Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

Released: 2023 Length: 10 episodes Language: English

Taylor's Review
★★
The series, at least this the first season, has failed to deliver. While I didn’t expect the sweeping kaiju fights of the movies or even a deeply complex plot, I also was not prepared for the excruciating family drama the seemed to dominate almost every episode. However, it had some very enjoyable flashbacks and some fun monster scenes that at very least made it worth watching once.

Cole's Review
★★★
On the one hand, there's some interesting world-building going on, with the story set in the 50's being exactly what I would want from a show like this. On the other hand, the modern-day plotlines are lot more hit and miss, with constant melodrama and interpersonal problems that don't end up going anywhere interesting. It does manage to dovetail everything together into a pretty solid finale, but I was still left feeling lukewarm about the series as a whole.

Did Justien Make it Through?
Yes, she was keen to keep watching it, even when the going got rough.

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster

Released: 1964 Length: 93 minutes Language: Japanese

Taylor's Review
★★★
The first introduction audiences receive to the glorious golden dragon in the Godzilla franchise! While not as entertaining as a couple of its predecessors, this movie delivers a satisfying amount of fun, laughs, and adventure with a ridiculous monster team up; undoubtedly the inspiration for Legendary’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Cole's Review
★★★★
This movie invests heavily in many of the core concepts that would come to define the series' Showa era, including giant monsters team-ups, alien invasions, and a generally more campy tone when it comes to how the kaiju interact and fight. It makes for a pretty good time given you have a tolerance for camp. By introducing one of Godzilla's greatest recurring nemesis in King Ghidorah, it also manages to remain an important moment in the series' long history.

Did Justien Make it Through?
She was there, but the only quote I got was "it did look better than some of the others."

Mothra vs. Godzilla

Released: 1964 Length: 89 minutes Language: Japanese

Taylor's Review
★★★★
This is a movie that, in my opinion, has aged very well! A fun plot and solid acting makes it a delight to watch! The impressive use of green screening even made many scenes feel more like a movie from the ‘90s. For the Showa era of the Godzilla franchise, this is certainly one of the best.

Cole's Review
★★★★
While the idea of Godzilla doing battle with a giant moth and her fairy companions is a fantastical one, there's still an undercurrent of darkness and social commentary that helps it feel connected to it's roots. This mix also allows Mothra to develop into a selfless and tragic figure, setting her up as one of the standout kaiju in the series.

Did Justien Make it Through?
She missed a good chunk of it, but Mothra is her favorite character, so she enjoyed hearing the classic song.

King Kong vs. Godzilla

Released: 1962 Length: 97 minutes Language: Japanese

Taylor's Review
★★★★
A fun entry into the early part of the Godzilla franchise! From a crazed corporate boss to a drunk King Kong, this movie brings laughs aplenty! This is Godzilla’s first monster fight that felt properly planned and coordinated which gives his rivalry with Kong a boxing match feel. Definitely worth watching!

Cole's Review
★★★★★
Right from its thunderous opening soundtrack, this one is such a fun entry that never fails to put a smile on my face. The characters make for some good comedic relief and the lengthy battle in the finale is always a delight. The pivot into silliness and spectable might not be for everyone, but it's certatinly for me.

Did Justien Make it Through?
She caught part of it and was kind of into the zany antics.

Godzilla Raids Again

Released: 1955 Length: 81 minutes Language: Japanese

Taylor's Review
★★★
Not as iconic to me as the original. Overall a decent movie! However, it wasn’t groundbreaking or moving in any really way. The characters were reasonably well written but I found the dialogue somewhat confusing. Worth watching at least once!

Cole's Review
★★★
It deserves props for introducing the "Godzilla fights another monster" formula to the series, but it definitely lacks the pathos of the first entry. It's still a decently enjoyable film with some fun setpieces, but the foundation it created here would only be improved on going forward.

Did Justien Make it Through?
She was with us but working on her own project. In her words "I was awake, but not paying attention."

Godzilla

Released: 1954 Length: 96 minutes Language: Japanese

Taylor's Review
★★★★★
70 years later and this is still an incredible movie! It’s hard to believe that it started with this, but here it is! From its none-too-subtle denunciation of WMDs to its tragic tale of loss and suffering, an engaging story is told throughout. While not as flashy as future movies, this, the original, deserves to be seen by any Godzilla enthusiast.

Cole's Review
★★★★★
Its status as a classic is absolutely deserved. This film puts the human cost of Godzilla's rampages to the forefront, making for one of the darkest films in the series. In addition, everything it has to say about war, science, and nuclear power is made that much more impactful by the historical context of the story, adding some real depth and pathos to the proceedings.

Did Justien Make it Through?
She wasn't around, but I feel like the sheer age of the movie might have cancelled out it's quality for her.

Gamera Rebirth

Released: 2023 Length: 6 episodes Language: Japanese

Taylor's Review
★★★★★
The early Gamera movies often fell short bringing the original creative vision to life. This series, however, vindicates them all! The incredible update of the original monster design was fantastic and the story was very well executed!

Cole's Review
★★★★
It can't be overstated how great it is to have Gamera back! This anime walks the line between a coming-of-age tale and a dark sci-fi story in a way that nicely reflects the legacy of the whole series. The quality of the re-imagininged kaiju is generally good and the fights are fun, although I found myself wishing there was some new monsters ideas too.

Did Justien Make it Through?
Yes, she thought it was enjoyable and liked it's crazy sci-fi ideas.

Godzilla Minus One

Released: 2023 Length: 125 minutes Language: Japanese

Taylor's Review
★★★★★
This, the 70 year anniversary movie celebrating the franchise, was unbelievably good! Toho took many points of inspiration from the classics, yet they created an entirely unique story and nailed the execution sublimely! An instant must watch!

Cole's Review
★★★★★
An excellent movie that puts a very compelling human story at its core while not neglecting to have some impressive kaiju spectacle. The script also smartly works in many homages to decade's worth of Godzilla history without it feeling obvious or taking away from the unique nature of the story.

Did Justien Make it Through?
We decided to make a special trip to an IMAX showing in another town, and she was all-in on the idea. Really enjoyed the movie too.

Neo Ultra Q

Released: 2013 Length: 12 episodes Language: Japanese

Taylor's Review
★★★★★
“I don’t know if I get it” and “what did I just watch” are recurring statements I made throughout this series. Yet, like the original Ultra Q, its delight is in its ability to bring the unexpected to nearly every episode! It was well worth watching!

Cole's Review
★★★
Compared to its predecessor, it draws even more from things like The X-files or The Outer Limits, which sadly means less giant kaiju, but still allows for lots of bizarre creatures and speculative sci-fi. There's definitely some interesting concepts and good episodes, but on the whole I found it less innately enjoyable than the original.

Did Justien Make it Through?
She wandered by a few times and, honestly, it seemed best to not even try and explain what was going on.

The Lake

Released: 2022 Length: 104 minutes Language: Thai

Taylor's Review
★★★
An interesting modern take on the Kaiju concept. What it lacked in character development and coherent plot it made up for in creature design and presentation. The ending, however, was the wrong kind of nonsense for my taste.

Cole's Review
★★★
The monster designs were great, and the effects very well realized for this type of film. However, the plot was pretty scattered, throwing many ideas at the wall and not paying all of them off. There are a handful of excellently staged scenes that help elevate it, but overall it's a very mixed bag.

Did Justien Make it Through?
She was there, but much more focused on her Switch.
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