Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters – Series Review (Spoiler-Free)

Something I never thought I would see before, as someone who is not only a massive Kailju fan, but as a celebrant of both TOHO, and Godzilla’s history (yes, even ’98 as a guilty pleasure), would be such a demand for these incredible monsters. As of November 2023, fans have three projects to look forward to The King of The Monsters within the next five-months, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Godzilla Minus One, and Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. 2024 will be the 70^th Anniversary of the release of Gojira (1954), and this coming year, will be by-far the most Godzilla has ever had so much international attention.

Godzilla Minus One has released in Japan on November 3^rd as part of Godzilla Day, and the film has also seen a Hollywood premiere on November 10^th, and now Apple+ will be launching their first televised launch into Legendary’s Monsterverse, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. This ten-episode season was created by Chris Black, and Matt Fraction, and stars Anna Sawai (Pachinko (2022-, F9), Ren Watabe (461 Days of Bento), Kiersey Clemons (Zack Snyder’s: Justice League, The Flash), Kurt Russell (The Thing, Escape From New York), and Wyatt Russell (The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, 22 Jump Street).

Up Your Geek was granted the exclusive opportunity to view the first eight-episodes of the series, each of which breathed familiar, as well as new, and exciting life into the Monsterverse. What was though by many fans to be a lost tone following Gareth Edward’s Godzilla (2014) and into more fantastical, albeit for the better, elements of Kong: Skull Island (2017), and Godzilla: King of The Monsters (2019), Monarch: Legacy of Monsters takes place, primarily, in 2015. This setting alone separates this series from further entries, and places its atmosphere and tension into the Spielberg-esque world that Edward’s was aiming for.

Without trying too spoil much of the plot, because I was honestly surprised by it; Monarch: Legacy of Monsters does the best of with each of its characters that it can, to an impressing degree. While the series has most of its plot focused on a mystery between Sawai’s Cate, and Watabe’s Kentaro in 2015, the story manages to brilliantly integrate the history of Monarch from the 1950’s to build onto the narrative that the audience is being told, this is where Kurt, and Wyatt Russell’s Lee Shaw comes into play. Shaw is introduced early as one of the founding members of Monarch, and is holding many of the secrets that is shaking the organization’s bureaucracy to its knees, which follow directly into the main story. The first two-episodes of the series have been released on Apple TV+, and the narrative efficiently shows many of the connecting points that range three different generations; the origins of Monarch, a brief scene set during the events of Kong: Skull Island, and the introduction of Cate, Kentaro, and May’s relationship following the year-long aftermath of Godzilla 2014.

At the end of the day, the biggest concern regarding series, and shows containing a character, and world of this magnitude is screentime, and how much is split between them, and the Titans. While it is fair to say that many shows may struggle from this issue, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters makes an exception; in any of these worlds whether it be TOHO, Daiei, or Legendary, the characters need to be able to sufficiently carry the narrative in order to make the audience care about the stakes we are experiencing. This series does that in spades. I was surprised, not by how much the characters got screen-time, but how much of that was truly dedicated to making me care about their situation. Each character has a place in the story that feels determined, or even earned, as early as that may sound. The plot is even furth impacted, and brought to ground by performances from Mari Yamamoto, Joe Tippett, Anders Holm, and Elisa Lasowski.

As mentioned, this series primarily takes place in 2015, one-year following the MUTO attack on San Fransico, and yet is set four-years before Godzilla: King of The Monsters, we, as the audience, already knows the public the response, and military activity following a Titan immersion. However, to see this come into place, to see this world build, is exciting. While there may be a few forced issues into the future narrative that may raise a few shoulders, there was an extraordinary effort to expand this world without adding anything that felt out of place. One thing that felt missing in the series was the tone created by Gareth Edwards, and that is made amends here. The Titans are, even subtly, at the forefront of the story. Despite the impact of human, and emotional drama, the Titans, and Godzilla are always a presence, and this makes the series stand above others in the Kaiju genre. None of these characters or morally perfect, and the show takes its time exploring those attributes, but what is most important is that it does not matter what situation that anybody might be in, there is this unsettling feeling that one of the monsters could arrive at anytime. The creature effects are incredible, and while shows have very close to perfect-CGI in the same way modern blockbusters do, this show manages to put even the best around to shame, and do it in the daylight.

Monarch teased at a history dating back to post-WWII in the opening credits of Godzilla (2014), and was then realized in Kong: Skull Island, however, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters take things to another level. With the narrative being split, audiences and fans will have plenty of time to take in what history lies ahead as the story, hopefully progresses. Anna Sawai, Ren Watabe, and Kurt / Wyatt Russell carry the heart of a triumph for Legendary, the Monsterverse, and its fans.

With spectacular monster moments, adoring characters, and a narrative that will actually keep you guessing, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is continuing to push the strengths of these fantastic creatures, and characters that so many have come to love over the past 70-Years. I am personally looking-forward to see what comes next.

Up Your Geek will be uploading spoiler reviews following each release of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.