Monarch: Legacy of Monsters [Apple+]

pixelburp

First trailer for a Godzilla centric show I had forgotten was in production. Kurt Russell starring, with his son Wyatt playing the younger character during flashback scenes, interestingly.

No idea how much actual kaiju will feature in this kaiju based series, but we'll see on Novemeber 17...

https://youtu.be/ec27RCzb6qI

Slydice

Trailer looks good but if this has a people story that runs deep, it'll feel awful wierd compared to what like like a paper thin people story after the first film. Not that the first film got to develop itself a huge amount.

pixelburp

Another new trailer:

https://youtu.be/JLHsM4bpfxY?si=PaPxb4wQlFyWyrxe

gmisk

Early reviews look good!

Agent Coulson

Apple droped the opening scene it starts in two weeks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEPO1_7WiZE&ab_channel=AppleTV

pixelburp

Huh, couple of reviews of this are saying it's ... no-caveats good? tepidly excited to see this now.

pixelburp

First 2 episodes dropped today

Headshot

I already hate Cate

Agent Coulson

So I haven't started this yet should I give the 3 movies a watch again before starting?

Skerries

maybe Kong: Skull Island as it features John Goodman's character

Acosta

Good first couple of episodes. Well made too. It has a handy sized budget I'd say.

pixelburp

Caught the 2 episodes and to my surprise, I'm hooked. It was nuts and bolts stuff but was really well put together; the bouncing between timelines worked really well, and they haven't overplayed their hand with the actual monsters aspect - using them in smart places. Cate was a bit grating TBH, sometimes more obnoxious than wounded - but the rest of the cast have been good so far, the trio from the 1950s portions a fun adventuresome good mix.

This has become a quick and surprising Must Watch for me.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121385040#Comment_121385040

I'd say the 2014 film and Kong Skull Island is probably all you'd need. The whole series jumps off from the events of the 2014 Godzilla film and the impact it has on the world (again, something really well done in those Episodes with Tokyo's new normal of "Titan Drills"), while the Skull Island more texture for the Monarch background.

expectationlost

nm

Mr Crispy

Thinking of giving this a go. Are all episodes available now, or are they being released weekly?

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121431388#Comment_121431388

Weekly - almost if not all Apple stuff is released weekly IIRC; usually a couple of episodes dropped at first.

gazzer

I'm enjoying it though you definitely have to suspend belief regarding the age of Kurt Russell's character 😂

Mr Crispy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121431558#Comment_121431558

Thanks. I'll wait a week or two before watching.

pixelburp

Episode 3 was a bit of an interstitial but everything inched a little further enough to make it enjoyable, including a little cameo from the big G Man himself.

Really love the plotting, and even the dialogue of this; it's functional but the occasional flashes of with are there to make it more than just boilerplate. This might be the first Kaiju production where its human cast are legitimately interesting and engaging - and not just vessels to further the carnage.

It does all strike an odd balance though: knowing the movie sequels went further into the realms of insanity, MechaGodzilla n all. Everything here is played so straight and grounded, it's hard to reconcile where the series goes.

Mr Crispy

@pixelburp

knowing the movie sequels went further into the realms of insanity, MechaGodzilla n all.

I genuinely have no idea what you're talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV1OOlGwExM

😅

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121451300#Comment_121451300

Ha, yeah. The fact that that trailer belongs to the same universe as this show, is utterly wild. It's not like the show hasn't had a playful edge but nothing on that level. They're trying to keep it all relatively grounded.

Tangentially, releasing that trailer while this show exists, and a new Japanese Godzilla film came out this weekend (and did quite nicely, considering) is a weird bit of marketing.

Mr Crispy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121451377#Comment_121451377

I just hope the last episode or two of the show aren't compromised by trying to lay some groundwork for GxK. Like, "Oh, this new element we discovered gives MUTOs pink powers"!

pixelburp

Fourth episode down and again, good characterisation with some neat and creative way to frame the backstory of Kentaro meeting May with the events in Alaska. Had a little sense of being filler despite that, given nothing plotwise was revealed through the literal circles walked in the snow. So probably the "worst" episode yet insofar as merely being watchable as opposed to outright thrilling - but still good stuff. Certainly if you're stuck isolated in the snow, Kurt Russell is the man to have lol.

pixelburp

Guess I'm the only one watching this? Lol, episode 5 was good even if it was the first to have little to no monster action. Very character focused and again, can't believe this show of all things, would have such strong, flawed characters. Even Cate has slowly become less annoying.

I liked the little self-mocking line from Kurt Russel that after decades of preparation, Monarch's great plan for G day was to "let them fight"

expectationlost

why did they split up again?

EoinMcLovin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121522327#Comment_121522327

Kurt Russell's character wanted to help Godzilla . The kids wanted to find their Dad

expectationlost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121523206#Comment_121523206

why would the dad not be following godzilla?

EoinMcLovin

Fyi, that company mentioned near the end of the episode are the ones who create MechaGodzilla in Godzilla vs Kong.

Still not sure what Shaw is upto

EoinMcLovin

Last 2 episodes were great especially the final shot of this week's episode. Can't wait for next week's finale

Mr Crispy

Only up to episode 3, but quite enjoying it. Has a much better tone than the goofy GvK movie.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121577017#Comment_121577017

It's the one "flaw" with the show all right, where the series seems to be playing it relatively straight & grounded, in a cinematic universe that has just gone completely batshít crazy.

SM01

May is an awful character. Her sole reason for existing is to be annoying.