REVIEW: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Starts Off Hot, But Gets Derailed Halfway Through
Legendary Entertainment’s Monsterverse continues in AppleTV+’s new series, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The 10-episode series follows the events of the 2014 movie, Godzilla. After Godzilla and the Titans destroyed San Franciso, the audience is introduced to, Cate Randa (Anna Sawai) and Kentaro Randa (Ren Watabe), a pair with more in common than they think, who are trying to figure out their family’s connection to the secret monster agency, Monarch. As the two begin their journey, they come face to face with the man who may hold all the answers to their questions, Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell). But all is not as it seems, and the siblings must decide who to trust if they plan to figure out how their family plays a part in this Monsterverse.
The first thing to note about this series is how visually stunning it is. From the locations to the monsters, VFX Supervisor, Sean Konrad, has created a series that actually feels real. Each monster, whether it is good ole Godzilla or a new Titan, is extremely detailed and well thought out. Viewers will be able to appreciate the time and effort that went into each of these creations, especially when the fight scenes come along. For those who tune into the Monsterverse for the monsters alone, you will not be disappointed.
The second thing to note is the story. The story is told over three generations, which on the surface could be a very bad idea, but showrunner, Chris Black, and his writing team do a nice job differentiating between the generations. Seamlessly transitioning between these scenes with a purpose, which helped propel the story forward. The first three episodes of the series alone, showcase this fluidity and are really good. They are well paced and filled with just enough detail that will keep you coming back for more. The fourth episode of the series feels more like a filler episode, but the fifth episode pulls you back in. It’s this episode that begins to answer enough questions that you feel sated, but not sated enough to stop watching. However, it doesn’t get better from here. It is after this episode where the writers completely lose the plot. The story does a complete 180 and you begin to wonder what’s happening. Too many characters, and stories, are introduced, which takes away from the overall story thus confusing the audience. Hopefully, the final two episodes of the series will wrap everything up in a nice bow, but, as of the eighth episode, everything is a jumbled mess.
Kurt Russell is the clear standout in this story. No matter the scene he is, you are automatically drawn to him. Wyatt Russell plays the younger version of Kurt Russell’s character, Lee Shaw, and captures the quality of his real-life father to a tee. Their character, Lee Shaw, is the most intriguing of the characters introduced in the series, and probably the most likeable. Sawai’s Cate and Watabe’s Kentaro are a little too dramatic for my taste. They are constantly going from hot to cold, which does a disservice for both characters. Kiersey Clemons plays Kentaro’s friend, May Olowe-Hewitt, and she ends up being the character I disliked the most. It may be because I felt you could remove the character entirely and nothing about the story would change. Her relationship with the Cate and Kentaro is also doesn’t make much sense, which may be why I didn’t like the character all that much. Mari Yamamoto (Keiko), Anders Holm (Bill Randa), Joe Tippett (Tim), and Elisa Lasowski (Duvall) round out the cast, and Tippet’s Tim will be the one you remember the most. No spoilers, but his character leaves an impact in every scene he’s in.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters starts off well, but loses its footing in the middle. We will have to see if it fixes itself by the time the series comes to an end with episodes 9 and 10. I would recommend checking out the series every week through Episode 5, and then wait for the full season to be released in January. Without having the next episode already out, I think it will be hard for fans to want to continue tuning in week after week after episode 5.
Grade: B-