla x Kong's" awkward title points towards its overstuffed, incident-heavy story. Plotting wise, "The New Empire" is a convoluted mess. For much of its runtime, the film is following three or four story threads at once. Kong explores the Hollow Earth, discover his people, and comes into conflict with the Skar King. Monarch is tracking Godzilla across the globe, as the monster charges up his power and battles other beasts. Ilene tags along behind the ape, hoping to figure out what is effecting her daughter so much. Multiple characters are introduced and reintroduced, some of them swiftly being killed off. The plot leaps all over the world, the monsters rumbling in several different cities across multiple continents. There's so many giant beasts in the film that it's a bit tricky to keep track of all of them. By the chaotic last act, so much is happening that I nearly got lost. "Godzilla x Kong" is jam-packed full of stuff happening, to the point that it risks becoming incoherent at times. 

While the mainstream critical press have largely dismissed the film for these reasons, it's hard for me to complain too much about "Godzilla x Kong's" action-heavy plotting. I'm not sure it all makes much sense but who cares when the whole thing is paced like a rocket sled? While most modern, effects filled blockbusters have bloated runtimes that exceed two hours, "The New Empire" runs a comparatively tidy 115 minutes. The movie has so much going on, that it never has time to get boring. Insane ideas right out of a comic book – like anti-gravity generating crystals, Kong having an enormous Power Glove grafted to his hand, or Godzilla morphing into a super strong, super pink new form – are introduced with whiplash inducing frequency. The film simply never stops barreling forward, introducing another dopamine stimulating bit of madness every second. Who can notice any plot holes when you're always cackling with glee? 

And cackle I did. "The New Empire" is even more of a kaiju Royal Rumble than Wingard's previous monster mash. That pro-wrestling comparison isn't just me being colorful. At one point, Godzilla suplexes Kong off the Great Pyramids of Gaza. This is, mind you, after he slayed the crab-beast Scylla with a giant sized Shoryuken earlier in the movie. "Godzilla x Kong" absolutely delights in displaying the fighting prowess and superpowers of his enormous entities. It says a lot about the movie that Kong bludgeoning a fleet of other huge apes with a juvenile giant simian doesn't even rank among the script's most outrageous moments. Finishing moves abound, as Kong literally rips apart numerous giant threats. Skar King whips skyscrapers at our heroes, Shimo freezes half of Rio de Janeiro, and a special kaiju guest star literally flies through the middle of the movie. This is following a zero-G rumble of massive proportions within the Earth's core. It is abundantly clear, every minute of its runtime, that Wingard and his team were having an absolute ball cooking up more and more insane scenarios for these supersized beasts to perform in. "The New Empire" radiates with the joy of a kid slamming his action figures together. 

"Godzilla x Kong's" focus on its monster ensemble beating each other up finally resolves the biggest problem that has repeatedly faced the MonsterVerse projects. The giant beasts are, truly, the stars now. Much of "The New Empire" is a non-verbal, wholly visual epic that tells its story through the body language and facial expressions of its giant beasts. Kong's existential loneliness as the last of his kind is made clear as he travels through the Hollow Earth. His disgust at the Skar King's tyranny is visible on his grunting face. An influence from Hong Kong martial arts cinema is felt, as we learn more about the creatures through their fighting styles. The Skar King's lanky posture, somersaults, and choke holds speak to his duplicitous nature. Kong's mixture of booby traps and brute strength shows his intelligent but direct style of combat. Godzilla, meanwhile, always goes for the direct approach, usually running right into his enemies. "Godzilla x Kong's" commitment to visual storytelling is such that you could probably cut the humans entirely out of this film and still be able to largely follow it. Unlike the frantically edited, overwhelming chaos of the "Transformers" franchise or the increasingly same-y CGI hodgepodges of superhero movies, this film feels almost experimental in its focus on telling as much of its story strictly through its non-speaking giant beasties. "Godzilla" fans have long dreamed of a movie starring the King of the Monsters without any humans in it at all. "The New Empire" comes as about as close to that goal as might be possible. 

