The MonsterVerse is the shared cinematic universe that revolves around the larger-than-life kaiju inhabiting the same world. We have received several films that led to the eventual confrontation between Godzilla and King Kong. The latest installment is the universe’s first foray into live-action television. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters tells the origins of the secret organization in charge of monitoring the Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms (MUTO).
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a multigenerational story jumping back and forth between the 1950s when the titular organization first began and the show’s present, which is not long after Godzilla’s attack in the 2014 movie. Throughout the series premiere, there are fun appearances that remind you of what’s come before and that we are in the MonsterVerse. The familiarity serves as a nice transition as we set off on this new adventure.
In the present, we meet Cate and Kentaro. They are two adult siblings from opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean suddenly brought together by the disappearance of their father, Hiroshi. Their relationship includes soapy drama that draws you in with the mistrust and skepticism between Cate and Kentaro adding to the tension. But it’s the mystery surrounding Hiroshi that keeps you invested. This portion of the narrative gives off exciting conspiracy thriller vibes as the shadowy Monarch becomes involved in the pair’s investigation. Also interesting is the exploration of trauma with Cate, who is a survivor from the San Francsico attack in Godzilla (2014), and how the experience still haunts her.
Over in the past, we follow Lee Shaw, Keiko, and a young Bill Randa, the character played by John Goodman in Kong: Skull Island. They travel the world following leads and scientific data hoping they can find MUTOs. Compared to the present, their exploits are more of a fantasy adventure as they visit more exotic locales in search of the truth. The separate timelines allow Monarch: Legacy of Monsters to effectively pull off different genres. However at times, the shifting back and forth can lose the momentum of one storyline or make things hard to follow. It isn’t made clear until the end of the first episode of how the two plots are interconnected.
Despite an engaging story, most people are tuning in for the monsters. You won’t be disappointed with the high quality and detailed special effects. They all look realistic and familiar but different enough to feel not from this world. They are at such an impressive scale that they make the sequences that much better. You’ll be wanting for more, but we receive enough kaiju action to be satisfied.
The two-episode premiere balances various genres through the use of the different time periods while mixing an intriguing mystery and an origin story. Throw in some giant monster action and you have a good strong start to a series.
New episodes of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters are released Fridays on Apple TV+.
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