Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 1 Episode 1-5 Early Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of the first 5 episodes of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the first 2 episodes air Friday, November 17th on Apple TV+

Through four films (soon to be 5 with the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire releasing in April 2024) and one television series (Netflix’s Skull Island), a recurring issue with the Monsterverse appears to be its depiction of its human characters. Despite the impressive casts they’ve assembled in front of the camera, they, for the most part, are far less interesting than the series’ various monsters. Moving away from the grounded aspect of the film that started it all, 2014’s Godzilla, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a very human-centric series that keeps the atmosphere incredibly-grounded, in spite of it being set in the Monsterverse. That being said, viewers should not be fooled as the big budget behind the series leads to high production value overall and monster moments that all have an impact. While the series could have easily gone overboard with the monsters, its restraint in how it picks its spots make it matter that much more. The story that ties it all together is a slow burn that is very conducive for bingeing as it unravels and all the pieces, spanning three generations, start to come together. Once it finds its footing, it will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

As far as the story was concerned, if the title was no indication, all roads lead to Monarch. Set in a world ravaged by Godzilla and other Titans, at its core, the story was about Cate (Anna Sawai) and Kentaro (Ren Watabe), a pair of siblings looking to retrace the footsteps of their missing father who had since been presumed dead. The clues they uncovered along that journey of course led back to Monarch. Little did they know, they were merely the latest characters in a story spanning three generations. An alternate timeline, going back to the 1950s highlighted, via the exploits of Lieutenant Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell), how they were all linked. Seeing how the organization known as Monarch came to be, and also what it became, was an adventure in and of itself. As Shaw and co. moved forward, Cate and Kentaro went backwards, made for an interesting dynamic as their mounting connection further strengthened the story. For fans of the Monsterverse, spotting those connections and how they all fit in the grand scheme is fun to watch.

However, after five episodes, there is a lot of story left to tell. Ultimately, the best part of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters so far is not the monsters themselves but rather the dynamic of Cate and Kentaro and how it evolved the more they dug into their pasts and the series dove deeper into them. Shaped by their experiences, Cate and Kentaro’s journey saw them connect with the older Lieutenant Shaw (Kurt Russell) who happened to share a connection with their father. A bridge between both timelines, it wasn’t so simple as he seemed to know more than he was letting on while the story itself still needs more time to address the gap between the 1950s timeline and present day. Nevertheless, Shaw’s experience proved useful on their journey and his personality helped to lighten the mood amidst the seriousness of the siblings’ family drama. In the end, the closer they got to the truth, the less people they could trust as they found themselves in more danger and that’s before the monsters.

The monster sequences, though perhaps less than what many viewers may expect, played a vital role in the story. The series’ high budget and production value are arguably most felt here. Choosing the right moments as to not distract from the main storyline, they are epic in size and scope while accentuated by a powerful score, these sequences all felt very cinematic. The monsters themselves were designed with great color, detail, and variety. When it comes to the last part, the possibilities on paper are endless and it will definitely be interesting to see what the series does moving forward. That cinematic feel continued thanks to some beautiful cinematography along with some inventive production design which both certainly took advantage of everything Vancouver and British Columbia had to offer.

The best part of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is the main human-driven storyline and what brings it to life is strong writing and performances. Each worked together to create a grounded story that was made that much more compelling to watch. The characters have depth but the cast are all up to the task of carrying their arcs as they grow and evolve individually and together through the ups and downs of their shared adversity. The standouts were Sawai and Watabe and their stellar chemistry as Cate and Kentaro. They were a blast to watch together. Nicely adding to that pairing was Kiersey Clemons as May, an acquaintance of Kentaro who found herself part of their journey. Finally, both Russells, as younger and older versions of Shaw, brought charm and different takes on a character shaped by his experience.

At the end of the day, the first half of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters delivers a thrilling watch full of production value but truly dazzles with its grounded story.

still courtesy of Apple TV+

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.