GODZILLA: The Monsterverse Retrospective - The King Comes Overseas

A look at the entirety of Legendary's Monsterverse, revealing the history behind Godzilla's return to the United States, how Gareth Edwards gave new life to Gojira, the rebirth of Kong: Skull Island, the Japanese influences of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the climactic battle of Godzilla vs Kong, the deeper meaning and changes behind Monsterverse Goji, and how Yoshimitsu Banno made it all possible.
This is Part 3 of an ongoing Godzilla series.
PATREON - / mattdraper
TWITTER - / mattdraperyt
#Godzilla
#Monsterverse
#Kaiju
Music:
"Godzilla" OST by Alexandre Desplat
"Godzilla: King of the Monsters" OST by Bear McCreary
"King Kong" OST by Max Steiner
"Godzilla vs Kong" OST by Tom Holkenborg
"The Rising Sun" by WWE Music Group
"Time Lapse" by Kalax
"Vampires" by The Midnight
Sources:
vantagepointinterviews.com/20...
www.tokyoreporter.com/japan-n...
• Smog Monster Director ...

[@MattDraper]

How would you rank the Monsterverse?

[@CinemaSeven]

Not too highly. Wasn't interested in Godzilla, still haven't seen Skull Island, was dragged and fell asleep during KOTM, and didn't care enough for GVK. I feel that they miss the point of Godzilla.

[@arkham8078]

1. GVK 2. Godzilla King of the Monsters 3. Kong Skull Island 4. Godzilla (2014)

[@vincentfranklin17]

I liked Godzilla Vs Kong, Godzilla, King Of The Monsters Godzilla (2014) Kong, Skull Island

[@maylabrown4584]

Godzilla was a bore at first watch but entertaining the second time around. Kong: Skull Island is a slog. Godzilla: King of the Monsters was absolutely amazing and one of my favorite Godzilla Movies right next to Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: All Out Monsters Attack. Godzilla vs Kong was a complete dissapointment, the reasoning between the two Kaiju fighting was dumb, the buildup for Mechagodzilla was half-baked and the Human Side of it was so, so much more unbearable compared to the 3 previous installments So it's like a B- Movie Franchise for me. I hate Post-Season 1 Stranger Things a bit more just cause of it smh

[@tonatiuhmartinez5571]

1 King of the Monsters 2 Godzilla 3 Godzilla vs Kong 4 Kong Skull Island

[@shaikhaziz8280]

Godzilla 2014 : A conspiracy theory sci-fi Kong SI: Adventure action KOTM: apocalyptic epic GVK: wrestlemania main event

[@nicolestimothy9921]

GxK: The New Empire: The ultimate team up againts a tyrant warlord.

[@Average_Internet_User101]

Now we just need a final destination!🤣🤣🤣

[@thomasalexanian927]

@@Average_Internet_User101 Destroy All Monsters

[@Average_Internet_User101]

@@thomasalexanian927 We're talking about the Mosterverse Titles, not Pre-Historic Mesopotamian Tabloids!💀☠️⚰️

[@21Handguns]

​@@Average_Internet_User101"mosterverse" Infant spotted

[@sebastienvondoom8615]

I gotta say, Godzilla taking his crown as King of The Monsters at the end of the movie King of The Monsters is such a great shot, and also tells you exactly how American this iteration of the franchise is. In that it sorta feels like they needed to justify the title given to the American remake of the original movie by making Godzilla literally the king of the monsters

[@maylabrown4584]

They also kind of set themselves up for failure since that's something that should have happened later on, since now if a Global Threat ever happens, everyone will ask where is the other Kaijus? A King has subjects, like Rodan, so they would be called upon to assist him in battle. The only exclusion is if it's a battle of dominance, since Rodan only was involved in a battle against Mothra after submitting to King Ghidorah. Like for example, why did none of the Kaijus answer to the battle cry of Mechagodzilla? Unless it was seen as an Alpha Battle due to King Ghidorah's skull being apart of it's construction.

[@justanaveragedragon831]

@@maylabrown4584 I have a theory maybe because Godzilla has already established himself as king, I think the reason why Ghidorah call work in the first place was because there was never an alpha so the throne was free for the taking.

[@maylabrown4584]

@@justanaveragedragon831 Your theory is a fact. But I was talking about the reasons why Kaijus didn't go and help Godzilla and Kong against Mechagodzilla, once an Alpha is defeated then they become the Alpha like Godzilla did to King Ghidorah. So when Mechagodzilla defeated Godzilla, technically he became the Alpha, but since both Godzilla AND Kong defeated Mechagodzilla I guess that would make them Kings?

[@justanaveragedragon831]

@@maylabrown4584 maybe inorder to dethrone a alpha you need to kill it first,

[@maylabrown4584]

@@justanaveragedragon831 I never thought about that, that actually might be the case

[@mcurran6505]

The Monsterverse deserves to continue.

[@tylerjoseph5974]

It’s is Godzilla is gonna get a live action series on Apple TV and it’s set in the monsterverse and king is getting a animated series on Netflix and is set in the monsterverse

[@Godzillakingofkaiju1]

@@tylerjoseph5974 Not to mention, Legendary is doing another MonsterVerse movie.

[@tylerjoseph5974]

@@Godzillakingofkaiju1 oh yea I kinda forgot bout that

[@Promislandzion]

Let’s hope not 😂

[@busbrain2215]

well yeah, you gotta also think of the animators who spent years of their life working on these films and if they stop making these films, they’ll probably be laid off

[@kingbash6466]

I remember seeing the first trailer for Godzilla 2014, and I was instantly obsessed with the movie and this portrayal of Godzilla. To this day, I still think MV Godzilla is my favorite design of the character, and regardless of these movies’ actual quality, it’s always a pleasure to see this Goji throw down.

[@apexatrovinator7510]

Same here

[@animezilla4486]

I totally agree with you Godzilla design in the Monster verse is my absolutely favorite a little know trivia did you know that his design was altered a bit between 2014 and king of the monsters most noticeably the dorsal plates

[@S3verusMyG]

@@animezilla4486 He also gets less fat and beefy over time, with his legs becoming slimmer

[@animezilla4486]

@@S3verusMyG yeah I noticed that too it was not only his legs but his feet as well if you remember in 2014 Godzilla's feet were like elephant but in king of the monsters the filmmakers decide to alter Godzilla's feet to be more dinosaur like. Yeah and I didn't notice that Godzilla was not as chubby and he was in 2014

[@camgoodkicks]

Not only my favorite design but I absolutely adore the in-universe lore that Titans are the source material behind myth and legend. I feel there’s limitless potential to tap into for both new and classic monsters set within this world

[@camgoodkicks]

“Japan is almost entirely absent” but it’s not, symbolically. A massive, often overlooked part of KotM’s plot was the clashing ideologies of eastern and western interpretation. That’s one of the core themes of the movie and there’s even a line about it in reference to dragons

[@bigkirbyhj666]

My feeling is that the og Gojira from the first movie was a stand in for America/the nukes we ha/have. And turned into a cultural hero, that when bringing it over to America the first time...they made it threatening just not an existential crisis (like japan in ww2)

[@sebastienvondoom8615]

I'd argue that that's the "almost" in "almost entirely absent"

[@fenrirhere]

I personally, feel like they could pay a little bit more of a homage, but overall it's not completely necessary.

