CERT: 12A | DIRECTOR: MICHAEL DOUGHERTY | SCREENPLAY: MICHAEL DOUGHERTY, ZACH SHIELDS | STARRING: MILLIE BOBBY BROWN, VERA FARMIGA, KYLE CHANDLER, KEN WATANABE, SALLY HAWKINS, O’SHEA JACKSON JR | RELEASE DATE: DIGITAL DOWNLOAD OUT NOW, BLU-RAY/DVD AVAILABLE OCTOBER 14TH
The One Born of Fire, The One from the Stars, The Queen and King of the Monsters – Everyone is here for the next instalment of Warner Bros and Legendary’s Monsterverse!
Godzilla: King of the Monsters, directed by life-long Godzilla fan Michael Dougherty, is a true return to form for the world-famous Kaiju and puts a lot of the problems with previous western attempts firmly in the rear-view mirror.
The story is set five years after the events of Gareth Edwards’ 2014 film Godzilla and follows the Russell family as they strive to rekindle broken relationships after a traumatic loss of a family member during the battle of San Francisco in the prior film. Mother Emma (Vera Farmiga), Father Mark (Kyle Chandler) and daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown) have drifted apart in the following years but all have a connection to Monarch; the organisation at the heart of the Monsterverse. When eco-terrorist Jonah Alan (Charles Dance) wants to use Emma’s device known as the Orca, which can control the Titans, he ends up kidnapping Madison and her mother thrusting them and the rest of the world into a battle for survival as Titans are unleashed across the world with Godzilla and the one who is many, King Ghidorah vying for the title of KING OF THE MONSTERS.
The beauty of this instalment over previous incarnations is witnessing four fan favourite kaiju in Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Mothra and Rodan in their most stunning, terrifying and badass forms ever seen. Couple that will compelling human drama that doesn’t feel forced or unwelcome and you have a perfect balance and a damn entertaining giant monster movie. The special effects are simply breath-taking and keep you firmly locked into the action. Bear McCreary’s incredible score which uses a pitch-perfect blend of new and old themes alike, including the famous work of Akira Ifukabe, is truly the icing on the cake.
Dougherty’s knowledge and dedication to the project shine through in every scene and cements the fact that this is a film by a fan for the fans. Throughout the film there are countless Easter Eggs and references to not only the rest of the Monsterverse but classic Godzilla lore as well – from names to a collection of bones, it warrants multiple repeat viewings to spot each one.
With Godzilla vs Kong hitting cinemas next year, the future is most certainly looking very bright for the Monsterverse and long may it continue.
Special Features:
There are a plethora of extremely interesting and rewarding special features on the Blu-Ray release for Godzilla: King of the Monsters. For starters, the Commentary track which stars Director Michael Dougherty, Writer Zach Shields and actor O’Shea Jackson Jr is such a fun experience with Dougherty himself especially just gushing over how much this film means to him as a fan and a filmmaker.
Also featured are plenty of behind-the-scenes looks at the filmmaking process, interviews with the cast and crew and some deleted scenes too. A perfect disc to add to your collection if you are a kaiju fan!
- MONSTERS 101 [5:43] – A look at the four main Kaiju that feature in the film
- EVOLUTION OF THE TITANS [27:24] – A four-part in-depth look at creating each of the four main monsters including their character design and ability choices
- MONARCH IN ACTION [32:56] – An in-depth feature looking at the Monarch bases across the world and the key scenes where Monarch featured the most
- MILLIE BOBBY BROWN: FORCE OF NATURE [4:07] – A behind-the-scenes look at the movie’s human star, Millie Bobby Brown who plays Madison Russell and the energy and commitment that she brought to the role
- MONSTER TECH: MONARCH JOINS THE FIGHT [8:34] – A look at the technology that Monarch has developed since the 2014 film
- MONSTERS ARE REAL [14:18] – Authors, Historians and Filmmakers look back at the history of monster stories in literature and other mediums
- WELCOME TO THE MONSTERVERSE [3:42] – A quick look at Legendary’s Monsterverse including Monarch and the KAiju that feature in the films and a build-up to 2020’s Godzilla vs Kong
- DELETED SCENES [5:01] – A selection of deleted and extended scenes that did not make the final cut of the movie
- THEATRICAL TRAILERS [ 12:08] – A handful of the theatrical trailers used to advertise the film
- FULL FEATURE LENGTH COMMENTARY – Director Michael Dougherty, Writer Zach Shields and Actor O’Shea Jackson Jr talk through the entire film and give audiences a look behind the curtain throughout certain moments and the reasoning behind various creative choices
