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.

Season 2

Released: 2026 Length: 10 episodes Language: English

Taylor's Review
★★
Main character Lee Shaw returns and, frankly, carries season two into something moderately more enjoyable than the previous season. While there was quite a delightful increase in Kaiju action and a fun amount of exposition, the endless family drama distracted enough to undermine the overall enjoyability. 

Cole's Review
★★★★
I think it's an improvement on the first season, with a bit more time spent with monsters, some interesting plot developments, and the even some of the family drama managing to land a little better. A few of the characters are still just not clicking for me, but overall I think it JUST manages to get another star from me.

Did Justien Make it Through?
She enjoyed it overall, and also managed to do some very cool beadworking while she watched.

Kaiju No. 08

Released: 2024 Length: 12 episodes Language: Japanese

Cole's Review
★★★★
The premise is really interesting and the various monster encounters are fun, but the thing I ended up enjoying the most was the characters. Every time I thought I would end up disliking a new addition to the show they won me over, and the resulting team dynamic was very enjoyable. Very excited to see where it goes!

Did Justien Make it Through?
Yes, she really enjoyed the characters and the crazy action sequences.

Season 2

Released: 2025 Length: 12 episodes Language: Japanese

Cole's Review
★★★
There was absolutely fun to be had, but it's hurt a little bit by its pacing, especially with it feeling a bit like an incomplete middle chapter. It also breaks up a lot of the dynamics I loved from the first season and instead devotes time to "I need to get stronger" arcs, which got a bit tiresome. Still, I'm very much looking forward to the final season.

Did Justien Make it Through?
Yes, although I think some of the drama was starting to wear thin by the end.

Shin Godzilla

Released: 2016 Length: 120 minutes Language: Japanese

Taylor's Review
★★★★
When it’s all been done before, how do you find a unique take on the Godzilla concept? Shin Godzilla found a way! While the heavy emphasis of political discussion makes it a little dry at times, the novel depiction of the big guy himself and his change throughout made it well worth the watch! It’s true the visual representation of Godzilla deviates from tradition quite a bit. However in this case it suites the theme of the movie very well!

Cole's Review
★★★★★
It's such a bold new direction for Godzilla, making him this pained-looking eldritch abomination, and as a one-off incarnation I find it endlessly intruiging. The film around him is a heavy satire of the Japanese political system in the wake of events such as the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and while the lengthy sections of dialogue do make re-watches more daunting, it provides a fascinating insight into Japan and it's history while also making the dramatic and bizzare Godzilla encounters have that much more impact.

Did Justien Make it Through?
Through the power of Animal Crossing she almost stayed awake until the end, but lengthy political discourse and the setting sun eventually did her in.

Troll 2

Released: 2025 Length: 105 minutes Language: Norwegian

Taylor's Review
★★
It’s rare for a sequel to step out of the shadow of its predecessor and Troll 2 is no exception. In my opinion, it falls so deep into that long shadow as to be a shameful disappointment. While it certainly isn’t the worst movie ever made, its weak plot and terrible character development left much to be desired. It will be a cold day in Jotunhiem indeed if I ever find myself rewatching this. 

Cole's Review
★★
I loved the first one after going in with low expectations, and unfortunately this went the exact opposite way for me. There's still some fun to be had, but on every front, from the plot structure to the character work, I liked it less than the first. I held out hope it was building to a cool payoff that would justify the rest of the film, but sadly the finale ended up falling a little flat as well.

Did Justien Make it Through?
She was awake but didn't seem super enthralled by it. It did make her nostalgic for Disney Dreamlight though.

Ultraman: Rising

Released: 2024 Length: 117 minutes Language: English

Cole's Review
★★★★
It starts off as a cute enough animated film about found parenthood and responsibility, but by the end it grows into a genuinely epic kaiju showdown. This leaves it as a bit of a film of two halves, but I think the comedy/family parts are entertaining enough to be more than worth seeing the big finale.

Did Justien Make it Through?
Yes, she thought it was solid animated movie.

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.
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