This year’s Cannes is set to be the most activist-heavy yet. As well as potential protests around #MeToo and the Israel-Hamas war — not to mention a potential workers strike – animal rights activists are also hoping to make a splash during the festival.
“Orca – Black & White Gold,” a documentary about the international trade of endangered orcas, is set to screen next week as part of the Marché du Film. The screening, which is being organized with the help of non-profit organization The Blue Water Institute on May 20, will be followed by a Q&a with the film’s director and producer Sarah Nörenberg and Muriel Arnal, president of French animal rights Ngo OneVoice.
Variety understands part of the reason for screening the film in Cannes is to highlight the plight of three captive orcas at the Marineland animal park in nearby Antibes, which is just a 40 minute drive from the Palais des Festivals.
“Orca – Black & White Gold,” a documentary about the international trade of endangered orcas, is set to screen next week as part of the Marché du Film. The screening, which is being organized with the help of non-profit organization The Blue Water Institute on May 20, will be followed by a Q&a with the film’s director and producer Sarah Nörenberg and Muriel Arnal, president of French animal rights Ngo OneVoice.
Variety understands part of the reason for screening the film in Cannes is to highlight the plight of three captive orcas at the Marineland animal park in nearby Antibes, which is just a 40 minute drive from the Palais des Festivals.
- 5/15/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
The Top 10 performance episode of “American Idol” Season 22 aired on Sunday, April 28 on ABC, with the finalists giving it their all in front of host Ryan Seacrest and judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Viewers all across the nation voted nearly 21 million times throughout the two-hour episode, as guest mentor Shania Twain helped the contestants with their song choices from the years of their birth. In the end, only the Top 8 artists made it to the next round, with Kayko and Mia Matthews both being eliminated.
Throughout the competition, Kayko warbled tunes like “Time of Your Life” (Auditions round), “Gives You Hell” (Showstopper round), “How to Live Without You” (Top 24 round), “Over You”, “What If?”, “High & Dry” (Top 14 round), “Somebody That I Used to Know” (Top 12 round) and “Teenage Dirtbag” (Top 10 round). The 23-year-old songwriter and producer was an accidental “Idol” contestant, as he was only supposed to...
Throughout the competition, Kayko warbled tunes like “Time of Your Life” (Auditions round), “Gives You Hell” (Showstopper round), “How to Live Without You” (Top 24 round), “Over You”, “What If?”, “High & Dry” (Top 14 round), “Somebody That I Used to Know” (Top 12 round) and “Teenage Dirtbag” (Top 10 round). The 23-year-old songwriter and producer was an accidental “Idol” contestant, as he was only supposed to...
- 4/29/2024
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
This piece contains spoilers about “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”
Even now, months after she wrapped production on Season 1 of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” breakout star Mari Yamamoto gets admittedly emotional while talking about the show’s finale.
The actress plays Keiko Mura, a Japanese scientist who, in the 1950s, helped start the organization Monarch alongside Bill Randa (Anders Holm) and Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell) to understand and study Godzilla and other Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms (MUTOs). But after a mission gone wrong, Keiko is presumed dead and is only later discovered to have survived, barely aged for decades, within a part of Hollow Earth she’s coined Axis Mundi. It’s there, in the show’s finale, where Keiko reunites with an elder Lee and realizes that her 57 days spent in Axis Mundi have translated to literal decades on Earth.
See‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ reviews: ‘Riveting’ series features ‘impressive’ VFX,...
Even now, months after she wrapped production on Season 1 of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” breakout star Mari Yamamoto gets admittedly emotional while talking about the show’s finale.
The actress plays Keiko Mura, a Japanese scientist who, in the 1950s, helped start the organization Monarch alongside Bill Randa (Anders Holm) and Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell) to understand and study Godzilla and other Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms (MUTOs). But after a mission gone wrong, Keiko is presumed dead and is only later discovered to have survived, barely aged for decades, within a part of Hollow Earth she’s coined Axis Mundi. It’s there, in the show’s finale, where Keiko reunites with an elder Lee and realizes that her 57 days spent in Axis Mundi have translated to literal decades on Earth.
See‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ reviews: ‘Riveting’ series features ‘impressive’ VFX,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Apple TV+ is supersizing its already titanic Monsterverse.
The streamer announced on Thursday that it has renewed Monarch: Legacy of Monsters for a second season; the news comes three months after the Season 1 finale dropped on Jan. 12.
More from TVLineWhat’s New on Netflix in April — Plus: Disney+, Hulu, Amazon and OthersApple Sets Dates for Jake Gyllenhaal’s <em>Presumed Innocent</em> Remake, Michael Douglas’ <em>Franklin</em> and 11 Others (Watch)S.W.A.T. Cheats Death Again! CBS Reverses Cancellation, Renews Procedural for Season 8
What’s more, Apple TV+’s new deal with Legendary Entertainment includes multiple spinoff series based on the Monsterverse franchise.
Set in...
The streamer announced on Thursday that it has renewed Monarch: Legacy of Monsters for a second season; the news comes three months after the Season 1 finale dropped on Jan. 12.
More from TVLineWhat’s New on Netflix in April — Plus: Disney+, Hulu, Amazon and OthersApple Sets Dates for Jake Gyllenhaal’s <em>Presumed Innocent</em> Remake, Michael Douglas’ <em>Franklin</em> and 11 Others (Watch)S.W.A.T. Cheats Death Again! CBS Reverses Cancellation, Renews Procedural for Season 8
What’s more, Apple TV+’s new deal with Legendary Entertainment includes multiple spinoff series based on the Monsterverse franchise.
