One of the most notable monsters in cinema is Godzilla, with a close second being King Kong. With the oversaturation of Godzilla content, this is by far the best I’ve ever seen.
Unlike most, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters was able to span a story across a 10-episode season, killing the idea that a Gozilla narrative had to be told through film. What makes this series so amazing is that Godzilla is the centerpiece of the story, but isn’t the entire story. The series focuses on Monarch, a company that’s been tracking Godzilla and other monsters for, as far as we know, decades.
The story begins in San Francisco. The bustling cityscape gets decimated while Godzilla is engaged in battle. The destruction brings death and separation, leaving residents looking for friends, family, and answers. Two siblings end up joining forces to uncover their family’s secret connection and how they’re linked to the secretive organization Monarch. A host of clues lead them down a rabbit hole of monsters, government secrets, and coverups galore.
The day that Godzilla destroyed San Francisco is referred to as “G Day” and is held in the same regard as a fictitious 9/11. You won’t learn about the greater details of G Day until later in the season, but trust me, it’s worth the wait. The series does a lot of back-and-forth between the past and the present, piecing together long memories and short recollections of events. Some scenes are just set in the past to give further background on what the present-day characters are experiencing and why. Every episode is important and adds a missing piece to the puzzle you’ll ultimately want to see solved. With that said, (because no project is perfect) the vast majority of the series is epic. Yes, there are slower parts of the middle episodes where the dialogue tends to overextend itself and there will be times when you want to see more: more monsters, more action, and more Godzilla.
Legendary Entertainment’s Monsterverse is an epic entertainment universe of interconnected stories that bring together pop culture’s most titanic forces of nature. Beginning in 2014 with Godzilla and continuing with 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. With the addition of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Legendary’s Monsterverse is paving an exciting path leading up to their next blockbuster, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
The battle scenes, the carnage, and the destruction are absolutely epic. The look and feel of the monsters are equally captivating as they are mysterious. Part of the draw of the show is that you’ll get smacked with this gruesome image of Godzilla coupled with destruction and then poof, there’s a story. You’re sent shockwaves by the sight of a snippet of G Day and then left wanting more, salivating at every chance to get a glimpse of either Godzilla or one of the Titans. With every buzz of that monster alarm (a citywide siren to alert citizens of an imminent Titan attack), you’re left hoping you can catch a glimpse of just one of them.
The epic series features an equally epic cast including Kurt Russell, Anna Sawai, Wyatt Russell, Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons, Anders Holm, Christopher Heyerdahl, Qyoko Kudo, and Yari Yamamoto.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters gets a 9.5 out of 10. The first two episodes will be available tomorrow, Nov. 17, on Apple TV+. Audiences will love Kurt and Wyatt Russell and their performances won’t disappoint. There’s choice language and a good helping of destruction, but aside from that, it’s definitely worth a binge that even non-Godzilla fans will find necessary.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Apple TV+
[…] and parts of the backstory, a good place to start (outside of the movies) is Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The series acts as a prequel to films such as Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. […]