Paula Hammond - Features EditorMonarch: Legacy of Monsters is quite simply monstrously good sci-fi.
Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that levelled San Francisco — and revealed to the world that monsters are real — Apple TV+’s latest trek into the Monsterverse tracks two siblings, following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the organisation known as Monarch.
Based on Legendary’s ongoing Monsterverse, the ten-episode series stars Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett and Elisa Lasowski.
In the 1950s, Lieutenant Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell), Keiko (Mari Yamamoto) and Bill Randa (Anders Holm) accidentally discover the existence of kaiju. In the 2010s, survivors of Godzilla’s rampage in San Francisco — including Keiko and Bill’s grandchildren — team up with an older Shaw (Kurt Russell) to uncover Monarch’s secrets.
The result is a fan-pleasing production, that isn’t afraid to spend its budget on exotic locations (including Japan, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Alaska, Utah, and San Francisco) and some good old fashioned monster mayhem.
Mari Yamamoto plays the sort of kick-ass heroine that makes you punch the air every time she’s onscreen. Anders Holm, as her geeky to-be husband, is charming and funny in equal measure. And father-son duo, Kurt and Wyatt Russell are a joy to watch, in a peachy role that gives both actors the space to swagger and wisecrack as only they can do.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters cracks along at a rip-roaring pace, offering up enough kaiju action to keep the fangirls happy, while adding depth and backstory to the ever expanding Monsterverse. The result is all sorts of fun — and likely the best TV you’re going to see this Autumn.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premieres globally on Apple TV+.