[@dominiqueodom3099]

I disagree in a small aspect with the fact that Serizawa was maybe the best Character out of the first few movies,and I say his best Stuff was in KOTM. I would almost go so far and say they shouldn't have killed him off because none of the other human Characters outside of Marlow in Skull Island have really been as cool or endearing. Serizawa was the guy who created the Oxygen Destroyer in the original as he knew he needed to kill Godzilla,so it actually is pretty damn cool to see Serizawa be the Guy to Nuke Godzilla in order to save the Big guy. They didn't need to do that but they did and I give alot of credit for that.

[@familyguysofunny1933]

​@@dominiqueodom3099They also stated that his father died due to the nukes. So, he's kind of the stand in for Japan. I think there's a scene where he states that there is no hate for the nukes from him. It's also pretty cool to think that the country that suffered the most due to nuclear weapons is the one that set off the weapon in the end to save a monster that represented nuclear weapons and warfare and in turn (kinda) save the world

[@thedigiseviper1330]

Godzilla vs Kong was a really important movie in the United States, because it signalled the end of pandemic restrictions on travel, and was the first major movie people really felt comfortable seeing in theaters again. As such, it being more fun than meaningful was a really important thing for us. It was like "things are going to be okay. It's okay to have fun and relax a bit. We made it through".

[@codexmachina1358]

He ranked Kotm #1. What an absolute gigachad. Subbed.

[@Kusanagikaiser999]

The Monsterverse is actually my current favorite cinematic universe, I hope they continue.

[@jw_gojifan19]

Same. I prefer it over DC and Marvel

[@familyguysofunny1933]

Marvel was pretty good. Now, it is the definition of mid with their whole bait and switch philosophy and bland writing At least the monsterverse movies are all decent or at the very least fun to watch

[@dencocreations1701]

GVK not focusing on world building was fine for me, it felt like a break from story building and just a movie to appreciate the two monsters that have been with us for years, I say leave the world building to the separate monsters films, and just have the crossover be fun, plus, admit it, you thought you’d never see King Kong fight MECHAGODZILLA.

[@Kaiju-bm4ts]

Uh gvk introducing the hollow earth literally was world building. You can't have a kaiju film without world building every film literally did that in the monsterverse thus far both the movies and comics. Gvk being no different.

[@RicardoPerez-rz8pu]

Yeah that's new for me never thought that Toho would be giving a green light for Mechagodzilla vs Kong in GVK

[@cameronwiscovitch4186]

I know this is probably known or has been mentioned by now, but the Monsterverse is still continuing. Earlier last week, it was announced that a Godzilla series set between 2014 and King of the Monsters is beginning production and is slated to be released on the Apple+ streaming service.

[@chadgorosaurus4898]

And a gvk sequel was announced

[@TheGundamsword]

That scene where all the monsters bow to Godzilla still gives me chills.

[@iandanielcassidy8126]

Godzilla's Personality in the MonsterVerse: In Godzilla, Godzilla's behavior is that of a territorial animal, Ishiro Serizawa theorized that Godzilla is the driving force to restore balance to nature whenever that balance is disrupted, suggesting that he essentially considers the entire Earth to be his territory. However, unlike previous incarnations, Godzilla doesn't blatantly attack or plow through ships at sea simply because they're there, in fact, with larger ships like aircraft carriers, he simply dives under them, even when the military launched a combined forces assault to stop him, he didn't react or fight back, and simply continued to hunt the MUTOs, even when he was being flanked by four naval ships. As opposed to any sort of morality, it appears to be that he simply considers humans to be tiny and insignificant and does not care about their general well-being but at the same time does not consider them worth destroying even though they, without harming him at all, fire at him nonstop. Godzilla does not seem to destroy on purpose, even when he destroyed the Golden Gate Bridge, it did not appear to be intentional, but just him reacting from being hit in the gills by explosives. He displays little interest in humans and focuses his attention entirely on the MUTOs. His supposed disinterest in the well-being of humans may be caused by their repeated attempts to kill him, the same attempt that showcased their destructive capabilities. After defeating both MUTOs, he leaves humans alone without any more conflict. However, Godzilla does occasionally display signs of advanced thinking, as he is seen adapting his strategies to fight the MUTOs and even uses sleight-of-hand to trick the male MUTO into approaching his tail, which he uses to impale him on a fallen skyscraper. He appears to possess some degree of emotion as he briefly looks Ford Brody in the eye when he collapses to his level, which also could suggest that he has at least some degree of interest in humans. Godzilla was designed to have a personality that would evoke the "last samurai" archetype, an ancient warrior content with solitude and preferring not to be a part of the world but has to resurface when certain types of events force him to appear and set things right. Godzilla's most notable relationships with other Titans are with MUTOs, Mothra, Ghidorah, and Kong. With Mothra, they are true allies, more so than their past incarnations that were prone to be at odds with each other since their species have symbiotic relationships with one another. Mothra's undying loyalty towards Godzilla is best demonstrated when she assists him in their fight against Ghidorah and Rodan, using her webs to glue Ghidorah onto a skyscraper, and incapacitating Rodan after he fought her. Their ancient alliance had been defined in romantic terms, with Dr. Ilene Chen calling Mothra "Queen of the Monsters" and Chief Warrant Officer Jackson Barnes questioning if "they got a thing going on", though subsequently Dr. Sam Coleman clarifying it as a "symbiotic relationship". As she died, Godzilla roared in grief while he absorbed her life-force, allowing him to go thermonuclear and vaporized Ghidorah. Following the battle, Godzilla had not forgotten Mothra's sacrifice, and her gift of life led him to find a new home. Godzilla perceived MUTOs as uneasy ally at best through Queen MUTO who submits to him as her alpha and both deadly pests and natural enemy at worst through the conflict with MUTO couple he killed at San Fransisco and MUTO Prime. Lastly, in the case of Ghidorah and Kong, the two are Godzilla's fierce rivals as shown in various cave paintings where he is depicted fighting alternatively with one of them for different reasons; whereas with the former, their feud could be best described as the battle between light and darkness owing to the extraterrestrial Titan's malicious nature and desire to lay waste upon Earth, Godzilla and Kong battled each other because of their species' long-standing rivalry, but the two nevertheless willing to put aside their difference in facing a common threat. After defeating Mechagodzilla together, the two make amends to each other and went on separate ways on better terms. When Godzilla becomes the alpha again after defeating Ghidorah, he does not attack the other Titans who followed Ghidorah and instead spares them when they swear their allegiance to him again. During his rule, Godzilla works to keep his fellow Titans from causing chaos and submit some who defy him, like Scylla and Tiamat. He also starts to care for the well-being of the human race and seeks the balance between both kinds, as evidenced by a clipping in the end credits mentioning that Godzilla is keeping the other Titans from attacking major human settlements. However, he also attacked some Titan traffickers that were trying to capture Na Kika. Ultimately, he sends all the Titans to hibernation, deciding that maintaining all of them under control was too much for him to handle. In Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla revealed to possess the capacity to become aggressive and violent towards humans and Titans alike if he is provoked, something Madison Russell acknowledged as it was not his nature to wreak havoc upon human settlements without cause or reason. He wreaked havoc upon Apex Cybernetics' facilities upon sensing that its human occupants were hiding what he senses is an alpha that was challenging him (the new ORCA was making alpha calls) that Godzilla calls the Hidden One. Godzilla eventually faces the one he calls "the Hidden One" in the form of the destructive, out-of-control Mechagodzilla⁠ - influenced by Ghidorah's remains grafted into its systems ⁠- and would've continued what the extraterrestrial Titan started had he and Kong failed to stop it. Godzilla's mission to eliminate the threat came into the conflict of Kong who⁠ - though having nothing to do with Ghidorah's resurgence⁠ - is an example of Godzilla's willingness to eliminate those who oppose him from his goal, in addition to their race's past conflicts. While he displayed brutal and prideful tendencies when fighting Kong at Hong Kong, as he gave of a particularly menacing grin followed by a grumble evocative of a chuckle of sorts when he singed Kong's back with his atomic breath, Godzilla's confrontation with Kong was partly due to frustration by his rival unknowingly deterring him from stopping Apex Cybernetics twice. However, this didn't stop him from sparing the ape-like Titan's life since the latter was not the threat he sought and to a subtle degree, Kong's defiance in the face of defeat earning him the King of the Monsters' respect. This noble decision ultimately saved his life during a hopeless fight against Mechagodzilla, since it allows Kong to assist his likely ally against a common enemy.