Set in...
- 4/11/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Sengoku Youko , an ongoing TV anime based on the fantasy adventure manga, has published a new key visual (below) for the series and revealed additional information about its Japanese broadcast. The next cour, which encompasses the “Senma Konton-hen” (“Thousand Demons of Chaos Arc”), will broadcast in Japan beginning in July 2024. The first cour is currently streaming on Crunchyroll. The original Sengoku Youko manga by Satoshi Mizukami was serialized from 2007 – 2016 in Mag Garden's Monthly Comic Blade and Comic Blade magazines. Masahiro Aizawa directs the TV anime adaptation at animation studio White Fox. Related: Keiko Shares Sengoku Youko Anime Ending Theme Music Video Crunchyroll describes Sengoku Youko : Humans and katawara are at war, but there are those on each side who join forces. Tama is a fox spirit who loves humans, while her sendou brother, Jinka, despises them. Together, they use the power of spirit transformation to defeat the monstrous katawara...
- 4/3/2024
- by Paul Chapman
- Crunchyroll
This article contains mild spoilers for "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire."
Earth, the planet we all live on and must share with each other, is an amazing place full of wonders. Even now in 2024, it's wild to realize that humanity has yet to explore every inch of the planet, with a staggering percentage of the Earth's oceans having only been mapped by satellites. Although it feels like we've reached an age where there's little mystery left in the terrestrial, there still exists so much possibility on our planet before we even begin to consider other planets or galaxies beyond.
Although the theory of a hollow Earth in real life holds about as much veracity as a flat Earth, the concept has become a delightful metaphor in the MonsterVerse series of films for the exploration of new realms, continuing a tradition from classic monster movies like the original "King Kong" of adventure and discovery.
Earth, the planet we all live on and must share with each other, is an amazing place full of wonders. Even now in 2024, it's wild to realize that humanity has yet to explore every inch of the planet, with a staggering percentage of the Earth's oceans having only been mapped by satellites. Although it feels like we've reached an age where there's little mystery left in the terrestrial, there still exists so much possibility on our planet before we even begin to consider other planets or galaxies beyond.
Although the theory of a hollow Earth in real life holds about as much veracity as a flat Earth, the concept has become a delightful metaphor in the MonsterVerse series of films for the exploration of new realms, continuing a tradition from classic monster movies like the original "King Kong" of adventure and discovery.
- 3/31/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Whitney Way Thore’s dad, Glenn Thore looked very different in a throwback photo shared by the My Big Fat Fabulous Life star this week. TLC fans discussed his rumored son with a woman named Keiko in Asia and his recently found daughter, by a woman named Jackie in Florida. Clearly, in his youth, he had something that the ladies liked. Judging by the throwback photo, he probably had no shortage of interested girls back in the late 60s.
Whitney Way Thore Shared A Throwback Pic During Her Vacation
The Mbffl star was in Morocco for a while, and there, she became fascinated by the cats that walked the streets. She also attended a wedding, and her dad, Glenn Thore went along as well. The TLC star found a lot of critics about the cats, and about her taking a ride on a camel. After that, they flew out to...
Whitney Way Thore Shared A Throwback Pic During Her Vacation
The Mbffl star was in Morocco for a while, and there, she became fascinated by the cats that walked the streets. She also attended a wedding, and her dad, Glenn Thore went along as well. The TLC star found a lot of critics about the cats, and about her taking a ride on a camel. After that, they flew out to...
- 3/29/2024
- by James Michael
- TV Shows Ace
After making a successful small screen debut with Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters earlier this year, Legendary’s Monsterverse is returning this week with their fifth cinematic entry, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. With major comic-book movie franchises gradually losing their steam during the last couple of years, now is as good a time as any for the Americanized Kaiju cinematic universe to seize the market. Also, capitalizing on the recent VFX Oscar win of Godzilla Minus One, the upcoming Kaiju flick has the potential to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the year.
It has been a decade since Gareth Edward’s much-acclaimed Godzilla (2014) paved the foundation of the Monsterverse and reignited the fanfare for the atomic lizard. Although during this period only a scant four movies have hit theaters, the in-universe mythology of the Titans (the American counterpart of Kaijus) has sprawled into a behemoth in its own right.
It has been a decade since Gareth Edward’s much-acclaimed Godzilla (2014) paved the foundation of the Monsterverse and reignited the fanfare for the atomic lizard. Although during this period only a scant four movies have hit theaters, the in-universe mythology of the Titans (the American counterpart of Kaijus) has sprawled into a behemoth in its own right.
- 3/27/2024
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
In the latest surge of live action adaptations that Netflix seems to lead, either in movie or series format, an essentially forgotten anime and manga from the 90s, was not exactly something that was expected, considering that the rest were based on all time favorites like “One Piece” and “Rurouni Kenshin” for example. It turns out, though, that the manga being one of the best selling of all times played a crucial role, and that is how we ended up with a version of “Yu Yu Hakusho”.
Click the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix
The story revolves around Yusuke Urameshi, a misunderstood 14-year-old delinquent junior high school student who spends his days getting into fights, who frequently involve, though, him protecting someone. However, when he dies after saving a child in a car accident, his ghost-self meets Botan, a woman who introduces herself as the pilot of the Sanzu River,...
