Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Film and Plot Synopsis

Godzilla: King of the Monsters begins as the world continues to process the newfound knowledge that monsters exist once the Titans return. Now a pseudo-zoological organization called Monarch has one chance to stop them, and they decide to let them fight it out as the whole world watches. Eventually this leads Mothra, Rodan, Ghidorah, and Godzilla to fight for the title, King of the Monsters!

‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ Movie Summary

Godzilla: King of the Monsters begins five years after humanity became aware of Titans, giant monsters who have lived in hibernation for thousands of years. Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga), a paleo-biologist working for a Titan-studying organization known as Monarch is present to see the birth of a new Titan known as Mothra.

With Emma is her daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown). When Mothra becomes agitated, Emma is able to calm the creature down with the “Orca”, a device that can emit frequencies to attract or alter Titan behavior. While she is conducting her research, the facility is attacked by eco-terrorists, led by Alan Jonah (Charles Dance). The terrorists kill everyone in the base but kidnap Emma and Madison, while Mothra goes into a cocoon.

Sometime later, Monarch scientists Dr. Ishirō Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Dr. Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins) approach Dr. Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) and ask for his assistance. Mark is Emma’s ex-husband and Madison’s father, and Monarch believes that Mark can help them to find their missing scientist and child. Mark reluctantly agrees despite the fact that he blames Godzilla for the death of his young son. The Monarch team follows Godzilla to Antarctica, where they believe Jonah is heading to free a three-headed Titan named Monster Zero.

Emma begins working with Jonah and frees Monster Zero from the ice, which kills several Monarch members, including Dr. Graham. Godzilla arrives and the two Titans get into a vicious battle, before Zero escapes. Monarch finds out that Emma is working with the terrorists when she sends them a video stating that the Titans need to be reawakened in order to heal the planet from all the damage that humans have caused.

Emma then assists in awakening Rodan in Mexico. Monarch arrives and attempts to lure Rodan into battling the approaching Monster Zero. However, Monster Zero quickly defeats Rodan, who submits to Zero’s rule. However, Monster Zero is ambushed by Godzilla. Godzilla is able to sever the left head from Zero, but the U.S. Navy intervenes and launches a prototype missile called the “Oxygen Destroyer” which seemingly kills Godzilla, but has no effect on Monster Zero. The three headed monster grows back his missing head and awakens all the remaining dormant Titans around the world.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ilene Chen (Zhang Ziyi) examines some mythological texts and is able to determine that Monster Zero is actually King Ghidorah, an ancient alien seeking to terraform the Earth to his own liking. At the same time, Mothra emerges from her cocoon and flies to Monarch’s Bermuda base to communicate with Godzilla. To the surprise of many, Godzilla has survived the “Oxygen Destroyer” and taken refuge in an ancient underwater city to heal.

The Monarch team uses a submarine to reach Godzilla’s hidden lair, which is highly radioactive. They determine that it will take far too long for Godzilla to heal on his own and decide to speed his regeneration by detonating a nuclear warhead. Dr. Serizawa manually detonates the warhead, killing him, reviving Godzilla and increasing the Titan’s power.

Analyzing the data, Emma realizes that Ghidorah and the other Titans’ destructive power far exceeds any damage that mankind could do to the planet. She attempts to get Jonah to stop, but the terrorist leader refuses to listen. Having been imprisoned with the terrorists, Madison condemns her mother for her actions and escapes with the “Orca”. Madison takes the sonic device to Fenway Park in Boston and begins broadcasting a signal that is designed to calm the Titans, but unwittingly attracts all of them to her location.

Ghidorah arrives first and attempts to destroy the “Orca”, almost killing Madison. Godzilla arrives next with the assistance of Monarch, and the two Titans engage in battle again. Mothra also arrives to assist Godzilla, but she is intercepted by Rodan who sides with Ghidorah. At the same time, Mark leads an rescue mission for Madison after they learn that Godzilla’s radiation levels were continuing to increase and will result in a thermonuclear reaction destroying Boston and any living thing in it. Eventually, Mark, Emma, and Madison are reunited and prepare to leave the Boston area before it is destroyed.

Mothra and Rodan continue to battle until Mothra is finally able to defeat Rodan. Mothra is severely injured during the battle. Ghidorah overpowers Godzilla, and prepares to kill the Titan, when Mothra sacrifices herself and transfers her energy to Godzilla, which once again accelerates his healing. The Russells activate the “Orca” again to distract Ghidorah from Godzilla for a few minutes. Mark and Madison board a transport to leave Boston, but Emma takes the “Orca” and drives away, trying to buy more time for Godzilla to heal. Eventually, Emma is killed by Ghidorah.

Meanwhile, Godzilla is once again healed and supercharged. The giant lizard glows red and is melting everything around him. Godzilla unleashes several nuclear pulses that completely obliterates Ghidorah. Having unleashed the excess energy, Godzilla returns to his normal state. Rodan and the other Titans arrive and bow down to the new King of the Monsters.

During the end credits, news clippings and Monarch files show that the Titans are helping to heal the Earth, a suspected second Mothra egg has been discovered, some of the Titans are converging on Skull Island, and an ancient cave painting, previously seen in Kong: Skull Island, show Godzilla battling Kong. In a post credits scene, Jonah and his terrorist forces are seen purchasing Ghidorah’s severed head in Mexico.

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Additional Film Information

• Godzilla: King of the Monsters official website
• Peruse IMDb’s article on Godzilla: King of the Monsters
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