The "Monsterverse" series, which began with Gareth Edwards' 2014 re-imagining of Godzilla, and has continued on through several sequels, including Kong; Skull Island (2017) and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), has re-invented the classic Toho kaiju films for a new generation of fans. These movies have found great success at the box office, but some of them have concentrated more on kaiju battles, rather than developing the backstory of these creatures, or the shadowy organization Monarch, which appears to be studying the monsters. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, an Apple TV series which completed its first season in 2023, seeks to provide an origin story for that mysterious group, while also acting as a sequel to the events depicted in some of the Monsterverse films.
The series chooses to offer a dual-timeline narrative, and it quickly becomes clear that this entry in the saga will be something different. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters carefully weaves a present day narrative, which in the timeline of the series is the aftermath of 2014's Godzilla, with a story about the formative years of Monarch set in the 1950s. Cutting back and forth between past and present emerges as a smart choice. It's not just a stylistic flourish; it becomes one of the show's strengths. The past informs the present in significant ways, and the monsters themselves become part of the story, as their origins are also explored.
One of the show’s strongest set pieces is the 1950s storyline, which showcases the formation of Monarch. This group of scientists and soldiers led by Lee Shaw, played in the 1950s scenes by Wyatt Russell. The group uncovers the existence of the kaiju, referred to in the series and films as “Titans.” Meanwhile in the present day, Shaw (now played by Kurt Russell, Wyatt's real-life father) works with siblings Cate and Kentaro Randa, who are trying to discover the truth behind their father Hiroshi's disappearance, which appears to be tied to his work for Monarch. The flashbacks aren’t just window-dressing; they enrich the present-day narrative by showing just how Monarch's actions and their moral compromises affects events in the current timeline.
Kurt Russell’s solid portrayal of Lee Shaw in the present day adds a layer of gravitas to the proceedings, and having his son Wyatt play the younger version of Shaw is a nice touch. The Shaw character acts as the show’s human core. Russell's weathered presence illustrates the real-life consequences of Monarch's decisions in the past. Some critics and viewers have noted that the modern timeline (the story with the younger protagonists) lacks the same spark as the 1950s storyline, but the dual timeline adds genuine depth to the MonsterVerse saga. The series lays the groundwork for future Titan stories by showing us how the world came to accept, and fear, the existence of Titans like Godzilla and King Kong. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is set to return next year, so we'll see where the next iteration of the Monsterverse saga takes us.
No comments:
Post a Comment