However, there are people in the film. Even if 85% of it is made up of CGI monsters throttling each other, this is still technically a live action movie starring flesh-and-blood humans. Being the lowly mortal hero in a "Godzilla" movie has always been a somewhat thankless job and that's never been more clear than it is here. With Kong essentially functioning as the protagonist throughout the film, the human cast go with two distinct approaches. The first is bare minimum effort. Rebecca Hall as Ilene does get an actual character arc, of worrying about Jia and what decision she'll make. However, Hall spends the whole movie in a state of vaguely worried anxiety, never giving the role much energy. When the script reduces her to delivering a heaping ream of exposition about the history of the monsters and their conflict, she sounds audibly bored. The other direction the actors go in is over-the-top hamminess. Dan Stevens plays Trapper as a pseudo philosophical surfer dude type, seeming continuously in awe of everything around him and never getting down about the end-of-the-world stakes. Stevens is definitely having a good time playing such a cartoon character. Brian Tyree Henry is basically the movie's comic relief as Bernie, a ridiculous character who exists to react to everything with oversized fear. It's borderline annoying but Bernie is never the focus of a scene too long, so it's alright. Most of the rest of the cast either get killed by the monsters or literally don't talk. 

So, yes, King Kong is the proper hero of this film. His search for companionship drives the story. He's a giant gorilla Moses, arriving to free his people – or apes rather – from cruel subjugation. Wingard's previous Kaiju brawl openly compared Kong to Mel Gibson in "Lethal Weapon." The action movie star energy continues to resonate here. Kong is as beefy as Arnold was at his peak. He runs and dives behind pyramids like Bruce Willis in "Die Hard." When a haughty henchman gets in his face, he lays the ape out in a way that recalls Seagal. More than any other, Kong resembles Stallone as Rocky or Cobra, an uncompromising murder machine one minute and a weirdly warm average joe the next. He can conquer any foe with brutal strength but also gets his lunch stolen by Doug, the goofball giant lizard. Unstoppable hero but also slovenly everyman/ape, constantly getting the shit kick out of him but always triumphing in the end, the film creates an undeniably lovable hero out of Merion C. Cooper's eighty year old beast. 

This aligns the giant gorilla with a generation of father-like figures to anybody who grew up on eighties pop culture. Kong radiates Dad vibes throughout, even taken a shower in a waterfall to wash off the guts of an enemy at one point. I practically expected him to pop open a giant sized beer after that. All of this is fitting, since "The New Empire" sees the gorilla become an adoptive dad of sorts. Clearly paying homage to "Son of Kong," the sequel introduces a smaller Kong for the king to bond with. Identified in the credits as Suko, the ape is given giant, yearning eyes. His body language suggests a battered kid who is nevertheless eager to show his bravery. That makes Suko a little scrapper, who is introduced trying to shank Kong but quickly becomes attached to the big guy. That fearlessness, an ability to keep going even when everything seems bleak, is a trait that he shares with his adoptive dad. Kong and Suko's growing relationship clearly mirrors Ilene's bond with Jia and completes the gorilla's arc of trying to find others like him. 

Something "The New Empire" is really setting out to do is expand Kong's narrative. For most of his existence, the great ape has been defined by the same story, of being taken from his homeland and dying in a strange city. The MonsterVerse has freed Kong of this narrative. Unlike Godzilla, who has had many adventures and an extensive rogues gallery, Kong hasn't had much to fight outside of some persistent theropods. "The New Empire" gives Kong a supervillain of his own, in the form of the vile Skar King. The character is set up as Kong's intrinsic opposite. He's long and lean, where Kong is stout and buff. Kong's fur is dark black. Skar King is bright red. Kong fights his own battles, whole Skar King calls own Shimo – which he controls through magical torture, it must be noted – whenever he starts to loose a fight. While Kong is content to remain in the Hollow Earth, Skar King wants to expand his empire. The film does a wonderful job of emphasizing just how evil this big monkey is. He chuckles with sadistic glee, points and laughs at his enemies. Everything about how he's animated and acted gives off a deceitful, villainous vibe. Shimo, meanwhile, is like an attack dog, an innocent animal forged into a weapon by cruelty. She joins the Indominus Rex in the league of eerily pale reptilian antagonists but is ultimately redeemable, where the Skar King is a slave-driving villain through and through. 