[@GallowayJesse]

It was amazing when Godzilla turned toward the city and roared after killing the female MUTO. It was like "hey humans, You're welcome"

[@iandanielcassidy8126]

@@GallowayJesse awesome, but MonsterVerse Godzilla is anti-hero, not really actual hero.

[@N_o196]

Loved this comment. The monster verse, while flawed in some aspects, has given us a ton of subtle Godzilla characterization and it's dope to see

[@iandanielcassidy8126]

@@N_o196 thank you very much

[@victoriaporter6586]

I'm pretty sure that's copy and paste from Wikizilla. Or at least most of it (that's not a bad thing).

[@BriantheWolverine]

2014 is still my favorite of the American movies. It’s just the Godzilla movie I always wanted, slow, methodical, and brings the hype at the right moments.

[@Kaiju-bm4ts]

And at the cost of teasing the kaiju too often. Slow burners are fine but there's a reason why they are not used often. G14 as a Slow burner made the same typically mistakes Slow burners make meanwhile shin gojira as a Slow burner was much better.

[@samcooper2474]

@@Kaiju-bm4ts didn't help that the film went with the wrong protagonist.

[@Kaiju-bm4ts]

@@samcooper2474 exactly. Killing off Joe was the biggest mistake that movie made

[@samcooper2474]

@@Kaiju-bm4ts what bothered me most about that was the directors excuse for it: ' oh, we couldn't find anything better for him to do but be a comedy side character'. Yes you could, him and his son could have spent the film reconnecting while trying to get to the wife and child. I mean, you wanted to place an importance on family, right? Would have made up for Aaron Taylor Johnson's dry acting.

[@Kaiju-bm4ts]

@@samcooper2474 Bruh if Gareth said that then that's a really dumb excuse when I've seen and heard much better alternatives to keep Joe around. He and serizawa could of worked side by side despite them having different past and working for different reasons. Bryan was a much better actor and thus his acting literally carried the human story til he died. This is why the 1st act is good for human stuff and the 3rd act is good for monster stuff. 2nd act moved too slowly and was dull thanks to the lack of kaiju and Ford just being bland

[@DiegoReviews]

I really enjoyed 2014’s grounded take on Godzilla. It made me wish that they stuck to that style for the rest of the monster verse movies. Although I do love how colorful Skull Island is. I can’t wait to see what Vogt-Roberts brings to the MGS movie…if it ever happens. Love hearing you talk about Goji, Matt!

[@MattDraper]

Thanks so much, Diego! Yeah I really want that MGS movie to happen and I have no idea if it ever will haha I guess we'll just wait until there's any sort of date attached to its release?

[@Godzillakingofkaiju1]

He is directing the Netflix Gundam movie.

[@kcadventures1454]

1. King of the monsters! Yes! This was the movie I've always wanted from an American studio!

[@notqunt1671]

The monsterverse has come back swinging, this side era is the little multimillion dollar engine that could. Long live the king

[@brutalboy1000]

They just announced a Godzilla/Monster verse series for Apple TV.

[@mrmc101]

i love the monsterverse godzilla appearance, he's far more realistic looking than older zillas while still maintaining that sheer absurdity

[@eldiablodelsur]

Matt, you are such a talented storyteller, and I find great joy in supporting you on Patreon. Great Review, and as you point out, Godzilla, in the Monsterverse, has truly gone beyond what the creators at Toei originally intended; he is an almost godlike force of nature. Honestly, I like this characterization. For all of our vaunted technological advancement, humans are still tiny in the scheme of things. Godzilla is a symbol that serves as a reminder of that, especially in "King of the Monsters."

[@silverwing4107]

Sorry to point that out, Godzilla is from Toho. Toei's Tokusatsu franchise are Kamen Rider series（Mask Rider's original material）, Super Santai series（Power Ranger's original material）and Metal Hero series（VR Troopers and Big Bad Beetleborgs' original material）. As you can see, they're all superhero TV shows. Toei has few distribution to Kaiju movies.

[@incelisshowing3247]

There’s other videos which covered the same topic and covered much more than what was stated here

[@kelseykellerman9598]

I've been a fan of godzilla my whole life thanks to my dad so having these come out and bring people into the Fandom who didn't wanna watch the originals just bring me such joy, So many people didn't even know what godzilla was when i was younger.

[@Enshohma]

You have my vote on the King Kong retrospective! The big ape needs more love, after all.

[@BazztheBazz]

If there's one crucial deal-breaking flaw in the Monsterverse, it's that they went four full movies and somehow Tokyo remained completely intact.

[@tylerdamelondragon]

Mutos are actually kinda cool and I think there design's are very sleek and slick and have lots of thought put into there design's in my opinion

[@tylerdamelondragon]

@@BaldPerspective I respect Matt's opinion on the Mutos but i think he was pretty bias about em

[@ParkRanger2000]

I love King Of The Monsters so much, became of how much Love and just World-Building that it was given. Michael Dougherty did an incredible job. My Ranking on the Monsterverse: 1. Godzilla: King Of The Monsters 2. Godzilla (2014) 3. Godzilla vs. Kong (Had a lot of missing plot points and World-Building, but still good.) 4. Kong: Skull Island (There's nothing wrong with Kong: Skull Island, it's a great film.)

[@mwizachihana9551]

Glad to see someone NOT hating *Godzilla King of the Monsters 2019* besides me. I'm so tired of jerks hating this movie so much because of its flaws. Of course it's not perfect, but no film (even your favorite ones) are not perfect. The point of the movie is to enjoy the hard work put into it, not just immediately think it's bad from just one view

[@ParkRanger2000]

@@mwizachihana9551 Exactly. Especially Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, for whatever the hell reason, people decide to go all on a hate wagon on the Film for no reason.

