By Josh Nason
Since I was a kid, I have loved monster movies especially the classic rubber suit Godzilla films. They’re hokey and cheesy in plenty of spots, but they have a place in my heart and always will. (Just don’t tell my wife. Please.)
I thought Japan’s Godzilla: Minus One was tremendous with the last few years of U.S. made Godzilla movies, well, maybe not so much. I really liked 2014’s Godzilla and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters slightly less but the last two movies with King Kong have been, well, not great with The New Empire taking the cake of awful, Transformers-esque garbage.
But, I still paid to see it so the joke’s on me.
All that being written, you can probably understand why I was stoked when Apple created a spinoff of the last few Godzilla movies focusing on the company working to harness these monsters in Monarch. Apple has money so the assumption was this was going to be at least visually on par with the movies.
We’re officially two seasons in, so it’s time to give Monarch: Legacy of Monsters the Should You Watch treatment. Get into your fallout shelters and pull up a laptop powered by a car battery.
Should You Watch Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (Apple TV)?
How many seasons?
Two with a third all but guaranteed.
How many episodes?
20.
What type of show is it?
Sci-fi of the Japanese kaiju monster mashin’ variety.
What year(s)?
2023, 2026
Where can I currently find it?
Apple TV
Who is it for?
Fans of the Godzilla franchise and those who like a lot of big monsters smashing cities.
What’s the commit level?
928 minutes which is 15.4 hours. That’s without credits and all that.
Is there a bailout episode?
I feel like you know what you’re getting into watching this, so if you don’t like the first one, get on the first plane out of Tokyo ASAP.
Any interesting background in the show’s creation?
It was created in the wake of the commercial success of Godzilla vs. Kong with Apple picking up the rights and greenlighting it in January 2022. The series got renewed for a second season with spinoffs coming along with it, one of those reportedly on the Wyatt Russell character during the Cold War era.
Are there actors the average TV watcher would recognize?
Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Joe Tippett
What’s the reaction been?
Rotten Tomatoes has an overall 82/80 split which is really good while it has a generally favorable score of 67 on Metacritic. It’s been nominated for smaller awards, but nothing really of note.
What’s the main plot in a sentence?
The trials and tribulations of an agency with the sole focus of controlling, understanding and dealing with Titans (aka the monsters). Wackiness ensues.
What’s the rewatch factor?
Low.
If you like these shows or movies, you’ll like this:
Fallout, the last two Godzilla vs. Kong movies, Transformers.
Is this a first or second screen show?
Second and honestly, third if that’s even an option.
Should you watch Monarch: Legacy of Monsters?
Stick with me on this analogy, but shows and movies like this are like porn: you’re not watching for the plot, just the action.
The show’s CGI is on point and holds up to the movies, but everything else in Monarch is so boring or as my daughter might say, “Sooooooo borrrrrrinnnggg.” I then usually tell her about growing up in the 80s vs. now and she then usually leaves the room. Win/win.
I tried to get into the story in s1, but I just couldn’t give a shit about any of the characters, what their motivations were, or what they were doing. Because these are 10 episodes per season, it just means more of the humans which means more of doing something else while watching. This is what happens when you take a two hour movie and say, “Let’s add eight more hours.” Not good.
Yet, I still am watching it. There’s a few payoffs and the final episode or two are usually good because the focus is on the action and less of everything else. I can’t imagine what the draw of a spinoff with more of a focus on the human characters is.
If you’re a Godzilla fan, you’ll like s1 better as that’s essentially his season while s2 belongs to Kong with the exception of one episodes. There are other Titans/monsters, but not ones that are super familiar other than a big one that comes at the end of s2 for the eventual s3.
Should you watch? Unless you’re a diehard fan of this genre and/or loved the last two Godzilla/Kong movies to a crazy degree, don’t watch Monarch. Just don’t.