But what of the other half of the title match-up? This might be more of a Kong vehicle but Godzilla still gets top billing. While Kong clearly has a complicated inner life here, Godzilla is treated much more like a straight-forward force of nature. The giant, radioactive lizard is driven by his desire to remain the Alpha Titan and will literally swim half-way across the world to smack down anyone who dares challenges his authority. This, surprisingly, has the result of making Godzilla a lovable bastard, a pure hater who simply wants nothing more than to pummel his opponents. We see this when he seeks out another Titan – the aquatic Tiamat, who has a cool, ribbon like fin around her neck – simply to steal more of her power. This need to dominate anyone who doesn't submit to him is paired with a very cat-like attitude. After tearing Scylla apart, Godzilla curls up in the Colosseum and takes a nap. He swats at jets like they are mice. He sneers at helicopters in contempt. You can't help but love the guy, no matter how big of an asshole he is. Like a typically selfish cat, this is just Godzilla's nature and all we can do is love him for it, as judging him for it will do nothing. It's a fun take on the character.

We are five films deep into the MonsterVerse. Yet it really wasn't until the last installment that the films started to feel like part of a bigger universe. "The New Empire" digs even deeper into this, in a way that allows for another star kaiju to appear half-way through. The world is really stated to feel fully flesh out now, to the point that crazy sci-fi tech existing or another monster being alluded to are taken for granted. My favorite element of the world-building here is how fantastical the Iwi colony inside the Hollow Earth is. They communicate via telekinesis. They carry spears made of pure crystal. They've harvested the otherworldly environment around them to create miraculous tech, like forcefields or anti-gravity. It feels very alien but is presented in such a matter-of-fact manner. These wacky ideas are introduced, they exist in this world, and we as a viewer just have to go with it. This freewheeling style of sci-fi/fantasy storytelling has always been commonplace in the Japanese "Godzilla" films and I love that the American ones have picked up on it. All of these touches do a lot more to make this shared universe feel like a fully formed, comic book universe of its own than all ten hours of "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" managed. 

As with the last film, "Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire" belongs more to a grander tradition of giant monster movies and Showa sci-fi than to any one director. This is a King Kong and Godzilla movie first, an Adam Wingard film second. However, the director's influence can still be felt. His love of neon, synthwave visuals continue here, this time via the otherworldly portals and lava-heated caverns of the Hollow Earth. Even Godzilla's power-up, his eyes and spines shimmering with hot pink energy, seems influenced by this aesthetic. Wingard is informed here by the monster movies, action flicks, cartoons, toys, comic books, and rock videos he grew up loving. This is especially true of the soundtrack, which is filled out with multiple Dad rock favorites. While you can say most of these choices are copied from James Gunn's playbook – not an altogether unfair accusation – I still can't deny that Kiss or Loverboy kicking up on the soundtrack made me smile. (The needle drops are certainly far more memorable than Tom Holkenborg's score. Which is totally serviceable but is seriously lacking in the powerful, recognizable themes that highlight any good "Godzilla" movie soundtrack.) 

The MonsterVerse has come a long way from the grim realism of Gareth Edward's "Godzilla." The series now embraces a highly entertaining mixture of Showa era absurdity, where just about anything can happen, with the more grounded, manga-like tone of the Heisei films. All with a Hollywood studio mega-budget that allows for spellbinding visuals and a massive sense of scale that grants these cinematic icons the sense of grandeur they deserve while respecting their legacy as camp icons. The comparison to the thoughtful, humane drama of Toho's most recent "Godzilla" film will do the sugar-high chaos of this one no favors. I'm not surprised most of the negative reviews have unfavorably brought up "Godzilla Minus One." Yet there's room in this world for many different approaches to Godzilla and his super-sized pals. "Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire" is an exceedingly loud, chaotic, and goofy motion picture that I found immensely entertaining. [Grade: B+]

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Episode 1.10: Beyond Logic

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Beyond Logic

“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” finally fulfils some of its promises in the final episode. “Beyond Logic” has Lee and May finding Cate, in the company of her grandmother, within the Hollow Earth. Shaw has a tearful reunion with Keiko, who is dismayed to learn that sixty years have passed while she's stayed the same age. She refers to this realm as Axis Mundi, calling it a half-way point between the surface world and the deeper inner Earth. Keiko fashioned a distress signal out of the device that came down with her. With Lee's help, they are able to increase the strength. This catches the attention of Kentaro and Hiroshi on the surface. The quartet find the Project Hourglass shuttle, still in working condition because of the time dilation. Just as they are about to use it to blast out of there, the Ion Dragon attacks. The cavalry comes in the form of the King of the Monsters.

