The other day the series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” started on Apple TV+. It takes place in the MonsterVerse, which features Godzilla, King Kong, and other kaiju.
Everyone is used to this world surprising with epic battles and disrupting its plot, but the creators of the series were not satisfied with this status quo. In the series, the burly creatures are in their place and the story is adequate.
“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”: where to watch?
The series is streaming on Apple TV+ and is officially available in Russia. Two episodes have been released so far, with the last one airing on January 12. There is no Russian dubbing, only subtitles.
The video is available on the Apple TV YouTube channel. The rights to the video belong to Apple.
Small grains of sand in a world of huge monsters
Recent Godzilla movies were watched for the spectacular battles. When the kaiju beat each other mercilessly, he wanted to applaud, but as soon as the plot started, a hand went to his face. The kids, led by heroine Millie Bobby Brown, easily made it to the most guarded place on the planet, and the villains’ plans were thwarted by spilled coffee on the team. All of this made the movie fun, but second-rate. “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” takes a different path: the story here is not outstanding, but it is interesting to follow.
The events unfold in two timelines. In the first, scientists delve into dubious secrets amid laughter and shouts from their colleagues. They believe that humans share the planet with something powerful and are risking their lives to prove it. They get into dangerous places, are not afraid of radiation, flee from unprecedented creatures – it’s fun to watch them. The secret is in the good actors: the scientist Kate Randa played by Anna Sawai is extremely charismatic and the soldier Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell) makes good jokes and is a great hero.
For MonstVerse fans, the arc about the past is a blessing. There they talk about the origins of the legendary organization “Monarch”, which studies monsters and sometimes commits atrocities. You’ll see William Rand, the disappearance of the ship Lawton, the ion dragon – these are all important characters and events for the universe.
He looks at Godzilla in shock.
Photo: Apple
In the second arc, everything happens in our time, when Godzilla has already destroyed half of San Francisco and people around the world panicked, building bunkers and powerful weapons. The heroes investigate the suspicious death of his father and find important documents of the Monarch. Unfortunately, the organization immediately begins searching for them.
This line is reminiscent of a spy thriller, where the heroes delve into the secrets of a dangerous organization. It turned out interesting: the characters are bright, it is not clear who to believe, the old man Lee Shou gives advice to inexperienced heroes. Curiously, the past and present versions of this character are almost indistinguishable: the fact is that he is played simultaneously by Kurt Russell and his son Wyatt.
Kurt Russell is still good
Photo: Apple
There are no new ideas in the plot and some arcs seem drawn out; Fortunately, this doesn’t spoil the experience. Still, the series creators skillfully create dynamics by shifting time periods and genres. Here the heroes of the present flee from the Monarch agents and look for allies, but the characters of the past explore a terrible ship, turning the thriller almost into horror.
Related materials
Classification
Choosing the best Marvel movie: vote for your favorite
There are many monsters and they are very good.
The series focuses on people, but there are also many monsters. The first few episodes show Godzilla, an ion dragon, a giant crab, a horde of deadly spiders, and a glimpse of King Kong.
The monsters look great. When Godzilla first appears in the frame, you scream with joy: he is well drawn, roars convincingly, and smashes everything spectacularly. There is no extreme epic event, but in terms of tension, the scene is as intense as “Godzilla vs. Kong.” Consider the death of children, which instantly erases all sympathy for the kaiju.
The characters in the series are likable and the monsters constantly interact with them, making the appearance of the kaiju dramatic. Escaping from the spiders in the first episode is very stressful and the encounter with the dragon in the second is terrifying. Other MonsterVerse projects did not have this effect.
Common Skull Island Monster
Photo: Apple
“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”: is it worth watching?
After the first episodes, “Monarch” leaves a pleasant feeling. The kaiju look luxurious, the characters are nice, the plot is adequate: this is enough to watch the series and enjoy it.
Rating of the first episode of “Monarch” – 7.5 out of 10
Appreciated
Very beautiful monsters. It is a pleasure to follow the characters. Kurt and Wyatt Russell are very charismatic.
I dont like him
Sometimes the plot seems endless.