[@mwizachihana9551]

@@ParkRanger2000 . Maybe they hate it because it's not following the "traditional Jurassic Park formula" or some nonsense like that. Or just hate it for the sake of hating it

[@TrillMexican305]

@@mwizachihana9551 the 2019 is my favorite of the Monsterverse and if I may be so bold to say..... Godzilla King Of The Monsters reminds me of Terminator 2 Judgement Dayas far as sequels goes. Also it helps that the director genuinely loves Gojira

[@BetaBreaking]

​@@ParkRanger2000I personally feel the World series could have capitalized on the satire present in the 1st Jurassic World. They could keep building the conflict with the eventual world being occupied by dinosaurs again. I just feel they went about it with no tack and forethought. It's also slop, which unfortunately the first 2 Jurassic Parks weren't. So much potential all wasted for pretty much disposable media

[@BoyNamedSue4]

Would love a video on King Kong. He has more films than I think most people are aware of.

[@turtleanton6539]

well he is public domain so

[@pds1]

The problem with Kong's films are that they are all pretty much the same concept,kong gets discovered,kong likes pretty girl,kong dies.

[@LanceCorporal_Waffles]

I feel the same about 2014 Godzilla. Was disappointed in theaters but I’ve grown to appreciate more, over the years. And your list pretty much lines up with my preference. King of the Monsters was bonkers and Bear McCreary’s score was a beautiful tribute . The waterfall scene with Mothra was absolutely amazing with his score.

[@shatendraseethiah2217]

That's why I love Godzilla so much. Humans are not above nature. We tend to forget it sometimes

[@JAce94007]

There are already plans announced to continue the monsterverse, starting with an Apple TV+ series

[@BAR0NSATURDAY]

I really think that MV Godzilla and Shin Godzilla are the best things that have ever happened to the character. I really wish we were getting more of both.

[@kevinfrank8164]

I love how you tied HBK and Kane into this!

[@RakaiThwei]

Kong does deserve a retrospective video. I mean it's only fair considering you did one for Godzilla. So, you gotta do one for Kong.

[@TrillMexican305]

Godzilla King Of The Monsters 2019 is my favorite Godzilla movie as far as the recent movies goes

[@t.rexking441]

I really enjoy the Monsterverse and think it's a worthy addition to the Godzilla Franchise. It has a lot of respect for the past while trying to bring it into the future. It's not as deep as Shin Godzilla, nor does it have complex human characters like the Gamera trilogy, but I still enjoy it nonetheless for the respect it has for the monsters themselves. KOTM is my third favorite Godzilla movie.

[@JackClockerinos]

Tbh KotM is pretty complex, although I don't know enough about Gamera to say if it's more or less complex than that

[@JackClockerinos]

@@BaldPerspective That's completely wrong, that's what the antagonists believe. The point of the film is that humanity must learn to co-exist with the Titans like Godzilla and Mothra, not that one or the other belong alone. Alan Jonah and Mark Russell are both wrong in their beliefs that only one or the other can belong on the earth

[@t.rexking441]

@@BaldPerspective Yeah, I meant the Trilogy. I thought I put that but instead I put franchise by mistake. The human characters in the Showa Gamera series can range from bad to charming.

[@t.rexking441]

@@BaldPerspective I think that point of view from Emma is supposed to he flawed and not really solve anything since she's the villain and is not thinking things through as well as she thought she has.

[@t.rexking441]

@@BaldPerspective Yeah, I haven't seen enough Showa Gamera movies to fairly judge them. I thought the human characters in vs Gyaos were charming and the ones in Jiger weren't too bad.

[@kevinclark8356]

There are two upcoming tv shows set in the Monsterverse. A live-action Godzilla show on Apple TV and an animated Kong show on Netflix. There is also talk of another Kong movie. So, the Monsterverse isn't going away anytime soon.

[@maingamer6846]

I had no idea that Gareth Edwards was originally going to direct Godzilla: King of the Monsters. However, I don't blame him because Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a great film as well.

[@tylermane77]

Godzilla as a global, elemental force works wonders for me. For a character over 50 years old, he needs to evolve.

[@Dork2099]

So happy that someone out there agrees that KotM is the best Monsterverse movie!

[@ChimenExpress]

King of the Monsters is so underrated! It's my favorite Godzilla movie!

[@Triforce9426]

The Monsterverse must go on! The foundation for Destoroyah to be brought in has already been established when they detonated the oxygen destroyer in the ocean in KotM.

[@lenny_boxx4206]

One thing that the Monsterverse does better than the MCU is that each film has its own distinct style that instantly differentiates from one another making them more memorable and rewatchable

[@iandanielcassidy8126]

Godzilla's Origins in the MonsterVerse: Now grown to almost 400-feet tall, Godzilla stands as king of all he surveys. Initially thought to be a threat, we now understand his potential to become our world's ultimate guardian, a towering apex predator emerging from the mysterious depths of the ocean to battle aggressors that threaten the balance of nature. The creature designated Titanus Gojira draws its immense power from a bio-nuclear circulatory system that activates when threatened, triggering a neutron flux that travels up its shard-like backspines to nucleosynthetic throat chambers where it explodes into a directed wave of atomic breath. Through this remarkable process, Godzilla's roar itself becomes nature's most devastating weapon. The Monarch facility designated 'Castle Bravo' was built specifically as a flagship underwater observation base by Monarch to study Godzilla in his natural habitat. Our findings so far have been hard-earned but revelatory. Sub-aquatic audio captures suggest the creature utilizes a range of communication frequencies more complex than anything we had imagined. When not enraged into action, the creature is slow, graceful, inquisitive even. His size and radioactive signature make him easy to monitor, with scans showing him traveling through various oceanic channels on routine patrol routes propelled by his massive tail. There are sporadic gaps where his signature disappears from tracking logs, and analytics is working closely with our mythography team to determine the cause. Dr. Brooks' 'Hollow Earth' theory is gaining more traction because of this finding and is currently leading the ongoing investigation. It is possible that the epicenter of these sightings is proximal to a previously undiscovered vile vortex. CRYPTID PROFILE For Godzilla's return, the King of the Monsters was given a radically new origin story that deviates from the previously established origin of him being mutated by the hydrogen bomb: in Godzilla: Awakening, the prequel to Godzilla, Godzilla is explained to be an ancient life form from the Permian period. As the planet cooled and its natural atmospheric radiation began to decrease after the Permian-Triassic extinction event, he adapted to survive various other extinction events by diving deep into the ocean and consuming the planet's natural geothermal radiation in a hibernation-like state from its molten core until 1945, when the atomic bombing of Hiroshima woke him up along with the fearsome Shinomura, an enemy he previously fought in the past. Godzilla's species, Titanus Gojira, evolved during the Permian period millions of years ago. Though powerful and numerous, they had been driven to the doorstep of extinction by the MUTOs, a species of parasitic Titans that prey almost exclusively on the Titanus Gojira species. Furthermore, it was speculated that in the ancient past, Godzilla's kind engaged in direct warfare against the Titanus Kong members, Kong's species, in the Hollow Earth. The war lasted for centuries for dominance of the Hollow Earth, resulting in the remaining Titanus Kong members migrating to Skull Island. Other members of his kind are known to have existed throughout time at different points. Two individuals were killed at different times by MUTO Prime, with one of the Titanus Gojira skeletons being found in Siberia while the other, named Dagon, was found in the Philippines. Godzilla himself appears to be the last living member of his species by the events of the films. However, in Godzilla vs Kong, there are some species that bare similarities in appearance to Godzilla, implying some of the Titania Gojira or relatives live in Hollow Earth. Godzilla was theorized by Ishiro Serizawa to have been the alpha predator of his ecosystem and prevented other Titanus species from overpopulating and overrunning the world, acting as a force of nature that maintained balance. When Ghidorah arrived on Earth, he quickly established himself as a rival alpha to Godzilla. Godzilla and Ghidorah battled each other several times before they took their fight to Antarctica, which resulted in Ghidorah being buried in ice and Godzilla's victory. Godzilla's species also share a symbiotic relationship with that of Mothra's.