All throughout “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” I've characterized the show as an extended tease for giant monster fans. Every time a Titan appeared on-screen, it rarely did anything truly noteworthy. You know something is amiss when an ice-spewing giant rat-thing has more screen time than Godzilla himself. “Monarch” has continuously done nothing to dissuade this notion. Whenever the Big G did bother to show up, he didn't do a damn thing beside glare at the human characters. In the final episode of the season, “Legacy of Monster” finally gives kaiju fans something to chew on. This is exactly by design, of course. The show gave us just enough monster action to get us to stick around, never actually satisfying us until Apple TV+ producers could be certain we're going to watch all of it. 

I'm extremely reluctant to say it was all worth the wait. However, the kaiju battle in “Beyond Logic” is pretty damn cool. Godzilla's arrival is given the proper amount of respect, the King of the Monsters stomping into Axis Mundi like a pissed-off stepfather. The camera swirl around the massive beasts as the Ion Dragon takes flight. As far as CGI kaiju duels go, this is a good one. We find out that the Ion Dragon even has a projectile weapon, spraying noxious slime into Godzilla's face. The MonsterVerse version of Godzilla is all but unstoppable, as far as strength and superpowers go. It's not a long battle. Yet, as a life long fan of this particular radioactive dinosaur, watching him beat the shit out of an opponent is always a good time.

As entertaining as this monster brawl is, I can't help but feel like it is too little, too late. Even in its final hour, “Monarch” still drags its feet at times. Whenever “Beyond Logic” cuts away from Shaw, Cate, and Keiko in the underground realm, I felt exhausted again. Kentaro and Hiroshi have the heart-to-heart you'd expect from a son confronting a cheating father. It's resolved when Kentaro's mom forgives him. This meeting is, ostensibly, something we've been waiting to see all season. Ideally, this family reunion should be just as hotly anticipated as Godzilla fighting another monster. That is undeniably not true though. Ten hours into this show and Hiroshi is still a character we're more informed about than we actually know. It robs this meeting of any emotional impact. 

Still, at the very least, “Monarch” does live up to its subtitle in this final episode. The multigenerational element comes full circle. Three generation of Randas are reunited. Even if the characters have never been as resonant as the showrunners clearly hoped, Hiroshi finding a mother he assumed was gone forever is still a good moment. John Goodman is even given a little cameo. “Legacy of Monsters” never truly succeeded in making us care about every generation of this family. Yet it's still a cool idea, to show the history of a monster-hunting organization through the clan that molded it. 

“Beyond Logic” ends with another predictable time leap, seemingly bringing the TV show up to date with the events of the MonsterVerse. The final moments include a cameo from another A-list monster, continuing the formula of insuring viewers stay hooked by dangling the possibility of future kaiju appearances in front of us. Simply because it actually delivers on Godzilla dueling it out with another enormous beastie, “Beyond Logic” almost has to rank higher than every other episode of “Monarch.” Any other issue I have with this particular program, I can't give an all-together negative review to any hour that features Godzilla ripping a dragon's wings off. [7/10]

Ultimately though, I came away from “Monarch: Legacy of Monster” extremely frustrated. The show follows every trademark of modern, serialized television that I absolutely despise. Over the course of ten hours, there's maybe sixty or so minutes of shit I actually cared about. Legendary's MosnterVerse films have struggled to make viewers care about its human cast members. Devoting an entire TV show to this only made those weaknesses more apparent. After watching all ten episodes, I still don't entirely know why the show wasted as much time as it did with May's entire subplot. Most frustratingly of all, when “Monarch” was good, it proved that the show didn't need to be as much of a waste of time as it was. It's unknown if Legendary plans on producing more of “Monarch.” I suspect that depends on how many eyeballs it attracted to Apple TV+ and how well “Godzilla x Kong” does at the box office. Truthfully, I sincerely hope another season isn't produced, so I don't have to suffer through so much nonsense just to get a few minutes of Godzilla being cool. At least it was less annoying than “Singular Point,” so that's something, I guess. [Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: 6/10]

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Episode 1.09: Axis Mundi

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Axis Mundi

In its penultimate episode, “Monarch” finally begins to provide some answers. In 2015, Kentaro is pulled out of the remains of the Kazakhstani power plant. He is told that Lee Shaw, Cate, and May all died in the collapse. This is not true. Instead, the trio have been transported to the Hollow Earth, the biosphere within our planet where the Titans dwell. Lee and May navigate the perilous world. He explains that he's been here before. In 1962, after Keiko's disappearance, Shaw was part of a team that attempted to enter the Hollow Earth. The mission would fail and most of the team was killed by a kaiju. Only Shaw survived, making it back to the surface... Twenty years later. It turns out time works differently within the Hollow Earth, which also explains when Cate is rescued by a very unexpected figure.