Click the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix
The story revolves around Yusuke Urameshi, a misunderstood 14-year-old delinquent junior high school student who spends his days getting into fights, who frequently involve, though, him protecting someone. However, when he dies after saving a child in a car accident, his ghost-self meets Botan, a woman who introduces herself as the pilot of the Sanzu River,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The family/social drama has always been a staple within the Japanese film industry with directors such as Yasujiro Ozu or Kenji Mozoguchi having shaped it during the course of their career. At the same time, while delving into family issues, these directors have taken a lesson from early works within the cinematic landscape of their culture as well as Italien Neo-realism, adding “a slice of life” to their works. In the last couple of years perhaps no other director has influenced (and to certain extent perfected) this formula than Hirokazu Koreeda. His debut feature “Maborosi” already showed the family as a mirror image of a society caught in between tradition and progress, family values and individualism. With his fourth feature “Nobody Knows”, inspired by a true case, Koreeda would not only reach international fame, but also manifest his take on the aforementioned formula which many have copied (or tried to) over the years.
- 2/23/2024
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Exclusive: Alpha Violet has acquired world sales rights for Uruguayan filmmaking duo Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge’s new drama Don’t You Let Me Go, exploring themes of friendship and death.
The Paris-based company previously worked with the filmmakers on their debut film So Much Water (Tanta Agua), which world premiered in the Berlinale’s Panorama section in 2013 and was acquired by Arte for Europe and HBO for the U.S.
The new movie, which is in post-production, sees follows a woman’s journey through time to see her best friend after one of them dies.
They reconnect in a past that may not be perfect but seems more real than the unintelligible present in which death has come to soon.
The cast features Eva Dans, Chiara Hourcade and Victoria Jorge.
“Don’t You Let Me Go is totally a movie for us,” said Virginie Devesa, Alpha Violet co-founding head with Keiko Funato.
The Paris-based company previously worked with the filmmakers on their debut film So Much Water (Tanta Agua), which world premiered in the Berlinale’s Panorama section in 2013 and was acquired by Arte for Europe and HBO for the U.S.
The new movie, which is in post-production, sees follows a woman’s journey through time to see her best friend after one of them dies.
They reconnect in a past that may not be perfect but seems more real than the unintelligible present in which death has come to soon.
The cast features Eva Dans, Chiara Hourcade and Victoria Jorge.
“Don’t You Let Me Go is totally a movie for us,” said Virginie Devesa, Alpha Violet co-founding head with Keiko Funato.
- 2/16/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
In Wim Wenders‘ meditative, Perfect Days (2023), viewers are transported to a world where the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary with smooth and continuous strokes of cinematic poetry. The simplicity of daily routines takes on a profound significance, serving as a canvas for existential contemplation. Guided by the protagonist, Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho), the film unfolds with mesmerizing cadence, offering a unique exploration of the human condition. Wenders delicately captures the essence of existence through the lens of existential contemplation, creating a quiet rebellion against the noisy chaos of modern life in the metropolitan. The narrative whispers through the viewer’s mind, unveiling the beauty and blessedness in simple acts like waking up and going to work, turning them into moments of celebration. It challenges the audience to reconsider their own lives, prompting reflection on whether the pursuit of comfort and luxury is a means to an end or an end in itself.
- 2/6/2024
- by Dipankar Sarkar
- Talking Films
DreamWorks Animation has made a belated Megamind sequel film and TV series. Here’s the trailer for Megamind Vs The Doom Syndicate and Megamind Rules…
After well over a decade in the animated film wilderness, 2010’s Megamind is making a belated return courtesy of DreamWorks Animation. In fact, it seems like Megamind-based entertainment is a bit like buses – you wait years for it to turn up, then a whole morass arrives more or less all at once.
Yesterday, DreamWorks Animation reminded the world via Twitter that it’s made both a film – called Megamind Vs The Doom Syndicate – and an eight-episode TV series, called Megamind Rules. Both will be released on the streaming channel, Peacock.
Let’s deal with the film first, and take a look at a synopsis, brought to us by the lovely Animation Magazine:
Megamind’s former villain team, The Doom Syndicate, has returned. Our newly...
After well over a decade in the animated film wilderness, 2010’s Megamind is making a belated return courtesy of DreamWorks Animation. In fact, it seems like Megamind-based entertainment is a bit like buses – you wait years for it to turn up, then a whole morass arrives more or less all at once.
Yesterday, DreamWorks Animation reminded the world via Twitter that it’s made both a film – called Megamind Vs The Doom Syndicate – and an eight-episode TV series, called Megamind Rules. Both will be released on the streaming channel, Peacock.
Let’s deal with the film first, and take a look at a synopsis, brought to us by the lovely Animation Magazine:
Megamind’s former villain team, The Doom Syndicate, has returned. Our newly...
- 2/2/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
Keiko , who was a former member of Kalafina , has been active as a solo singer since April 2019 and has released 13 digital singles. Her first CD single "Yuyami no Uta" ( A Song of the Dusk ) is set to release in Japan on January 24, and its title tune has been used as the ending theme for the winter 2024 TV anime Sengoku Youko . The song's music video was posted on her official YouTube channel soon after the anime's second episode aired in Japan on January 18. This is the first time Keiko has worked on an anime theme song since beginning her solo career. The song was written, composed, and arranged by Yuki Kajiura, who was also the producer of Kalafina and has written songs and soundtrak for numerous popular anime franchise, such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Sword Art Online . The music video features many Japanese touches to match the story...