[@apexatrovinator7510]

No matter it’s faults, I will always love the MV and hopefully it has more movies planned in the future. MV Godzilla is my favourite Godzilla when it comes to design and overall portrayal. It’s a good take on Godzilla to make him a god like creature that rules this planet and maintains balance.

[@skeletalcypress7176]

I feel like that when I see reviews about KOTM they never talk about the visuals and the introduction of every monsters

[@pinealdreams1064]

Godzilla:King of The Monsters and Godzilla Vs Kong are my ultimate 'this is ridiculously silly, but I love it' films.

[@Russell1982]

While I haven’t seen every Godzilla movie I have watched a bunch, mostly when I was younger in the 90’s, these retrospectives have been SO much fun. I have a real nostalgic feeling towards all those early movies but still have a huge love for the original. I would absolutely LOVE to see you do a video in the history of kong movies.

[@brycevo]

I really hope they continue the series. I would love to see the Xaliens and spacegodzilla vs Monarch's mogura and jet jaguar as well as Godzilla and Mothra

[@alansmithee1412]

I appreciate folks like you giving thoughtful insight into this particular iteration of Godzilla. I unfortunately could never fully jive with the Monsterverse, as I personally felt that the films (KOTM especially) seemed to be more interested in providing surface-level spectacle as opposed to the strong human and monster stories in tandem that I feel the best Goji films managed (like the original, vs. King Ghidorah, vs. Destroyah, the Millenium Mecha Godzilla duology, and Shin), and that the environmental messaging got muddled after the first film, among other issues (especially the cultural dissonance in regards to nuclear power). It's good to know that even if I couldn't find as much to enjoy about the Monsterverse experiment as a whole that it means enough to others that great analytical work like this comes out of it. It makes me want to go back and reexamine the films myself, and while I don't know if my opinions will change, it'll at least give good context for what was being attempted more than during my initial viewings.

[@CJthePLAYA]

Granted I’ve not seen every Godzilla film but I’ve seen about 21 films, the 98 cartoon and singular point but I really think KOTM is the best of the bunch for me. Totally agree with your ranking and it kind of scares me we may not get some silly heisei spectacle inspirations going forward. Would love to see a film that takes characters and elements from KOTM and the cinematography of GVK in the monsterverse. KOTM was criticised for its characters but I honestly found them the most compelling. Sad to not have seen Zhang Zhi cast again to reprise her role as the Chen twins along with mothra for the up coming show or film.

[@Kaiju-bm4ts]

Originally she was going to be appear in gvk but she was removed for some reason

[@iandanielcassidy8126]

Godzilla (MonsterVerse), the giant Prehistoric Amphibious Reptile (Titanus Gojira). Heights: 108.204 meters tall and 119.79 meters tall.

[@BriantheWolverine]

I would love to see Matt talk about the 90’s Gamera trilogy.

[@MattDraper]

I absolutely want to do this

[@Duhad8]

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts on Kong through his strange, continuously rebooted film history!

[@UltraSenseiHoots]

Agreed!

[@samcooper2474]

Monster verse Kong=best Kong.

[@turtleanton6539]

yeeeeees

[@brysonturner6019]

While Japan is not the main focus in the MonsterVerse, at the very least "King of the Monsters" does a great job paying homage to its Japanese roots with the character of Dr. Serizawa. The fact Ken Watanabe said his Goodbye to Godzilla in Japanese really hit me hard when I first saw the movie. It was the perfect culmination of his "the only way to heal our wounds is to make peace with the demons who created them." I felt like it sort of reflected how Godzilla transformed from the embodiment of Japan's fears and anxieties about nuclear technology and into a national icon of Japan. All of that wrapped up in Serizawa's final words in Japanese, "Goodbye, Old Friend."

[@SuperReddragon90]

King of the Monsters deserved so much more love. It's a shame so many people complained about the first Legend Goji film having to much humans then went ahead and didn't watch the movie that had more monsters.

[@vincentfranklin17]

Personally, I love 2014's Godzilla, and Godzilla: King Of The Monsters. I even enjoyed Godzilla Vs. Kong!

[@kaizarcantu8240]

13:30 Now I'm desperately searching the webs, hoping to find a picture of Godzilla dressed as The Undertaker.

[@derianardor]

Say what you will about legendary's godzilla... But Bear Mcreary (the composer for things like god of war and black sails) truly gave his love and tribute to king of the monsters soundtrack

[@aidenmb7932]

The monsterverse will forever stay in my heart as godzilla 2014 got me into godzilla

[@whalehands4779]

The Monsterverse continues!

[@pdzombie1906]

Great retrospective!!! Thanx!!!

[@xiphos21]

Great stuff Matt!

[@parkerpshebnisky1051]

I love the monster-verse!

[@Spnozilla]

The monsterverse has a huge amount of potential. I think the movies do well to cater to long time Toho fans, those that remember the TriStar film, and newer audiences. I think it would be within Toho’s interest to allow a renewal of the contract and let them purchase the rights to more monsters so that they can be reimagined and shown to new fans. We all know that everyone is demanding at least one more climatic movie that stars Destroyah and the groundwork is there to do it

[@callummoore6962]

Nice to see "King of the Monsters" get some love....

[@CMontgomeryBurns09]

Interesting retrospective and a great summary of my personal favorite "cinematic universe" of the 2010s... although I'd still argue Rupert Wyatt and Matt Reeves' rebooted Planet of the Apes (2011, 2014, 2017) trilogy is the strongest of the decade. I'd rank the MonsterVerse movies as: (1) Skull Island (best auteur stamp, pacing, and use of music), (2) GvK (most entertaining monster fights, memorable neon visuals), (3) Godzilla 2014 (best cinematography in terms of scale, admirable attention to realism and mood), and (4) Godzilla: KotM (definitely the most "Showa" of the series, but I hated the incessant weather FX and contrived family drama; otherwise fun to see Doughtery's incarnation of Toho's monsters).

