Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
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When eco-terrorists unleash a three-headed titan, the world's most iconic monster must rise to defend the planet.
The story
Five years after the discovery of 'Titans,' Dr. Emma Russell and her daughter Madison work for the organization Monarch. When a group of eco-terrorists led by Alan Jonah attacks their base, they abduct the pair. Meanwhile, Monarch scientists attempt to track them down, leading to a confrontation with the three-headed titan, King Ghidorah. As Ghidorah awakens other Titans across the globe, the world faces a catastrophic threat. To save the planet, the Monarch team must coordinate with the legendary Godzilla and the mythical Mothra to stop the destruction and confront the forces of chaos unleashed by the terrorists.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following the discovery of 'Titans,' Dr. Emma Russell and her daughter Madison are abducted by eco-terrorists led by Alan Jonah. The terrorists aim to awaken the three-headed King Ghidorah to 'heal' the Earth. During the chaos, Emma awakens Ghidorah, who awakens other Titans like Rodan. The Monarch organization, including Dr. Mark Russell and Dr. Ishirō Serizawa, works to track the missing women. After a series of battles where Godzilla is initially defeated and then revived by a nuclear blast, the conflict culminates in a massive battle in Boston. Mothra sacrifices herself to empower Godzilla, who ultimately destroys Ghidorah and the accompanying threat. The film ends with the Titans bowing to Godzilla as the new protector of the Earth, while the aftermath shows the world beginning to heal from human impact.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 131
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Michael Dougherty
- Writers
- Michael Dougherty · co-writer; Zach Shields · co-writer; Max Borenstein · story
- Cast and characters
- Kyle Chandler · Dr. Mark Russell; Vera Farmiga · Dr. Emma Russell; Millie Bobby Brown · Madison Russell; Bradley Whitford · Dr. Rick Stanton; Sally Hawkins · Dr. Vivienne Graham; Charles Dance · Alan Jonah; Thomas Middleditch · Sam Coleman; Aisha Hinds · Colonel Diane Foster; O'Shea Jackson Jr. · Jackson Barnes; David Strathairn · Admiral William Stenz; Ken Watanabe · Dr. Ishirō Serizawa; Zhang Ziyi · Dr. Ilene Chen and Dr. Ling Chen
- Genres
- monster; science fiction; action; disaster
- Themes
- environmentalism; nature vs. humanity; mother-daughter relationship
- Tone and mood
- epic; action-packed
- Setting
- Various locations including Antarctica, Mexico, and Boston during the modern era.
- Premise and plot tags
- kaiju; monster; eco-terrorism; nuclear war
- Source material / true-story basis
- Godzilla franchise
- Franchise connections
- Monsterverse
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its visual effects and score, but criticism regarding its plot and pacing. It was considered a box office disappointment compared to its budget.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 48 · scale: 100 · review count: 46; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 85% · scale: 100%
- Production trivia
- The character Dr. Rick Stanton was loosely modeled after Rick Sanchez from Rick and Morty.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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