- 1/18/2024
- by Mikikazu Komatsu
- Crunchyroll
Kiersey Clemons, who plays May in Apple TV+'s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, revealed what she wants to see next for her character in a possible Season 2 after that big finale.
This article contains spoilers for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Episode 10.
The final episode of the season provided fans with an intense roller coaster as Cate, May, Shaw, and Keiko tried to escape from Axis Mundi. Thanks to a surprise visit from everyone’s favorite Titan, Godzilla, the group was saved and pulled back to their reality—all but Kurt Russell’s character, who sacrificed himself to help guarantee everyone else’s survival.
Read full article on The Direct.
This article contains spoilers for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Episode 10.
The final episode of the season provided fans with an intense roller coaster as Cate, May, Shaw, and Keiko tried to escape from Axis Mundi. Thanks to a surprise visit from everyone’s favorite Titan, Godzilla, the group was saved and pulled back to their reality—all but Kurt Russell’s character, who sacrificed himself to help guarantee everyone else’s survival.
Read full article on The Direct.
- 1/13/2024
- by Russ Milheim
- The Direct
[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ Season 1 finale, “Beyond Logic.”] All hail the king. And not just the King of the Monsters, Godzilla. Nope, if you’ve watched the spectacular season finale of Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, you know that a great ape is on his way! Thanks to the time differential between Hollow Earth (a.k.a. Axis Mundi) and the surface world, our heroes Cate (Anna Sawai) and May (Kiersey Clemons) have returned from down below after what to them has only been a few days to the year 2017, two years after plunging into the alternate world. Sadly, they are back without Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell), who sacrificed himself to allow their escape, but with Cate’s grandmother, Keiko (Mari Yamamoto), who has been living among the monsters since falling into the Hollow Earth back in 1959. Apple TV+ The time jump not only lands Cate & Co. in a new ...
- 1/12/2024
- TV Insider
We’ve got questions, and you’ve (maybe) got answers! With another week of TV gone by, we’re lobbing queries left and right about lotsa shows including NCIS, the Golden Globes, Fargo and The Traitors!
1 | How did you interpret that Brothers Sun finale post-credits scene?
More from TVLineYoung Sheldon Spinoff Centered on Georgie and Mandy in Development at Cbsncis: Origins Prequel Series Will Feature a Third Franchise Vet, Joining Young Gibbs and Mike Franks (Exclusive)NCIS Prequel Series About Young Gibbs Ordered at CBS; Mark Harmon Returning as Narrator
2 | Being that it’s a CBS prequel spinoff, will NCIS:...
1 | How did you interpret that Brothers Sun finale post-credits scene?
More from TVLineYoung Sheldon Spinoff Centered on Georgie and Mandy in Development at Cbsncis: Origins Prequel Series Will Feature a Third Franchise Vet, Joining Young Gibbs and Mike Franks (Exclusive)NCIS Prequel Series About Young Gibbs Ordered at CBS; Mark Harmon Returning as Narrator
2 | Being that it’s a CBS prequel spinoff, will NCIS:...
- 1/12/2024
- by Vlada Gelman, Matt Webb Mitovich, Dave Nemetz, Ryan Schwartz, Nick Caruso, Andy Swift and Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
This article contains spoilers for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 1.
The history of the MonsterVerse stands revealed in the Apple TV+ original series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Set in the aftermath of Godzilla’s cataclysmic emergence in San Francisco, as chronicled in 2014’s Godzilla, a young woman named Cate Randa (Anna Sawai) travels to Japan after her father’s apparent death only to learn her family is part of a global conspiracy involving Titans like Godzilla. Teaming up with Kentaro Randa (Ren Watanabe), the half-brother she never knew she had, Cate travels the world with her father’s old associate Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell in flashback) to learn more about Monarch, the clandestine organization overseen by her adoptive grandfather Bill Randa (Anders Holm).
Here is how the first season finale of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters leaves its characters, what earth-shattering revelations are made, which characters don’t...
The history of the MonsterVerse stands revealed in the Apple TV+ original series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Set in the aftermath of Godzilla’s cataclysmic emergence in San Francisco, as chronicled in 2014’s Godzilla, a young woman named Cate Randa (Anna Sawai) travels to Japan after her father’s apparent death only to learn her family is part of a global conspiracy involving Titans like Godzilla. Teaming up with Kentaro Randa (Ren Watanabe), the half-brother she never knew she had, Cate travels the world with her father’s old associate Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell in flashback) to learn more about Monarch, the clandestine organization overseen by her adoptive grandfather Bill Randa (Anders Holm).
Here is how the first season finale of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters leaves its characters, what earth-shattering revelations are made, which characters don’t...
- 1/12/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
The following contains spoilers from the season finale of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, now streaming on Apple TV+.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters closed out its season with a series of twists that were, fittingly, titanic in size.
More from TVLineTrue Detective: Night Country Premiere Gives Us Two (Very) Cold Cases to SolveYellowstone Season 3 Premiere Recap: It's Quittin' Time for [Spoiler]For All Mankind Bosses 'Optimistic' About Season 5 Renewal Odds
Not long into her very unplanned trip to Hollow Earth, Cate unexpectedly met her grandmother, Keiko. Keiko in turn learned that Cate was not there as part of any Monarch rescue mission.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters closed out its season with a series of twists that were, fittingly, titanic in size.