[@ThemboCinema]

excellent retrospective. so glad we are getting more monsterverse

[@whalehands4779]

It's funny that the monsterverse Godzilla owes some merit to Godzilla vs Hedorah

[@TWDub]

I would rank the Monsterverse as a solid 6/10. Slightly above average, but not above the flaws of the writing, direction, and overall lack of a consistent tone from film to film. Godzilla 2014: 7/10 This was a solid entry to a franchise designed to look at the question of, "what if this were real?" It provided Godzilla with a strong connection to the world of radiation, gave him a history in Japanese mythology, and kept the focus on the real world implications and ramifications of what creatures like this would actually do and what kind of destruction they could cause. And I'm all for this. Contrary to the analysis in this KZbin video, this film knew exactly what it wanted to be. A simple, straightforward "what if" scenario featuring the most famous and popular movie monster of all time. While the MUTO's weren't exactly eye-popping, they served the role of antagonist for humanity and Godzilla both by presenting credible threats to both. The EMP of the male could disengage the bio-electric spark in Godzilla's throat that triggers his atomic breath (courtesy of the novelization), and it could take humanity back to the pre-electricity era if their breeding was allowed to get out of hand. There are three primary flaws to this film that prevented it from being a 10/10. One, Ford Brody as the main character. He's a cardboard shell of a human being. Uninteresting. Unanimated. Uncharismatic. And not someone many people can relate to outside of the generic "family" message he stands for. Two, killing Joe Brody. Joe was by far the better choice for a Main Character. If he'd simply been confined to a wheel chair, or simply injured and forced to walk with a cane or crutches, he could have served the role far, far better than Ford did and would have had many interesting conversations with Serizawa (played BRILLIANTLY by Ken Watanabe) about the nature of the Titans, the radioactive world they knew back in their time, the differences of how they are forced to live today, and what their return ultimately could mean if their quest to feed on radiation were ever to get out of hand. And three, cutting the monster fights (aka pacing). The monster fights didn't need to be long to be effective. Give Godzilla and the male MUTO 30 seconds to fight at the airport to showcase a glimpse of what they bring to the table, and then let the male retreat with Godzilla in hot pursuit. Give the second Godzilla vs Male battle in SF about 30-40 seconds of Godzilla learning how agile and clever the male is as he uses the environment (aka skyscrapers) to his advantage to do hit and run tactics on Godzilla. If these three things had been done better, this film would be a 10/10 for me.

[@TWDub]

Godzilla, King of the Monsters (2019): 4/10. I'll catch flak for this, but I honestly find this to be the weakest of the Monsterverse films. And there are several reasons for this. But "it was made for the fans" is not one of them. That's a weak excuse that should be given no credibility or attention. So let's do this. One, the "bond" between Godzilla and Mothra... It didn't exist. Sure, she "called" to him before the Rebirth sequence. But that's nothing special. We know from this film, and the 2014 film, that Titans are able to communicate over long distances using various means depending on their species and capabilities. So that moment is nothing special. It's par for the course, and I'd be ranting if she COULDN'T call to him. Two, Mothra's "sacrifice" was total BS. First of all, she was dead when her energy floated down into Godzilla. I don't care what kind of nonsensical links to past Godzilla films you draw, the Monsterverse is based in the real world as much as possible. Post-mortem energy "control" is not possible by any means. And this film did nothing to establish Mothra as a deity or anything more than another giant monster (aka an animal), nor did it do anything to even remotely suggest she had supernatural abilities to do something like this. If you're going to use this as an element in your story, you MUST properly build it up and foreshadow that it is going to be there in order for it to have the proper effect for those not looking at this film through nostalgia glasses. You wanna know why this film flopped at the box office? Things like this are exactly why. General audiences went "WTF is this?" Three, Serizawa's sacrifice was totally unnecessary. The sub was MAYBE 1 mile away from Godzilla in his chamber in the Hollow Earth. Drop the nuke with that analogue timer it had (yes, it was analogue, set and forget), put it in a water-tight seal, and drop it from the sub and get the hell outta there. Nuke goes off, Godzilla absorbs all the radiation (maybe takes an extra 30 seconds to swim around and collect it all), and we get the exact same result and ending to the film. Or, put the nuke in a torpedo with the explosive head removed and beach it on the steps of the pyramid if you want to get it closer to him. Same result. No sacrifice needed. This was done PURELY for nostalgia with no narrative need, nor was there a buildup or foreshadowing of this moment either. Serizawa decided to kill himself for literally no reason which completely delegitimizes the emotion and impact of the scene. Four, the Oxygen Destroyer did not kill Godzilla, nor did it even function the way it should have. It "drained" his power, leaving him with precious little. But it left him with enough to get hit in the Atlantic, find an entrance to the Hollow Earth, swim however any hundreds of miles of twisting caves, and reach his chamber to start recovering. For those who don't know, the loss of oxygen molecules does NOT affect radiation. Godzilla's power shouldn't have been affected at all. His BODY should have been. He has oxygen in his blood, skin, muscles, and organs. Without oxygen his cells they will die very, very quickly (literally in seconds) and that will result in organ failure and, eventually, death. Not only that, but the entire molecular structure of his body would be thrown out of whack. Why do you think 54' literally disintegrated in the end of the film? Molecular destabilization. Sure, it was overdramatized and disintegration wouldn't be the end result. It'd be more like a balloon shriveling up and deflating. But draining him of power and leaving his body perfectly in tact? Bruh. Does Dougherty even KNOW the original OD device and how it was meant to work, and what it would actually do if used? Five, the OD's failure permanently stained the canon legacy of the device as "THE" device that killed Godzilla. Humanity's one and only true victory over the King of the Monsters, including the version in Singular Point which was also successful in destroying him, now has a canonical 2/3 record. 66%. Because yes, the Monsterverse is canon. Thanks for permanently staining the legacy of one of the major elements of the franchise Dougherty. It's really appreciated. And no, "it was a prototype" is not an excuse. The destruction of oxygen molecules is the destruction of oxygen molecules. Its status as a prototype does not magically change the end result of what happens when oxygen molecules are destroyed inside your body. Six, the OD was not only wasted, but not even necessary. They could have significantly raised the tension if they'd had Ghidorah ignore the Argo, defeat Rodan, land on the volcano, and wake up the other Titans BEFORE Godzilla caught up with him. Then they could have given us a scene wondering if Godzilla would reach Ghidorah in time to defeat him before other Titans showed up. Cause Hollow Earth be damned, Godzilla's NOT swimming fast enough to catch Ghidorah who had a massive FLYING head start from Antarctica. Godzilla catches up at the volcano island and fights Ghidorah and Rodan, and holds his own. Then other Titans show up and they all give Godzilla a MASSIVE beat down complete with him getting slashed, gored, gashed, etc. He falls into the water, unconscious, and disappears into the bloodied waters of the Pacific, seemingly dead. Not only do we get more monster action, but we get effectively the same result as the OD. Godzilla's down for the count, but we got more of what we came for. The OD completely robbed us of something like this, and for nothing in return. Seven, Burning Godzilla 2.0 was awesome to look at, but total BS. First, there was no indication that anywhere along the line the "explosion" had stopped or was no longer a factor. Some would argue "Ghidorah dropping him did it." When? Did you see or hear anything in the film or novel that said "that stopped any dangerous of an explosion?" Cause I didn't. No, big G was still gonna explode. What happens when Mothra dies? She ADDS energy to that out of control wildfire raging inside him. And I don't care what planet you come from, her "bond" with him does not magically change the nature of how energy works. What happens when you blow a balloon up to capacity and then add one more breath? It pops. Godzilla should have exploded from the overload of energy within seconds of her adding it to him after her body was obliterated. Eight, lack of compelling human story. If there's one thing the original film in 54' had, it was a compelling human story. Anyone who says "Godzilla's never been about human drama or story" has clearly never watched the original film, or at the very least is not understanding of the fact that the franchise has ALWAYS been about the human drama. It's ALWAYS been about how humanity reacts to Godzilla, and the obstacles presented to both sides from start to end. If you think human drama doesn't matter, you're not a Godzilla fan. You're just a casual kaiju movie fan who focuses their attention on the "cool" stuff. Aka the action. But the true heart of the Godzilla franchise has always been humanity. For f**k's sake, he's literally a metaphor for our sins against one another!! How much more "human drama" can you get than Godzilla himself? (Cont.) As such, this film COULD HAVE had a proper human story if they bothered to try. But they didn't. The entire Russell family is well acted, but lacks chemistry or any sort of compelling inter-familial drama that could have, in some ways, mirrored what happened between Godzilla and the other Titans of the film. Imagine if Mark were still struggling with alcohol addition, fighting against its temptation and struggling to maintain a hold on himself until the moment he's about to give in right before the rebirth sequence, but then remembers everything he's lost and how it all came crashing down because of a misunderstanding that Godzilla was at fault for Andrew's death. He apologizes to Godzilla, and commits himself to helping find and revitalize him by any means necessary. THAT would have been compelling, and would have uplifted the entire film and its narrative both on the human and monster side. All in all, this film was an absolutely nostalgia-fueled mess. And while I have plenty of problems with it, as outlined above, I still enjoy it for what it does right which is the monster visuals, sound design, the fights, and the music. By god, the music. Bear McCreary. You genius mad lad.

