Film Preview: Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Page Revisions:

(July 29, 2018) Original
(December 16, 2018) New Trailer (#2) / New Posters (#3-#6)
(April 28, 2019) New Trailer (#3) / New Posters (#7-#9)
(May 26, 2019) New Posters (#10-#14)

Release Date:

May 31, 2019

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “The new story follows the heroic efforts of the cryptozoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient superspecies, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.”

Poster Rating: D+ / B- / B- (4) / C+ / C- / C+ / B- / C / C+ / C- / C

SEE ALL POSTERS BELOW
Review: (#1) I guess if you appreciate Godzilla, this would be a satisfactory tease, but with the roiling dust clouds in the backdrop and the cheap simplicity of the title are unappealing. (#2) Godzilla in a fight is a compelling design choice that speaks well to the film’s monstrous foundation.

(#3-#6) This quartet of posters, each using a different color and adding glow to the monsters, make for an interesting set of character designs.

(#7) Two important figures transplanted into a location that doesn’t align with what we know about the film. It’s modestly tempting, but not great. (#8) There’s just not enough to this design to engage the audience in a visually daring way. (#9) This isn’t far removed from design #7, but it does appear to be a bit more interesting and balanced.

(#10) Locked in a fearsome battle, this design is just about all the viewer could need to get some modest whiff of excitement for the film. (#11) Why must IMAX be bigger than the so called titans. It’s a bit vain and unnecessary. (#12) These two characters always seem to appear on the posters, which is interesting, but becomes dull eventually. This design doesn’t have anything new to offer. (#13) The colors here are simply distracting, a garish display that does nothing to sell the film. (#14) We’ve seen this before and it’s not become more impressive with new details added.

Trailer Rating: B- / B / B

SEE ALL TRAILERS BELOW
Review: (#1) There are some fascinating images of other popular Godzilla-series monsters and the trailer puts in a fitting classical piece as its background music, but the film also doesn’t feel like it has a sufficient plot to carry it through.

(#2) Knowing their audience a bit better than some studios, this trailer does a great deal to create tension and excitement around its massive monsters. There are plenty of hints of mass destruction and that may be all a Godzilla fan needs.

(#3) This scene from the film is riveting and filled with such threatening malice that any fan of the genre in general or the Gojira franchise in specific will be enticed.