More from TVLineTrue Detective: Night Country Premiere Gives Us Two (Very) Cold Cases to SolveYellowstone Season 3 Premiere Recap: It's Quittin' Time for [Spoiler]For All Mankind Bosses 'Optimistic' About Season 5 Renewal Odds
Not long into her very unplanned trip to Hollow Earth, Cate unexpectedly met her grandmother, Keiko. Keiko in turn learned that Cate was not there as part of any Monarch rescue mission.
- 1/12/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
This post contains spoilers for "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" season 1.
"Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" wrapped up its first season this week with a surprisingly satisfying finale that wove together disparate threads the show has been untangling all season. The sci-fi series' overlong debut season still managed to keep plenty of viewers intrigued with a myriad of monsters, an endless stream of mysteries, and two Russells for the price of one, but its final two episodes are the best "Monarch" has been yet.
There's no bloat in the season's big payoff episode, which sees Lee Shaw and his team of assorted and sundry amateur sleuths enter the Titan realm (Aka the Hollow Earth) after an attempt to seal it off went wrong. Along the way, they finally figure out what happened to Shaw's friend and colleague Kei (Mari Yamamoto) all those years ago. Part emotional reunion, part thrilling, monster-filled adventure, the...
"Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" wrapped up its first season this week with a surprisingly satisfying finale that wove together disparate threads the show has been untangling all season. The sci-fi series' overlong debut season still managed to keep plenty of viewers intrigued with a myriad of monsters, an endless stream of mysteries, and two Russells for the price of one, but its final two episodes are the best "Monarch" has been yet.
There's no bloat in the season's big payoff episode, which sees Lee Shaw and his team of assorted and sundry amateur sleuths enter the Titan realm (Aka the Hollow Earth) after an attempt to seal it off went wrong. Along the way, they finally figure out what happened to Shaw's friend and colleague Kei (Mari Yamamoto) all those years ago. Part emotional reunion, part thrilling, monster-filled adventure, the...
- 1/12/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
For a Godzilla franchise that has basically established itself as a modernized, Americanized version of Toho Studio’s iconic Kaiju movies, Legendary’s Monsterverse is surprisingly inventive when it comes to the creation of gigantic monstrosities. Aside from the four primary iconic monsters of Godzilla lore, namely Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla, a major chunk of Monsterverse creatures are original additions. In addition to enriching the established Godzilla mythos, the monsters of Legendary’s shared universe, known as ‘Titans’, stand out on their own thanks to their cool, creative designs, which are a perfect amalgamation of natural world inspirations and inventive visual traits.
Legendary’s latest small-screen venture, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, has swung surprisingly hard, both narrative-wise and using a substantial budget to offer a monster spectacle of cinematic quality. The nuclear-powered Titans are integrated into the stories in a much better way than they were in the movies,...
Legendary’s latest small-screen venture, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, has swung surprisingly hard, both narrative-wise and using a substantial budget to offer a monster spectacle of cinematic quality. The nuclear-powered Titans are integrated into the stories in a much better way than they were in the movies,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Gareth Edwards’ visionary masterpiece, Godzilla, reinvented the saga of the iconic monster for a Western audience and acted as the foundation of Legendary Studios’ Monsterverse, a tribute to Toho’s classic Daikaiju epics. At the center of the franchise’s Titan-human correlation, the organization ‘Monarch’ was introduced, which initially served the purpose of introducing, researching, and explaining the Titan-related affairs to characters in-universe and, in the process, to the audience as well. However, soon enough, the narrative choice throughout the following stories made Monarch kind of redundant, with its usefulness being limited to only serving as an exposition device. This aspect gradually became so ludicrous that the characters in the movies acknowledged the fact through meta-jokes.
The recently ended Monsterverse series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters changed the equation by tracing back to the origin of the organization, linking it with a post-World War II geopolitical scenario, and doubling down on...
The recently ended Monsterverse series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters changed the equation by tracing back to the origin of the organization, linking it with a post-World War II geopolitical scenario, and doubling down on...
- 1/12/2024
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Kiersey Clemons and Anna Sawai in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 10 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 10, the season finale, picks up just seconds after the end of episode nine. Keiko (Mari Yamamoto) has just saved Cate (Anna Sawai) from being attacked by a Titan, and it’s obvious Cate’s more shocked about seeing her grandmother than she is about almost being eaten.
Cate’s upset that May’s not with her and doesn’t respond when Keiko asks if she came with Bill Randa or Lee Shaw. Keiko has no idea that time has passed or that she’s talking to her granddaughter.
Keiko reveals she set up a beacon and thinks that her rescue signal is what brought Cate into this world that she’s named Axis Mundi (the pole between Heaven and Earth). Cate knows nothing about the signal, and...
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 10, the season finale, picks up just seconds after the end of episode nine. Keiko (Mari Yamamoto) has just saved Cate (Anna Sawai) from being attacked by a Titan, and it’s obvious Cate’s more shocked about seeing her grandmother than she is about almost being eaten.
Cate’s upset that May’s not with her and doesn’t respond when Keiko asks if she came with Bill Randa or Lee Shaw. Keiko has no idea that time has passed or that she’s talking to her granddaughter.
