By Lindsey Bahr, AP Film Reporter
It's been a bit since moviegoers had the chance to catch up with Godzilla, five years in fact, which in cinematic franchise time feels like at least a few decades. In other words, it's understandable if you go into "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" a little rusty on just what went down in Tokyo and San Francisco back in 2014.
But "Godzilla: King of the Monsters " is a sequel in the loosest possible sense that requires minimal recall from the audience, which is likely a good thing for those whose brains have been overloaded with "Game of Thrones," ''Avengers" and "Star Wars" minutiae and mythology. Worry not, Godzilla is here to provide some old-fashioned summer spectacle, no CliffsNotes required.
It's a low bar, sure, but at least Godzilla is comfortable with its place in the blockbuster ecosystem.
The filmmakers have even helpfully shifted the focus to another family entirely for this installment, from the inert Brodys (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen) to the Russells, a now-broken family of scientists who lived in San Francisco during the 2014 attack. There are a few holdovers though, mostly employees of Monarch, the secret multinational organization that studies the titans, like Dr. Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Dr. Graham (Sally Hawkins), who are being accused of hiding Godzilla from world governments who'd rather just destroy them all.
As far as the newcomers go, Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) also works for Monarch and has developed a machine called the Orca, which simulates the sounds of the various titans. She believes this can be used to help manage them. Emma lives with her 14-year-old daughter, Madison ("Stranger Things'" Millie Bobby Brown in her first major film role), who is precociously enchanted by her mother's work and admires the primordial creatures.
Madison's father Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler, whose intensity is at level 10 for most of the movie) is not really in the picture, having left after the San Francisco incident, but is drawn back in when Emma and Madison (and the Orca) are kidnapped by some militant eco-terrorists led by Jonah Alan (Charles Dance).
This group wants to use the titans, of which there are now "17 and counting" including a pretty dazzling Mothra and a less-enchanting three-headed "Monster Zero," to help reset the planet and reverse climate change and overpopulation. There's some convenient explanation of why the radiation from the titans actually helps revitalize vegetation, which, like many of the silly plot devices in this movie, you kind of just let slide. That said, anyone currently watching "Chernobyl" on HBO will likely be very stressed out about the amount of radiation all the humans are likely absorbing just by being in proximity to all these creatures.
Michael Dougherty has taken the directing reins this time, from Gareth Edwards, and has done a fine job capturing the grandness of the titans, keeping the action coherent and balancing the human element thanks to a terrific cast that also includes O'Shea Jackson Jr. and Thomas Middleditch. His script is also pleasingly light and often funny, although Bradley
Whitford's Dr. Stanton goes a little overboard trying to be the comic relief.
But even that is easy to give a pass to. "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" is turn-your-brain-off summer fun, and doesn't need to be anything more than that.
"Godzilla: King of the Monsters," a Warner Bros. release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for "sequences of monster action violence and destruction, and for some language." Running time: 131 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More