In the sequel to 2014’s Godzilla, writer/director Michael Dougherty pits the giant reptile against the three-headed, winged monster Ghidorah who wants to recreate the world in his image. With a cast including Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Charles Dance, Ken Watanabe, and Aisha Hinds, the film is loaded with talent – but the ultimate payoff is lacking.
After the excellence of Kong: Skull Island, I had high hopes for this monster feature. But I suppose we’ll have to wait for Godzilla vs. Kong (2020) with Brown and Chandler attached to help out with the crossover. One of the problems with Godzilla films remains true across all iterations for me: it’s hard to connect with a non-verbal lizard, while a non-verbal primate somehow still provides us with the ability to see Kong sympathetically.
There are certainly moments where this looks solid – and the tension gets ratcheted up. Farmiga’s “scientist” has some crazy Bond villain in her, even though we’re supposed to feel somewhat bad for her – another blend of reinvent the world by destroying it nonsense. That’s almost religious in nature – and a bit terrifying in its own way – but that’s not how I read or understand any Biblical insight on the end of the world.
The value here seems to be in tying in Skull Island to Godzilla v. King if you’re so inclined.
Featurettes here take audiences behind the scenes to the worlds of the monsters (like Mothra) and the overall monster vibe (“World of the Monsters”), plus deleted scenes and commentary.
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