Keiko reveals she set up a beacon and thinks that her rescue signal is what brought Cate into this world that she’s named Axis Mundi (the pole between Heaven and Earth). Cate knows nothing about the signal, and...
- 1/12/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Although almost every Kaiju movie fan would prefer the tedious human drama to be as lessened as possible so as to not meddle with the monster spectacles, it is an undeniable fact that a well-crafted human institution makes Kaiju stories more interesting. Aside from the fact that Godzilla movies are inherently symbolic of nature’s retribution against humanity for their folly, human actions give viewers a third-person perspective into the world of monsters. Legendary’s Monsterverse adhered to this perspective by introducing Monarch as a secretive Titan research organization, positing it as a mediator between humans and Titans, aiming to pave the way for co-existence.
On the exact opposite side of the spectrum exists Apex Cybernetics, a seemingly rival conglomerate that was introduced in Godzilla vs. Kong and whose origins can be traced back to the recently concluded Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Motivated by a different goal to that of Monarch,...
On the exact opposite side of the spectrum exists Apex Cybernetics, a seemingly rival conglomerate that was introduced in Godzilla vs. Kong and whose origins can be traced back to the recently concluded Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Motivated by a different goal to that of Monarch,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
We have always talked about how well Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has broadened the scope of modern monster epics by assimilating interesting human storylines with creature spectacle, but even we didn’t expect the engrossing emotional output the resultant treatment will provide as the season finale of the series managed to present. There were a number of well-connected story arcs in the series, the major one being the three-generation-spanning, Titan tracking tale, with both the Randa family and Lee Shaw at the center of the entirety. Aside from the core storyline, the emergence of Titans during the past and present timeline showcased differing coping mechanisms undertaken by humanity, ranging between willingness to co-exist to destructive reactions stemming from egocentric ideologies. Both of these narrative strands are tied up in the final episode of the first season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, titled ‘Beyond Logic’, in a spectacular fashion, leaving enough...
- 1/12/2024
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Will Apple TV+’s monster mash continue?
The first, 10-episode season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (aka “the Godzilla series”) comes to a close this Friday, with the release of a rather epic finale. (You’ll cry, you’ll be on the edge of your seat, you’ll cheer.)
More from TVLineCriminal Record's Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo Tease a Polarizing Dynamic in Apple TV+ Crime DramaMonarch: Legacy of Monsters Finally Solved That Lee Shaw Mystery - and Then Set the Stage for a Wild FinaleTVLine Items: Killers of the Flower Moon Hits Apple, Modern Family Vet Visits Elsbeth and More
Official Season 2 renewal news,...
The first, 10-episode season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (aka “the Godzilla series”) comes to a close this Friday, with the release of a rather epic finale. (You’ll cry, you’ll be on the edge of your seat, you’ll cheer.)
More from TVLineCriminal Record's Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo Tease a Polarizing Dynamic in Apple TV+ Crime DramaMonarch: Legacy of Monsters Finally Solved That Lee Shaw Mystery - and Then Set the Stage for a Wild FinaleTVLine Items: Killers of the Flower Moon Hits Apple, Modern Family Vet Visits Elsbeth and More
Official Season 2 renewal news,...
- 1/10/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
"Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" has been a pleasant surprise. Here is a movie tie-in show that succeeds at telling a compelling standalone story, all while also expanding on its source material in ways that make the Monsterverse movies better.
The show focuses on Cate and Kentaro Randa, two people who discover they are half-siblings and their father had two families, each previously unaware of the other's existence. The rest of the season deals with the fallout of this discovery, as each struggles with their daddy issues while bonding with their newfound sibling. Where the Monsterverse movies have struggled with making us care about the non-kaiju characters, 2023 was a great year for humans. "Godzilla Minus One" gave us a fantastic human story of redemption, and now "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" is giving us some heartfelt human drama.
Meanwhile, the show has been using the mystery box formula to slowly unravel the secrets of Monarch,...
The show focuses on Cate and Kentaro Randa, two people who discover they are half-siblings and their father had two families, each previously unaware of the other's existence. The rest of the season deals with the fallout of this discovery, as each struggles with their daddy issues while bonding with their newfound sibling. Where the Monsterverse movies have struggled with making us care about the non-kaiju characters, 2023 was a great year for humans. "Godzilla Minus One" gave us a fantastic human story of redemption, and now "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" is giving us some heartfelt human drama.
Meanwhile, the show has been using the mystery box formula to slowly unravel the secrets of Monarch,...
- 1/8/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
It has been observed time and again how important the balance between the narrative correlation of human-monster elements really is to make any monster-oriented story work well, and Apple TV+’s Monsterverse series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has gained traction by duly exemplifying that. In the penultimate episode of the first season, the series once again doubles down on the narrative balance as we get to see Lee Shaw in a new light, especially through his relationship with Keiko’s son, Hiroshi.
In the previous episode, it was revealed that in the past timeline, after the power shift in Monarch, the military-minded Lieutenant Hatch had started calling the shots and brought the organization to the verge of being decommissioned by discrediting the scientific endeavors of Bill and Keiko. To counter Hatch’s report, Shaw instructed Bill and Keiko to chart out a Titan map, which led to Bill’s speculation...