I suppose this shouldn't be surprising but “Monarch” was obviously saving most of its budget for the back half of the season. “Axis Mundi” features probably the most exciting sequence in the entire show, up to this point. That would be Project Hourglass, the shuttle exploration into the inner Earth led by Shaw. When the portal goes wild and the ship explodes in a blur of color, that's pretty cool. Even better is when Shaw recalls the crew being attacked by the same dragon-like Titan that was spotted in the Philippines. It's a frenziedly edited sequence but an exciting one, that reflects the scrambled mind of the man recollecting it. 

This episode also fills in gaps in the backstory and explains a few inconsistency. The idea that time flows different in the Hollow Earth explains why a ninety year old Lee Shaw is played by a still rather spry 73 year old Kurt Russell. That he was dragged, disoriented, into a version of Monarch he no longer recognized also explains a lot about his distrust of the organization and his desire to change it. These flashbacks also show how Hiroshi, having grown up without his Uncle Lee around, met the woman who would become the mother to his son.

“Axis Mundi” is probably among the better directed episodes of “Monarch” thus far. Andy Goddard, who has a lot of experience directing big budget streaming shows like this, nicely captures the fractured memories and mindset of Lee Shaw after he gets back to the surface. The moment where he takes a nurse hostage, in hopes of finally getting some answers, is very well done. The sense of confusion May and Lee feel upon arriving in the inner Earth is also nicely conveyed. This is a good looking hour of TV, with the shadowy but colorful Hollow Earth being an especially striking sight. 

Granted, the season is almost over and show is still extremely stingy with its giant monsters. The Ion Dragon has what amounts to a cameo in Lee's flashback. A giant boar with some tree branches growing out of its back shows up at the end. However, “Axis Mundi” is actually a solid hour of television. It answers some important questions and fills in a lot of gaps. Unlike the previous episodes, which simply seemed to be filling time, this one actually moves the story forward and keeps us fascinated. Only a single scene, of Kentaro being despondent around his mom, feels unnecessary. If only the rest of the series had been as good as this episode! One more left to go... [7/10]

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Episode 1.08: Birthright

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Birthright

After the events of the previous episode, Cate, Kentaro, and May have been officially recruited into Monarch, at Tom's insistence. They got right to work trying to figure out where Lee Shaw and his splinter group might be headed next. Monarch is fearful that Shaw's plan – of setting off explosions at emergence points – might lead to another G-Day. It's quickly deduced that he is heading towards the abandoned nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, where Keiko disappeared sixty years ago. That is exactly right, those faithful to Monarch as it exist now confronting Shaw and his loyalists. Just as Shaw and Cate have a heart-to-heart, the Endopede re-emerge and the entire building collapses. In 1955, the young Shaw attempts to protect Monarch from a government eager to defund it, Keiko's past comes to light, and Billy begins to formulate a theory that the Titans come from within the Earth.

After seven goddamn episodes, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” reaches the point a decently paced television series would have approached in its second or third installment. Our heroes are finally working for the titular organization. The grandchildren of the founders of Monarch are now part of the same group, hunting Titans around the globe. Instead of getting right to the pursuit and study of kaiju, “Legacy of Monsters” has wasted nearly the entire first season on arranging its various subplots and cast members. This is a great example of what can be called “Surf Dracula” pacing, when a show dedicates so much time to merely setting up the things that we, the viewer, are actually interested in. 

General gripes about the structure of this show – and how TV is written in this day and age – aside, there's another evident flaw with “Monarch.” I feel like this show would have been a lot more exciting if it had come out before “Godzilla Vs. Kong.” This episode is the first time Lee Shaw, or anyone on this show really, have mentioned the Hollow Earth. From the theatrical MonsterVerse films, we already know that this underground alternate universe is where the Titans originate. Moreover, as depicted in “Godzilla Vs. Kong,” we know the competing gravitational fields create portal-like entrances between the surface world and this inner realm. Yet “Monarch” really feels like it's built around this information being a big surprise. I have no idea if the show was intended to debut before that movie, and COVID delays reshuffled the schedule, but it definitely feels that way. 

