‘Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters’ Review – A Spectacular Kaiju Action-Adventure Series

There’s something about a creature feature where the premise grabs you and just won’t let go. The streaming series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a science-fiction series that drops the viewer years into the middle of the world in crisis. This complements the viewer as the episode unfolds, akin to Lost-like flashbacks that are rewarding. The result is a spectacular action-adventure series that Apple TV+ has craved for years.

The story follows the aftermath of Godzilla versus the MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism), better known as the “Kaiju,” that leveled the streets of San Francisco. Told in wonderfully layered flashbacks, Cate (Pachinko’s Anna Sawai) is an elementary school teacher who evacuates with her class as the monsters hit. Cate is searching for her father, Hiroshi (Takehiro Hira), whom she has not seen since the city’s evacuation.

Her search leads her to Kentaro (Ren Watabe), a young artist and brother she never knew she had. Cate then runs into Kentaro’s ex-girlfriend, an expert hacker with a secret, May (Hearts Beat Loud’s Kiersey Clemons). Together, they team up to find Hiroshi after government officials of the ultra-secret Monarch program begin to track their every move. After avoiding an abduction attempt, they contact Hiroshi’s former confidant and friend, Lee Shaw (a terrific Kurt Russell, still a legend), who leads their search efforts that lead down a rabbit hole of government secrets and agendas.

Jump back nearly 80 years, and a young Lee Shaw (in a piece of genius casting, Wyatt Russell, Kurt’s son), a research scientist, Keiko (Tokyo Vice’s Mari Yamamoto), and a former naval officer turned researcher, Bill Randa (Anders Holm of Workaholics fame), infiltrate a Cold War country’s land quarantined for nuclear radiation. They soon find out the warning signs and dilapidated metal fences are just a beard covering up something far more sinister and dangerous.

The first eight episodes were made available to critics, and they prove Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is an addictive series with simply jaw-dropping spectacular visuals. Yet, as we all know, like most Godzilla storytelling, it’s the monsters that are the stars, which means that human characters have as much three-dimensional quality as a couple of Fatheads on your nine-year-old boy’s wall. Here, the creators incorporate a “Mystery Box” storytelling technique that enriches the characters and their experiences for the viewer.

And much of the credit should go to a fine cast to bring that aspect of the story to life. It should be mandatory that anyone who plays someone in a flashback be a blood relative because watching Wyatt and Kurt Russell is pure joy. The nostalgia-packed series brings some of that golden-age star power, with the great Kurt Russell bringing his trademark gruff charm to a role with some pitch-perfect comic relief. You also have a fun guest spot from John Goodman, reprising his role from Kong: Skull Island. Also, Pachinko alums Sawai and Yamamoto are excellent here, with the latter giving the series the best performance.

Many may worry that the special effects, like in a series like Halo, will fall off dramatically after the first two episodes. However, slowly, as the narrative progresses, revelations with well-timed reveals feel more critical and just as fun as the monsters on screen. This is smart because the writers pick their spots when to bring Kaiju or one of his MUTO enemies, which makes for a bigger payoff with what we can assume are expensive special effects. There is no clear indication of the series cost, but many speculate it costs around a Marvel series, north of 200 million dollars. However, trust us, the series looks like it used every penny and is worthy of the “Monster Verse” stamp of approval.

Overall, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a spectacular and arresting adventure series. If the first batch of episodes is any indication, the final two seasons should lead to an awe-inspiring climax worth your time, which is saying a lot nowadays.

Happy hunting.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premieres on AppleTV+ on November 17, 2023. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLHsM4bpfxY]