In the previous episode, it was revealed that in the past timeline, after the power shift in Monarch, the military-minded Lieutenant Hatch had started calling the shots and brought the organization to the verge of being decommissioned by discrediting the scientific endeavors of Bill and Keiko. To counter Hatch’s report, Shaw instructed Bill and Keiko to chart out a Titan map, which led to Bill’s speculation...
- 1/7/2024
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
The following recap, by the very definition of the word recap, contains spoilers from Episode 9 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, now streaming on Apple TV+.
We now know why Monarch: Legacy of Monsters‘ Colonel Lee Shaw looks pretty spry for a 90something guy.
More from TVLineThe Golden Bachelor Is the Most Pure and Wholesome Thing The Bachelor Has Ever Done, and The Golden Wedding Proved ItTVLine Items: Killers of the Flower Moon Hits Apple, Modern Family Vet Visits Elsbeth and MoreThe Brothers Sun's Michelle Yeoh & Co. Are a Lethal Force to Be Reckoned With in Netflix Premiere - Grade It!
We now know why Monarch: Legacy of Monsters‘ Colonel Lee Shaw looks pretty spry for a 90something guy.
More from TVLineThe Golden Bachelor Is the Most Pure and Wholesome Thing The Bachelor Has Ever Done, and The Golden Wedding Proved ItTVLine Items: Killers of the Flower Moon Hits Apple, Modern Family Vet Visits Elsbeth and MoreThe Brothers Sun's Michelle Yeoh & Co. Are a Lethal Force to Be Reckoned With in Netflix Premiere - Grade It!
- 1/5/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Wyatt Russell in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 9 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode eight ended with a gut-wrenching cliffhanger that saw Cate, May, and Lee tumbling through a rift. Episode nine, the season’s penultimate, keeps us hanging about their fate and instead opens with a flashback to a Monarch test site in Kansas, 1962, and a young Hiroshi being babysat by Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell) and Bill Randa (Anders Holm).
Scratch that…it’s actually Bill who’s pulled babysitting duty for the day as Lee is about to make history by traveling into a rift via a specially constructed ship. Before leaving, Lee loans Hiroshi his pocketknife to hold onto until he returns.
Bill and Lee have grown close to Hiroshi, and Lee compliments Bill on the job he’s doing raising the boy. Lee thinks Keiko would be proud.
General Puckett...
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode eight ended with a gut-wrenching cliffhanger that saw Cate, May, and Lee tumbling through a rift. Episode nine, the season’s penultimate, keeps us hanging about their fate and instead opens with a flashback to a Monarch test site in Kansas, 1962, and a young Hiroshi being babysat by Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell) and Bill Randa (Anders Holm).
Scratch that…it’s actually Bill who’s pulled babysitting duty for the day as Lee is about to make history by traveling into a rift via a specially constructed ship. Before leaving, Lee loans Hiroshi his pocketknife to hold onto until he returns.
Bill and Lee have grown close to Hiroshi, and Lee compliments Bill on the job he’s doing raising the boy. Lee thinks Keiko would be proud.
General Puckett...
- 1/5/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters About to Go There? A Brief History of the Monsterverse’s Hollow Earth
The following contains spoilers from Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Episode 8, now streaming on Apple TV+.
With its antepenultimate Season 1 episode, Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters brushed up against a major piece of Monsterverse movie mythology, as in the Hollow Earth theory — and may have even sent a few heroes down to that topsy-turvy realm!
More from TVLineMonarch: Legacy of Monsters Episode 7: That Dramatic Logo Reveal, ExplainedThe Buccaneers Renewed for Season 2How Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Is Able to Unleash 'Thicc Boi' Godzilla on a TV-Sized Budget
Episode 8 (of 10), titled “Birthright,” revealed to Cate that Colonel Lee Shaw,...
With its antepenultimate Season 1 episode, Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters brushed up against a major piece of Monsterverse movie mythology, as in the Hollow Earth theory — and may have even sent a few heroes down to that topsy-turvy realm!
More from TVLineMonarch: Legacy of Monsters Episode 7: That Dramatic Logo Reveal, ExplainedThe Buccaneers Renewed for Season 2How Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Is Able to Unleash 'Thicc Boi' Godzilla on a TV-Sized Budget
Episode 8 (of 10), titled “Birthright,” revealed to Cate that Colonel Lee Shaw,...
- 1/1/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Time might heal wounds of the past, but it is up to us to decide whether to let the hurt dictate our actions, misguide us, or to move beyond it and use it as a positive influence. The death of his Monarch colleague and old flame, Dr. Keiko Miura had affected Shaw’s perspective towards the entire Titan tracking ordeal of the shadowy organization, and as the last episode has shown, he is ready to take drastic measures to atone for her loss. Previously, the renegade team of Monarch operatives led by Shaw and Duvall seized Monarch’s Alaskan outpost, and the team destroyed the Titan Frost Vark and a Hollow Earth gateway by detonating charges around them. Shaw’s seemingly villainous turn was an unpredictable development, but the eighth episode, Birthright, adds much more emotional heft, which in some ways explains his actions in a new light.
On the other hand,...
On the other hand,...
- 12/29/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters."
