In Spain, Godzilla and Kong are of interest. The action film has been at number one at the box office for two weeks and, so far, has grossed around 5 million euros. But what there are possibly many viewers who do not know is that, if they want monsters from this fictional universe, they have a television series set in this fictional universe and where, by the way, Godzilla himself appears. We are referring to Monarch: Legacy of the Monsters on Apple TV.
Its plot is linked to the movies. It begins in 2015, a year after Godzilla's appearance in San Francisco, when the monster left a part of the city uninhabitable. Cate (Anna Sawai), who survived the catastrophe, is obsessed with finding her father Hiroshi (Takehiro Hira), who disappeared the day of the attack. And, following her trail, she ends up in Japan where she meets Kentaro (Ren Watanabe), her brother that she didn't even know she had, due to her father's double life.
While investigating, however, they come across Monarch, a secret intelligence organization dedicated to investigating the Titans. In parallel, the series also places the viewer in the past, in the 1950s. There, a scientist named Keiko (Mari Yamamoto) works with a colleague, Bill (Anders Holm), and an American soldier, Lee Shaw (Wyatt). Russell), in the investigation of these giant beings, in what are the beginnings of Monarch.
On a plot level, therefore, the connections are palpable between Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla vs Kong, Godzilla and Kong: A New Empire and this Monarch: Legacy of the Monsters. Some characters are even repeated: Bill Randa, the character played by Anders Holm, is the same scientist played by John Goodman in the veteran version of him in the movie Skull Island.
It must be said that, in terms of quality, the series that Apple TV premiered last November has lights and shadows. The first episodes put on the table a philosophy of entertainment and spectacle in line with what is offered in movie theaters: while the characters are introduced, they make sure to produce monster scenes with careful visual effects. Watching Monarch means discovering new creatures and, of course, reconnecting with Godzilla from time to time.
But, after a few effective first episodes, the viewer must be willing to lose this spectacular mentality: the characters become stuck in their evolution, the plot does not go beyond functional and the steam is lost in the action scenes, which are more scarce and economical for control the budget. Luckily, some characters are saved, especially Keiko, in a romantic triangle and challenging the conventions of a patriarchal society until reaching an ending that helps to better understand the titanic fictional universe.
Furthermore, it is not a miniseries. Taking advantage of the vein of Godzilla and Kong movies in theaters, Apple TV does not want to miss the franchise and has given the green light to a second season, in addition to having committed to the production of new spin-offs with creative fringes that can be recycled Of the movies. Wow, if anyone wants more monsters after Godzilla and Kong, here are two mugs.