[@TWDub]

Godzilla vs. Kong: 6/10 This film was much better than KOTM. And similarly to 2014, it had only a few major problems that held it back from being the best it could possibly be. And none of them would have been hard to change or give a bit more care in the writing phase. I mean c'mon, they boasted about a "writer's room," and then didn't deliver. One, Godzilla and Kong literally had no reason to fight. "Ancient Rivalry" doesn't pertain to THIS particular Kong, and THIS particular Godzilla. We know their species had a beef. But in this film Godzilla was portrayed as a war-focused bully who just wanted to fight anyone/everyone and defeat them just because. The opening credits, and his going after Kong in the ocean when he presented no credible threat to Godzilla, are proof enough of that. If Godzilla and Kong had been given a more natural reason to meet and come into conflict, that alone would have made this film a lot stronger and more compelling from start to finish. So shame on you Legendary. Shame on you. Two, Mechagodzilla. Just... Why? Why would anyone waste the time, money, resources, manpower, and energy to make a mechanical version of a Titan? I don't care how "insane" the villain seems, there's literally no reason to do this. They'd be FAR better off using that time, money, energy, etc, to try making an OD that WORKS this time, rather than serves as a convenient McGuffin (yes, Doughtery, it was a McGuffin despite your claims to the contrary on social media), to weaken Godzilla and trample on the legacy of the original device. That, or try to find a way to weaponize the other Titans who are still alive and get them to take on Godzilla in a Destroy All Monsters kind of film, but this time with Godzilla serving in Ghidorah's place. He was acting the villain from the start by killing off other Titans in the intro credits and for going after Kong for no reason. So play it up. Make him the villain and use the OD to finish him off and conclude the Monsterverse (at least as far as his involvement is concerned since Toho took the rights to him back after the film). Three, they completely WASTED Ren Serizawa despite teasing his connection to his father. They didn't even give him a personality in the film. He had a handful of lines, then got killed. That was it. No exploration of his past. No exploration of his personality. No exploration of his personal views or morals. No exploration of ANYTHING. Just say "Hey, this is Serizawa's kid! Now he's gone! Enjoy!" That's literally what we got. If ever there was a better demonstration of not knowing what the f**k to do with a character, I don't think I've ever seen one. This was just poor writing. Plain and simple. I've seen fanfiction that does this story more justice than this film did. So yeah. If they actually gave them a reason to fight other than simply spouting "ancient rivalry," and if they didn't waste Mecha King Ghidorah-ah, I mean... Ahem... "Mechagodzilla," then I probably would have rated this film at least an 8/10, maybe 9/10. That's my honest, brutal analysis of the Monsterverse films featuring Godzilla. And for those wondering, I don't do this out of spite, hatred, or anything negative. I do this out of love because I always want Godzilla to succeed. But for him and the franchise to succeed the writers and directors need to actually TRY to give us something worth watching and paying attention to. And as much as I want to sing the nostalgic praises of the films we've gotten, nostalgia does not supersede the narrative to me. In fact, it serves more to detract from what the films could have been rather than adding to what they are. Cheers!

[@Kaiju-bm4ts]

@@TWDub The monsterverse was not made to be "based in the real world" Gareth only applied that logic to HIS PERSONAL monsterverse film. He didn't leave a note that said *"any future directors that come after me have to be grounded in realism"* He never made that a rule for the universe he started. Ksi was only grounded because it was a prequel meanwhile kotm and gvk were sequels that took place years later so there was no one stopping or forcing Michael or Adam to get more fantastical. Also the oxygen destroyer in kotm was a prototype weapon that wasn't made to incinerate cells or bone, it was made to remove oxygen or in this case radiation from any titan. Just because it's the oxygen destroyer in different universe doesn't mean it has to work the same way it did before. That's like saying godzilla has to keep the same powers he had since the showa era when the guy gets new powers nearly every era.

[@vincentfranklin17]

Another excellent job, Matt!

[@Emike-nc9ew]

THANKS,for covering the monsterverse,i apreciate all the retrospectives of all eras of godzilla,and i hope you get around to make other retrospectives of other giant monsters.

[@KingmanHighborn]

KOTM struggling at the box office is so infuriating as it's such a perfect, near flawless film.

[@shinndig1293]

Yeah no.

[@MonkeyJoe92]

Absolutely loved your retrospective on this era! It’s great seeing a deep dive into such a recent string of movies like this. And that ending teaser for Shin Godzilla? Chills. Love it!

[@alexeratops]

Good video but the mutos are sick af- insane sound design, animation, and the designs are more unique than people give them credit for. Plus the concept of a breeding pair of kaiju fighting against godzilla is pretty cool too

[@anthonyhudak9363]

Since you've completed the Godzilla franchise retrospective I'd love to see you tackle other monster movie franchises

[@sebastienvondoom8615]

There's still one more left, Shin Godzilla

[@smhfirebruh5630]

@@sebastienvondoom8615 and like the crummy Cgi anime movies

[@sebastienvondoom8615]

@@smhfirebruh5630 He said he wasn't sure if he was going to do them, and I think the ending of this one shows he isn't, more power to him if I'm being honest.

