Godzilla: King of the Monsters is part of production company Legendary’s MonsterVerse, which also includes Kong: Skull Island (2017). The movie itself is set after a fight between the radiation-powered, monstrous reptile Godzilla and enormous creatures named MUTOs that heavily damaged San Francisco.

Scientist Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) and her daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown) are among the survivors of the fight, though she lost her son in it. While working for Monarch, an organization that monitors and conducts research about the monsters, Emma creates Orca, a machine that enables her to communicate with them. But when she tries to test the machine on a giant cocoon, she and Madison are captured and taken as hostages by former military member Jonah Alan (Charles Dance).

Following the incident, Monarch scientists Dr. Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Dr. Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins) ask Emma’s ex-husband and scientist Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) to help them find Emma and Madison. However, they have other urgent problems as apparently Orca has awakened other giants in different countries, which include the three-headed monster Ghidorah and the Pteranodon-like giant Rodan.

Amid severe damages caused by the giants, Godzilla is considered as Earth's potential savior.

Read also: Japan actor who played original Godzilla dies at 88

Scenes about the monsters make up a large portion of the sequel. Their entrances are designed to be dramatic: In one scene, Rodan rises from a volcano in Mexico; in another, Mothra, formerly the giant cocoon, spreads her wings inside a waterfall. The main character, Godzilla, seems to be bulkier compared to its appearances in the first movie.

The battle scenes between Godzilla and the other monsters are made to be intense and emotional thanks to the film’s background music. During a press screening in Jakarta, a number of people gave a round of applause for a scene in which Godzilla shows up to battle.

However, despite its runtime of more than two hours, the film fails to explore the human characters, particularly their motivations, and there is little robust dialogue. Jonah Alan, for instance, does not significantly effect the plot and several other characters do little but to provide on-the-nose dialogue.

According to Collider, those wanting to watch the crossover film between Godzilla and enormous ape Kong from Kong: Skull Island will have the chance to do so when the film hits cinemas on March 13, 2020. (kes)

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