In the wake of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s overwhelming success, it seemed like every studio put in their best efforts to create a connected franchise featuring some of their most well-known properties. Most of these proposed cinematic universes failed before they began; it took twoGhostbustersreboots to get the franchise right,Guy Ritchie’sKing Arthur: Legend of the Swordfailed to inspire a new wave of Arthurian storytelling, and Universal’s ambitious “Dark Universe” franchise hilariously failed to take off after 2017’sThe Mummybecame such an infamous disaster. However, New Line Cinema ultimately found a way to attract audiences to a cinematic universe with the so-called “MonsterVerse,” a series that tied together iconic characters like King Kong and Godzilla.
What’s unique about the absurdly named MonsterVerse is how the series has been able to retain the artistic integrity of its filmmakers. While both the Marvel and DC films have been criticized for forcing filmmakers to tease upcoming projects in ways that are counterintuitive to the narrative flow, each entry in the MonsterVerse is unique to its director. However, their inherent nature - giant monsters fighting each other - allows for an overt goofiness that makes them instant guilty pleasures. Every movie in the MonsterVerse is silly; how can they not be? However, some are sillier than others, whether because of their overt tongue-in-cheek approach, over-the-top action, or willingness to laugh at themselves.
4’Godzilla' (2014)
Director: Gareth Edwards
Gareth Edwardscertainly likes his science fiction movies dark and dour; before making a grittyStar Warsmovie with 2016’sRogue One: A Star Wars Story, Edwards crafted a totally somberGodzillafilm. Edwards attempted to use theJawsformula of only barely showing the creature until the final set piece, but in practicality, hiding a shark in the water is a lot easier than hiding a giant kaiju in the middle of a city.
Moreover,Godzillahas a massive human character problem. The film’s best character,Bryan Cranston’s Joie Brody, is killed off within the first act., and none of the remaining players feel like a real, three-dimensional person. Somber and a tad self-important,2014’sGodzillafeels like a betrayal of the inherent silliness that is so intrinsic to theGodzillafranchise. Comedy isn’t necessary, but some humor might’ve gone a long way to make this film more memorable.
The world is beset by the appearance of monstrous creatures, but one of them may be the only one who can save humanity.
Rent on Amazon Prime
3’Godzilla: King of the Monsters' (2019)
Director: Michael Dougherty
The sequel to Edward’s darkerGodzillafilm went in a completely different direction. While the 2014 film was guilty of being far too serious in its approach to such an inherently silly series,Godzilla: King of the Monstersheightens the absurdity to an almost unimaginable degree. The film introduces several new major players, most notablyMillie Bobbie Brown’s Maddison Russell, and features Godzilla fighting multiple monsters, including Rodan and King Ghidorah.
KrampusdirectorMichael Doughertyavoids Edward’s issue of not showing the titular character altogether. In fact, there are so many brawls between Godzilla and the other kaiju monsters that it actually gets a little dull after a while. Unfortunately, the human characters aren’t any better; a side storyline featuringCharles Dance’s human antagonist, Alan Jonah, feels completely unnecessary in a film that really only needed its monster characters. The kaiju action is considerable, and the film opts for a more relaxed tone; still,Godzilla: King of the Monstersisn’t as silly as it could/should be, but at least it’s not as gloomy as its predecessor.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
The crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.
Watch on Netflix
2’Kong: Skull Island' (2017)
Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
The Kings of SummerdirectorJordan Vogt-Robertsdidn’t have to worry about trying to fit his King Kongreboot within the chronology of the other MonsterVerse films.Kong: Skull Islandexplores the 1970s and follows a group of Vietnam War-era Americans who stumble upon the resting sight of the infamous ape. Compared to the other entries in the MonsterVerse,Kong: Skull Islandfeels unique, with Vogt-Roberts using shocking body horror elements that evoke comparisons toSam Raimi’s work on theEvil Deadfilms. It was also distinct about Kong himself; whilePeter Jackson’s 2005 remake followed the same exact story as both the 1976 and 1933 films,Kong: Skull Islandnever brings the character to New York City.
Kong: Skull Islandalso deals with the morality behind bringing a giant ape into the public consciousness. However, despite its emphasis on fleshing out Kong as a character rather than a killing machine,Kong: Skull Islandnever feels the need to deny its nature. The film is silly, embracing the ludicrous plot and delivering plenty of thrills accompanied by a heavy dose of tongue-in-cheek humor. It also features an utterly hilarious comedic performance byJohn C. Reillyas Hank Marlow, an American soldier stranded on Skull Island since the 1940s.Kong: Skull Islandis silly in all the right ways; it understands it’s a monster movie and takes pride in the fact, resulting in a deliriously entertaining adventure that does justice to the famous ape.
Kong: Skull Island
After the Vietnam war, a team of scientists explores an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong and must fight to escape a primal Eden.
1’Godzilla vs. Kong' (2021)
Director: Adam Wingard
WhileKong: Skull Islandfeatures some of the most stylistically original filmmaking in the MonsterVerse, 2021’sGodzilla vs. Kongfeatures the saga’s most rewarding monster brawls. Fans looking to the series for nothing more than giant monsters clobbering each other were unlikely to be disappointed. The film actually finds a somewhat compelling reason for Kong and Godzilla to come out of hiding to start trading blows with each other, even if the “why” is must less important than the “how.”
Godzilla vs. Kongavoids getting repetitive by creatively incorporating other characters from the larger “kaiju” universe at different points throughout the adventure. The return of characters fromGodzilla: King of the Monstersallows the series to finally ground itself in some emotion and gives the viewer people to care about when endless cities come crashing down. Still, the human characters are secondary to the action becauseGodzilla vs. Kongis all about the radioactive lizard and the giant ape, and itdelivers. They punch each other! They destroy buildings! Kink Kong wieldsan axe. It’s all so brilliant and ridiculous, and fans wouldn’t want it any other way. To the delight of millions,Godzilla vs. Kongwill have a sequel, meaning there’s more kaiju silliness on the way.
Godzilla vs. Kong
The epic next chapter in the cinematic Monsterverse pits two of the greatest icons in motion picture history against each other–the fearsome Godzilla and the mighty Kong–with humanity caught in the balance.
