As I’m taking an indefinite break from the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe to those who aren’t so comic-book-inclined), little did I know that I’ve stumbled into another huge cinematic universe: the MonsterVerse. Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures have created five films and two TV series so far, with Monarch: Legacy of Monsters being the second (the first is an anime series Skull Island developed for Netflix). Chris Black serves as the showrunner with Matt Fraction as its co-creator and co-executive producer.

Monarch is a 10-episode, dual-timeline series spanning three generations and told in a non-linear fashion. I’ve seen the first five of season one so far. The current timeline takes place in 2015, directly after the events of the 2014 Godzilla reboot by Gareth Edwards. Honestly, I barely remember that movie (and the three subsequent ones) but that’s when the secret scientific corporation Monarch that tracks down the big monsters like Godzilla was introduced. In the opening we get a cameo of John Goodman, reprising his role of cryptozoologist Bill Randa from Kong: Skull Island. Chased by a giant spider-like monster, he throws a Monarch satchel into the ocean.

At this point, San Francisco has been leveled thanks to the thunderous battle between Godzilla and MUTO (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism). Cate Randa (Anna Swai) is en route to Tokyo trying to uncover what happened to her presumed-dead father Hiroshi Randa (Takehiro Hira) and his connection to Monarch. She recalled the terrifying event on G-day and those mysterious people she saw with the M insignia. Once she arrives in Japan she discovers that she has a half-brother she never knew named Kentaro (Ren Watabe), both soon realize their father has been living separate lives with two sets of wife and kids. Joining the two in their quest to unearth Monarch is Kentaro’s friend/lover May (Kiersey Clemons) who’s got the tech skills to help decode what’s inside the Monarch satchel.

Though Kurt Russell gets top billing in this series, we don’t see much of him in the first two episodes. Instead, we see his son Wyatt Russell who plays the younger version of his character, Lee Shaw in the 1950s storyline. My favorite scenes involve Cate’s grandmother, scientist Keiko (Mari Yamamoto), and her army escort Lee, there’s a playful dynamic between the two, who initially didn’t believe a beautiful young woman is the scientist he’s to be escorting. Later on, the younger Bill Randa (Anders Holm) joins them, and as Cate’s last name is Randa, obviously she’s a descendant of Bill and Keiko.

It’s pretty thrilling to see the three look for these mystical monsters, even backed by the US army who gave them a blank cheque to find more Titans. The scene in a decaying old ship USS Lawton is pretty spooky involving a dragon-like creature. Another eerie scene takes place inside a huge warehouse involving a swarm of terrifying critters that swarm the place. I have to say that the adventures of the trio in the 1950s are far more fascinating than the ones in the current timeline with the trio of Cate, Kentaro, and May. I guess the lack of monsters in the current timeline is a major factor, but I also find the unconvincing acting of the younger actors, particularly Watabe’s, pretty distracting.

It’s ironic that my biggest issue with most monster movies is the lack of depth of the human characters. Now, I think the Monarch series is trying to rectify that by giving us more in-depth human stories with complex relationships and intriguing mysteries to solve instead of just trying to fight or escape from a bunch of monsters. Now, I think they certainly succeed in making a more character-driven show, though they’re not always the most entertaining. I find the interactions between Kentaro and May rather tedious, while the familial/sibling dynamic scenes can be overly melodramatic. I said ironic because many times during the human drama scenes, I find myself craving to see more monsters! Now, I’m not even a die-hard Monster Verse fan, so I’d imagine those who are would want to see more Godzilla + co.

Thankfully, the always-watchable Kurt Russell turns up on episode 3 when the group finally meets the older Lee Shaw. Russell’s Shaw is a bit of a rascal and he infuses some energy into this group of young folks with his sharp wit and bold plan to elude Monarch’s watchful eyes. Their adventure all the way in Alaska to search for Hiroshi proves to be their most perilous one yet, they endure the brutal freezing terrain and another terrifying monster attack.

Half a century after Shaw went monster hunting with Keiko and Bill, Monarch is clearly threatened by what Shaw uncovered. It’d add to the suspense if the Monarch employees (Joe Tippett, Elisa Lasowski) were a bit more threatening, but none of them are. They’re more annoying than menacing as they constantly harass Cate and her cohorts. Even the chase with Shaw isn’t remotely thrilling as when the monsters are after them, which makes me miss Godzilla even more!

There are a few more episodes that haven’t been released, and despite my quibbles, I’m still looking forward to finishing the series. So far it’s one of the more interesting Apple TV series released this year and one I’m willing to keep watching (unlike the boring Foundation series which I’ve given up on despite the phenomenal production values) I have to hand it to the cinematography and visuals effects department as the series is visually stunning. Whenever the monsters do show up, they look wonderfully realized with rich details.

Let’s hope the first season will end on a high note!

Have you seen Monarch: Legacy of Monsters? Let me know what you think!

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