Then again, that's far from the only testament to how wrong-headed this show's structure is. Much of “Birthright” seems based around the idea that Lee Shaw might be unhinged. That his plans will doom the world, instead of saving it. That's what Verdugo believes. By returning to the power plant where Keiko was swallowed up by a hole in the ground, and the flashbacks further emphasizing his romantic connection to her, the conclusion we are meant to draw is obvious: The loss of Keiko drove Shaw mad and now he's pursuing his goal without concerns for the world's safety. 

However, it's hard to buy this for a number of reason. Namely, because we already know the Hollow Earth is real in this universe. Secondly, because Kurt Russell is awesome and we, the viewer, are just always going to be on his side. Mostly, however, it's because “Monarch” hasn't done a very good job of building up the connection between Shaw and Keiko in the flashbacks. Honestly, it's only been in the last two episodes that this idea has been floated at all. Before that point, their relationship seemed entirely platonic. Especially since we already know she ends up marrying and raising a child with Bill Randa. A reveal in this episode, concerning Hiroshi's origins, suggest that Keiko and Bill's relationship may have been more practical in nature than this implies... Yet the fact of the matter is we're not invested enough in whatever romantic bond between these two existed to believe that her loss would be enough to push Lee Shaw to this point.

Again, if all of this was happening in the early part of “Monarch's” season, instead of two installments away from the end, there would be a lot more potential here. “Birthright” continues “Legacy of Monsters'” habit of ending episodes with some kaiju action, sticking all the special effects mayhem into the final seconds to insure we come back for the next part. After Cate and Shaw have their heart-to-heart in Kazakhstan, an enormous Hercules Beetle-like monster called an Endopede appears. And then the credits roll. It's a cool sequence. If “Monarch” was pulling this shit early on, it would probably be an acceptable teaser. Knowing this is just what the show is like kind of sullies the entire enterprise. Still, at least “Birthright” signals the show reaching a point where it might actually have some forward momentum now. [6/10]

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Episode 1.07: Will the Real May Please Stand Up?

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Will the Real May Please Stand Up? 

After having Godzilla march on-screen at the climax of the previous episode, "Monarch" gets right back to spinning its wheels in service of a tedious plot. Tim – the Monarch agent who has been chasing Cate, Kentaro, and May – survives his encounter with Godzilla. He confronts the Randa siblings at the Algerian airport and makes a truce with them. May, meanwhile, is abducted by AET, the cybernetics corporation she's been on the run from the whole time. She's given a deal by her former boss, just as her friends arrive to rescue her. Meanwhile, Lee Shaw performs a coup at Monarch, grabbing the resources necessary to take the fight right to the Titans. 

At this point in the narrative, "Monarch" has become a show about a three-way battle between two factions within a secret government organization and a nefarious tech company. Because that's what I want to see when I'm watching a series about giant monsters. I know I keep belaboring this point but I really can't get over what an obnoxious bait-and-switch "Legacy of Monsters" has become. Shaw and his allies are trying to take back control from what he sees as Monarch's ineffectual leadership. Tim is trying to get Director Verdugo to push the organization into a more public role. Meanwhile, AET wants to sneak into Monarch and undermine its plans. Who are AET, a third organization that hasn't been introduced until this episode? The final seconds reveal what any viewer already would've guessed: They are Apex Cybernetics, the evil company that built MechaGodzilla in "Godzilla Vs. Kong." 

At least this reveal connects back in a loose way to the MonsterVerse movies I'm ostensibly invested in. However, I still can't get over how ass-backwards "Monarch's" story construction has been. In service of a mystery box style structure, constantly teasing out a past or backstory to keep people glued to Apple+, this series has done something as asinine as introducing its primary antagonists seven episodes into a ten episode season. Perhaps letting us know this information right from the beginning might have allowed a viewer to actually be more invested in this winding, convoluted narrative. At this point, I can't say I even care that much about Lee Shaw and his attempts to wrestle back control of the organization he created. Sincerely, who gives a shit about this? Why am I watching this fucking thing? 