[@trexhunter2883]

Quick thing about Godzilla 2014. It recently had a new 4K remaster and Blu Ray release and if you thought the film was too dark I highly recommend picking it up it brightens the film while not detracting from the mood of the film. It just looks a lot more vivid and amazing.

[@whalehands4779]

What I like about the Monsterverse is that it feels like it's on a grander stage

[@michaelriverside1139]

I can't even properly write how much excitement comes over when a new Matt Draper video comes out, but Christmas Eve Kiddy Giddy describes my feelings towards a new Matt Draper Godzilla Film Video!!! Hmmmm, I think the Monsterverse is pretty good and just letting Godzilla fight against Kong once again was truly an event, but it definitely should have have a bigger message or ambition moving forward since I thought the concept of Titans becoming the new Apex and Humanity finding ways to co-exist was such a fantastic set-up that was severely underdeveloped in the latest film While I also appreciate the Grounded Approach in the first few entries, the Mythological side has been definitely sidelined as well and could bring a whole breath of fresh air to the saga, specially if it can be anchored with a Mikki Saegusa or Asagi kind of character... Definitely excited about it's future as the possibilities of what can be done with it are insane... Classics like Biollante or Destoroyah can become existential level threats to both Titans and Humans, The technology of Mechagodzilla could lead into more bonkers stuff such as Jet Jaguar or MOGUERA, perhaps even Mechani-Kong and distant dreaming, but this might be Gamera's chance to make Big Comeback! Sorry for the ramble....

[@BubblegumCrash332]

Love your channel and thank you for getting me into The Midnight. I've been listening non stop 👍

[@gojiruler1435]

Brilliant video man keep up the great work godzilla has always been a childhood favorite of mine and monsterverse is definitely my favorite of the franchise with KOTM being my number 1 film, long live the king of the monsters

[@mrbransformer4184]

Shin Godzilla though, that’s the best one to come out in this current era.

[@isaacwilliams7133]

The camera work and not allowing the camera to be were a person can’t is the best part of the 2014 movie. The monster designs are also really awesome. I really think it gets overlooked by other monster movies.

[@federicomarinozzi4935]

Really nice video 👏🏻

[@perfectcell_21]

King of the Monsters is my favorite of the three. I guess most people didn’t think so.

[@johnpittsii7524]

❤ Godzilla monsterverse thanks for the review Matt

[@gerardoafw228]

They just announced a live action series on Apple TV, so I am excited to hear your thoughts eventually. In the mean time, a King Kong retrospective is due!!! Excellent work as always.

[@blitz8425]

I love how G14 is so visceral. It's not spectacle, but looks great. Everything is heavy, and has a weight to it that you would expect. Its also exactly what an American interpretation should be. It touches on aspects of the American subconscious (ding ding, more 911 metaphor) in a way that the original Godzilla did with Japan, and later Shin Godzilla.

[@BurningFlamesofDivineDragon]

Very nice review great job with the detail. Keep up the great work.

[@bhargavipba]

I know this was 2 years ago, but Monsterverse is now a 2 billion dollar franchise and will continue, since GxK is a massive success.

[@TheKindofTiredSleepCantFix]

really looking forward to Matt Fraction's Monsterverse series. And I would love to see you do a retrospective on Kong.

[@subraxas]

7:19 - I totally loved the MUTOs!!

[@MrBANE1992]

First film was the only film I’ve ever fallen asleep in cinema watching. I watched the sequels on streaming and was surprised each of them is better than the last Godzilla KOM Kong Skull island and GVK are fucking amazing in my opinion.

[@chonchjohnch]

Jay Bauman gave my favorite review of GvK: “It feels like a child wrote it, and that’s both a good and bad thing”

[@bhargavipba]

Say what you will, but I love the way Godzilla has been interpreted in the Monsterverse. I especially love the design of our favourite giant lizard.

[@interviolet6675]

I Love Godzilla(2Ø14) And King of the Monsters(2Ø19) He's my most favourite I'm excited for the Apple + series I'm hoping we see more of Rodan and Mothra in the future too They're too amazing not have show up again 💜🦖🖤

[@ChrisPeteG]

My favorite thing about Godzilla is how sometimes the weakest moments lead to the best moments. If Banno hadn't made Hedorah and had a long journey to create a followup...if G98 hadn't squandered the US adaptation....then the parameters and stipulations leading to the MonsterVerse wouldn't have aligned the way they needed to. We have Banno and G98 to thank, in some ways, for the existence of the Monsterverse how we have it.

[@MrAwsomeness360]

Eh, I don't really see the issue with the "cultural disconnect" thing, nor (growing up) have I ever seen the connection to said culture in the first place outside the majority of Godzilla movies being made in Japan. The original, I can understand as being made nine years after World War ⅠⅠ, but even then the intent on Godzilla's creation was never clearly meant to connect to Japanese culture and more having to do with modern man in general, and a warning of humanity's hubris and scientific technology being used for warfare rather than being used for our benefit. That and because he was designed as a Hollywood monster through Japanese lens. The ecocentrism themes that Godzilla has carried over the years since even that initial film feels more universal than to Japan specifically: like you said Godzilla is the embodiment of nature reasserting itself and remind how small humans are in the face of nature, and also how our science and technology has a way of backfiring on us when trying to control nature and pretending to stand equal to gods. That, to me, sounds like what Godzilla has always been about no matter what country interprets it, a universal message tied to humankind as a whole and not to one specific nation. One more thing: this is why the MonsterVerse Godzilla stands as my #1 favorite incarnation of all time - it's an amalgamation of every incarnation into one, with a refined characterization and has personality that validates him as an actual character, not just a construct (to which I am sick of), complete with a design that has every aspect of every past design mixed into one, keeping the classic look, while modernizing properly.

[@jackelproductions7035]

I honestly love the monsterverse. This is my summed up analysis of the four. Godzilla is a very good Godzilla movie and essentially the perfect adaptation for American audiences. Kong: Skull Island is also a good Kong movie, though not the best it is a stylized popcorn flick and a fresh and entertaining reintroduction to Kong that he deserved. Godzilla King of the Monsters is a very underrated movie that is a near perfect monster fight movie with great action, a defined tone, fair stakes, and understandable themes that add layers to a otherwise mindless kaishu movie and creates a well rounded film in the end. The film also adapted plot ideas and tropes from modern American action films and franchises along with tendencys of older Godzilla films that pay tribute to Gojira’s roots. Godzilla vs. Kong is tribute to classic Godzilla movies from the start. The opening title credits for the movie and the score reveal enough. In addition to the tone of the film it is light on pot and heavy on monster acting and expanding the universe that creates a satisfying experience that deep down we all really wanted. So yeah dumb, lighthearted monster movie.

[@TRUTHISABSOLUTE777]

Can't wait for the shin Gojira breakdown. Good job.

[@mr.sand7899]

They will do more Monsterverse in a TV series.

[@femmedracula6857]

loved this video