No reasonable film critic would call Godzilla: King of the Monsters a good movie. The movie is a sequel to the 2014 reboot Godzilla and the latest entry in a franchise spanning 35 movies and 64 years. Despite having amazing actors, the dialogue is lifeless and cliched. The movie’s environmental theme is one that has been done before and handled much better by other movies. Since all the monster’s featured in the movie are existing monsters from the Godzilla franchise it’s hard to find a single original idea. With these factors alone most movies would be an immediate skip for most people, but with a franchise so storied taking a deeper look may be warranted.

65 Years of History on Display

Godzilla as a movie franchise has never been known for high-quality movies. The majority of Godzilla’s cinematic legacy comes from their use of practical effects, suitimation, and puppeteering. It continued this legacy well into the 90s when many movies switched to complete CGI models. These movies have always been about watching giant monsters fight and not much more. People fell in love with these monsters and the more popular ones became cultural icons in Japan and around the world. This is where King of the Monsters truly shines. It reintroduces three classic monsters from the 50s to fight alongside and against Godzilla. They are faithfully recreated and are joined by remixes of their original theme music. These elements make the fight scenes a true spectacle that is great for all audiences.

Long Live the King

King of the Monsters feels like a recreation of the older 90s iteration of Godzilla movies. While the 2014 movie played it safe and slow, this movie goes all out on the action. For longtime fans of the series, this is a dream come true. Some scenes feel like updated versions of exact scenes from older movies down to the music. There are also multiple easter eggs and references to the old movies that fans will appreciate. This makes the movie feel like a film made by Godzilla fans or Godzilla fans. It does nothing to try and improve the formula but embraces the madness to the fullest. King of the Monsters may not be a cinematic masterpiece, but it excels as a Godzilla movie. If you are interested in the history of a nearly 65-year-old franchise this movie is a good starting point and an amazing spectacle for those looking for good action. If you expect much more, you will be disappointed. With the sequel Godzilla vs Kong coming next year, this movie shows that the King is alive and well.