If I actually cared about the characters, maybe "Monarch's" discombobulated web of double-crosses and corporate espionage might be involving. Unfortunately, this is not the case. After telling May to go fuck herself at the end of the last episode, Cate is now searching tirelessly for her. By the end of the episode, the show is even teasing a potential romantic attraction between them. Some consistency about who these people are and what they want sure would be nice! This tangled dynamic is so boring that even Kentaro, a character in this program, seems fed-up with it. You know something has gone wrong with a TV show when the reveal that one of the characters actually isn't dead – Tim in this case – actually disappoints you. 

None of this is even the main point of this episode. As you probably guessed from the title, "Will the Real May Please Stand Up?" is focused on the subplot I've been most vocal about hating. We finally find out who Kiercy Clemmons' May is running from and what her double identity backstory is all about. At the very least, this grounds the character some what. Seeing her interact with her family gives her some actual personality. So does the way she flees AET upon discovering they are doing bizarre, unethical experiments with animals. However, the continued suggestion that she may be screwing over her friends again, this time by becoming a double agent for Apex within Monarch, really makes me wonder if any of this backstory matters. Does May have ethics or not? Is she loyal to her friends or only out to save her own ass? We have contradicting evidence for either conclusion. 

Inconsistencies like this really beg the most important question of all: Wasn't this show supposed to be about Godzilla? Yes, after the Big G's re-emergence last episode, he doesn't even appear here. He's mentioned in dialogue repeatedly, as if the writers are desperately trying to reassure viewers to keep watching, but is a no show. What a way to deflate any forward-momentum or tension this show might've had! There's a giant, city wrecking monster wandering around Algeria and this show pauses for an hour to do a bunch of other bullshit. Even Lee Shaw seems unconcerned about Godzilla. The obligatory, single kaiju related scene in this episode has him going after the Frost Vark in Alaska. And, sure, that's a decent sequence that ends with a big explosion, an elaborate light show, and a cheering Kurt Russell. 

Yet I can't help but feel like this is just another pitstop on the way towards whatever greater destination "Monarch's" creative staff is envisioning. In other words: By following the demands of modern serialized storytelling in television, "Monarch" has become yet another show designed to continuously frustrate and tease the viewer, always promising more but never actually delivering while filling time with a bunch of bullshit nobody cares about. [4/10]

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Episode 1.06: Terrifying Miracles

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Terrifying Miracles

In “Terrifying Miracles,” “Monarch” spreads its subplots all over the place before focusing back on the important stuff. In 1955, Keiko and Bill Manda head to Japan, where a scientist has invite a gamma ray simulator that can communicate – or attract – Titans. Lee Shaw follows them, only to discover that Godzilla is very much still alive. In 2015, Rogue Monarch agent Michelle – apparently the sister of Juliette Binoche's character from 2014's “Godzilla” – frees Lee Shaw. They track down Cate, Kentaro, and May in San Francisco before getting back on the trail of Hiroshi Manda. They find him in Algeria, where he's working with a gamma ray simulator. Monarch is close on the group's tails though, after May began informing to them last episode. They arrive in Africa just as the King of the Monsters reawakens. 

The previous “Godzilla” TV show, the anime “Godzilla Singular Point,” was one of the most dispiriting watches in my recent memory. That program frequently sidelined the giant monsters everyone watching wanted to see in favor of some of the most impenetrable technobabble I've ever had the displeasure of sitting through. “Monarch,” in spite of all its flaws, hasn't sunk quite that low... However, there's a moment in “Terrifying Miracles” that started to give me “Singular Point” flashbacks. The Monarch agents find Hiroshi's apartment and start to reason out the map Kentaro and Cate discovered last episode. This leads to a lengthy conversation about satellites and gamma rays. Thankfully, the episode stopped just before my eyes completely glazed over. Yet the fact that the writers felt any of this shit was relevant to explain really exposes the weaknesses of this show.

Even if “Monarch” doesn't get quite that ponderous about justifying its sci-fi bullshit, the show still has far too many subplots. The first half of “Terrifying Miracles” is about getting everyone in place so that, ya know, the story can actually begin progressing. After five episodes of chasing shadows, Hiroshi and his kids actually get a good look at each other. This occurs at the same time Godzilla pulls himself from the Earth, just in time to clip through the antagonistic Monarch agents chasing the good guys. The fact that Cate and Kentaro are immediately separated from their dad minutes after finding him again is incredibly annoying... Yet “Monarch” is still actually moving forward in a meaningful way, instead of yanking on all of our metaphorical dicks.

