Wednesday, June 19, 2019

All hail to The King: GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS(2019)

For only the second time in the past five years, I went to an actual movie theater to watch a movie. I have developed, over the course of many years, a strong disdain for venturing into a movie theater, the reasons including: the cost of counter condiments, the cost of a ticket, managing to always be seated behind extremely tall individuals, those with overactive bladders and/or those who like to chat on their cell phones while the movie is playing.

Still, having seen Legendary Pictures' Godzilla(2014) in a theater five years ago, my great lifelong fondness for Godzilla compelled me back inside a theater to watch Godzilla King Of The Monsters(2019). I went on a Sunday morning two weeks ago. There were not many inside the theater besides me, I suspect because it was before noon on a Sunday.

I own a terrific television, an ultra hi-def (4K capable), 49" "TCL" brand flat screen TV with great features and a stereo headphone jack which I often use. I marvel at the Blu Rays I watch (of movies) on my TV but nothing, in my opinion, compares to the giant screen spectacle and amplified bass audio that a movie theater can provide.

I wasn't disappointed with Godzilla King Of The Monsters(2019). This movie was everything I hoped it would be: loud, action packed with lots of giant monsters and giant monster battles. Any fan of Godzilla or giant monster movies in general should absolutely love GKOTM. The various monsters in this movie are all rendered in stellar fashion - Godzilla is a lumbering juggernaut with his powerful atomic breath. Rodan and Mothra are majestic flying behemoths with colossal wingspans(both over 800 feet) and King Ghidorah is the one monster capable of challenging Godzilla in battle. King Ghidorah and its gravity beams have never looked more awesome and powerful in a film than in GKOTM.

I've seen the criticism of this film from various and official "movie critics" around the internet. Obviously they have a right to their opinion but I found much of the criticism to be, well asinine.

Thus far the domestic box office receipts for GKOTM(2019) have been disappointing and the projected worldwide box office take for this movie is projected to plateau at $400 million. Due to its high production cost (anywhere from $170-200 million depending on who you believe), a $400 million box office take may not even allow Legendary Pictures to break even on GKOTM.

A final film in Legendary Pictures' "monsterverse" called Godzilla Vs Kong, with an announced theatrical release date of March 13, 2020 (next year), may be undergoing some re-shoots as the studio reacts to the box office results of GKOTM. As the title of this film implies, a 393 foot tall Godzilla will square off against a presumably larger King Kong-recall that this Kong is only 105 feet in 2017's Kong-Skull Island. I'm guessing Kong will be ramped up to 300-325 feet in height so as to be physically able to fight Godzilla.

As for me, and assuming Godzilla Vs Kong  is released in theaters next March, I'll be back in that same nearby theater, coke and popcorn in hand, sitting in one of the back rows, ready for more giant monster action!