Unavoidably, the facts of the matter remain that the fifties set scenes about Monarch's origins are way more interesting than the 2015 plot. This episode shows that there's some romantic tension between Keiko and Lee. I'm not all that invested in that, though Wyatt Russell and Mari Yamamoto's chemistry did sort of suggest it already. Either way, the storyline actively devoted to pursuing monsters is what the entire show should've been about. Most importantly, the MonsterVerse series continue to show the right mixture of awe and terror whenever Godzilla is on-screen. Even if he, once again, doesn't actually do much in this episode, just his appearance is made into an event. There's also a cute shout-out to the Showa era “Godzilla” films during this flashback. 

Being the kind of show it is, the minute “Legacy of Monsters” starts to get good, it immediately goes right back to focusing on the shit nobody cares about. The final minutes of the episode is devoted to petty squabbling among the heroes. May's dishonesty is brought up, that character continuing to be a festering tumor on this show. Hopefully, now that Godzilla is awake and active again, and the Randa kids have located their dad, “Monarch” can finally turn into a worthwhile show. Instead of devoting itself to one tease after another. [6/10]

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Episode 1.05: The Way Out

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: The Way Out

After being rescued from the Alaskan tundra, Cate, Kentaro, May, and Lee are delivered right to Monarch. While Shaw is held captive by the agency, Cate, Kentaro and May are freed. The trio is given a flight back to San Francisco. There, Cate meets up again with her mother, Caroline. Still determined to locate their missing father, Cate and Kentaro sneak into the area of the city still left in ruins by Godzilla and the M.U.T.O.'s battle the year before. This brings back painful memories of what Cate lived through during Godzilla's march through the city, how she lost the woman she loved and the students entrusted to her care. 

“Legacy of Monsters” favoring a hit-the-ground-running style of pacing means we are five episodes into the series and just know learning anything about Cate's actual backstory. We discover that she was a school teacher and was about to move in with a woman named Dani before G-Day. And, apparently, she was not faithful to her during the relationship either. This suggest why Cate carries so much guilt around. She blames herself for the kids who died under her watch, the latest in a long line of personal failures she can't forgive herself for. As much as she blames her father for abandoning her and her mom, Cate feels like she is no better. Boy, I bet we would've been a little more invested in everything this character had done up to this point had we actually known some of this information beforehand!

By the way, Cate's flashbacks to the events of 2014's “Godzilla” are the only giant monster action in this whole episode. Instead, the focus turns towards some decent world-building. While at the airport, May comments on an advertisement for luxury, kaiju-proof bunkers. The military has quarantined off the destroyed parts of the city, supposedly to discourage looting. (Though one assumes there's a deeper reason for this.) All of this shows the consequences of humans sharing the world with giant monsters now. While the Legendary films have focused mostly on the Titan-on-Titan combat, one of the benefits of a TV show is the chance to give us a more ground-level perspective on these events. Of course entire cities would be ruined in the wake of a kaiju grudge match. Obviously, capitalism would have purely mercenary response to these events. 

While “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” is clearly trying to build up its world and cast, I'm still having trouble caring all that much. Revealing that Cate cheated on her girlfriend does not make her the most likable person. Meanwhile, the show is especially struggling to make May an interesting character. We discover here that she has some sort of double identity and secrets of her own. This kind of writing – that teases viewers along with the promise of eventually revealing something relevant – is exactly what I hate about most modern genre television. It doesn't help that Kiersey Clemons is so clearly checked out by this point. She seems practically asleep in more than a few scenes. Which is really problem when the episode's emotional center revolves around her calming Cate during a PTSD flashback.

Ultimately, “The Way Out” is not one of those episodes that prove all that satisfying on their own. Instead, this is an hour devoted largely to setting up future plot points. Shaw hints at further secrets unknown even to the top officials at Monarch. There's more foreshadowing that some sort of catastrophic event, presumably another Titan emerging, is forthcoming. The heroes are still on the trail of their missing dad. Episodes like this, in-between points on the way to more exciting events, are a big problem when you plot your TV show like a ten hour long movie, instead of engineering each episode to stand on its own. Thus are the perils of modern, serialized television. [5/10]