While "Monarch" may have started off a bit slow by leaning hard on its mystery-box storytelling in the early going (as /Film's Chris Evangelista pointed out in his review here), the smoke is finally starting to clear and the show's overall goal is rounding into shape — along with a heavy dose of even more Monster-Verse connections. Last week's episode "Will the Real May Please Stand Up?" featured a major Easter egg referencing the future events of "Godzilla vs Kong," but ended on a cliffhanger that didn't clarify exactly what the present-day Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell) is up to with his renegade force of former Monarch operatives. Those questions have now been answered emphatically as of episode 8 and, in the process, we've been given a roadmap to one of the wildest twists incorporated in the movies.
This week's adventure,...
While "Monarch" may have started off a bit slow by leaning hard on its mystery-box storytelling in the early going (as /Film's Chris Evangelista pointed out in his review here), the smoke is finally starting to clear and the show's overall goal is rounding into shape — along with a heavy dose of even more Monster-Verse connections. Last week's episode "Will the Real May Please Stand Up?" featured a major Easter egg referencing the future events of "Godzilla vs Kong," but ended on a cliffhanger that didn't clarify exactly what the present-day Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell) is up to with his renegade force of former Monarch operatives. Those questions have now been answered emphatically as of episode 8 and, in the process, we've been given a roadmap to one of the wildest twists incorporated in the movies.
This week's adventure,...
- 12/29/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Wyatt Russell in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 8 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
After a brief visit back in time to a discussion between Bill Randa (Anders Holm) and Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto), Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode eight catches up with Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell) and Duvall (Elisa Lasowski) in 2015 as they head to a target in Kazakhstan.
But don’t get comfortable in the more modern era, as the first half of this episode recap is going to concentrate on the events of 1955.
Lee (Wyatt Russell), Keiko, and Bill meet with Lt. Hatch in Washington DC. He’s unimpressed with their latest work on gamma rays and thinks they’re wasting money on a ridiculous project. If a Godzilla-type monster shows its face, the U.S. will take care of him with a nuke. Hatch wonders why, after two years of throwing money into Monarch, there...
After a brief visit back in time to a discussion between Bill Randa (Anders Holm) and Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto), Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode eight catches up with Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell) and Duvall (Elisa Lasowski) in 2015 as they head to a target in Kazakhstan.
But don’t get comfortable in the more modern era, as the first half of this episode recap is going to concentrate on the events of 1955.
Lee (Wyatt Russell), Keiko, and Bill meet with Lt. Hatch in Washington DC. He’s unimpressed with their latest work on gamma rays and thinks they’re wasting money on a ridiculous project. If a Godzilla-type monster shows its face, the U.S. will take care of him with a nuke. Hatch wonders why, after two years of throwing money into Monarch, there...
- 12/29/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
The character of Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) first appeared as a background player in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" pilot "Encounter at Farpoint" in 1987. Chief O'Brien was initially just an ancillary character who operated the transporters on the Enterprise-d, and who only passingly interacted with the show's main cast. As the series progressed, however, O'Brien's role became larger and larger, and he came to have his own backstories and relationship. O'Brien would eventually marry Keiko (Rosalind Chao) and have a daughter, and eventually reveal that he's suffering from some long-held war trauma. Ultimately, O'Brien appeared in 52 episodes of "Next Generation" before exiting in the show's sixth season.
The reason O'Brien left was because he had accepted a promotion. He was to become the chief engineer on a rundown Cardassian space station now designated Deep Space Nine by the Federation. Meaney, then, had signed on to be one of...
The reason O'Brien left was because he had accepted a promotion. He was to become the chief engineer on a rundown Cardassian space station now designated Deep Space Nine by the Federation. Meaney, then, had signed on to be one of...
- 12/27/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
So far, Kentaro’s old flame, the genius techie May Hewitt, stuck out like a sore thumb amidst all the Randa-Shaw Titan shenanigans in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, an issue that was promptly rectified in the seventh episode of the series. Along with a due exploration of May’s past the seventh episode highlighted a rather shocking turn of events, which will make viewers re-assess Shaw and his team of Monarch rebels in a new light.
In the previous episode, the past timeline revealed a unique gamma-ray mimicking device created by Dr. Suzuki, which was used to lure Godzilla into Hateruma, aka ‘Monster Island’—allowing Bill, Keiko, and Shaw another chance to have a close encounter with the king of the monsters. However, Shaw’s growing feelings for Keiko resulted in him temporarily abandoning his post in Monarch, which resulted in a change in leadership as the military of the...
In the previous episode, the past timeline revealed a unique gamma-ray mimicking device created by Dr. Suzuki, which was used to lure Godzilla into Hateruma, aka ‘Monster Island’—allowing Bill, Keiko, and Shaw another chance to have a close encounter with the king of the monsters. However, Shaw’s growing feelings for Keiko resulted in him temporarily abandoning his post in Monarch, which resulted in a change in leadership as the military of the...
- 12/22/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Picture: Yu Yu Hakusho – Robot Communications
The live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho is off to a strong start on Netflix. With only five episodes under its belt, there’s still more source material for the series to adapt. Netflix has yet to renew the series for a second season, but early signs suggest a renewal could soon be coming.
Yu Yu Hakusho is a Japanese Netflix Original supernatural action-adventure series and the live-action adaptation of Yoshihiro Togashi’s manga series of the same name. Tatsuro Mishima (Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead) adapted the story for television.
The series was led by Alice in Borderland producer Kazutaka Sakamoto. Akira Morii (Assassination Classroom) served as producer on the project, and Ryo Sakaguchi (Game of Thrones) is SFX’s supervisor. Netflix’s internal studio, Scanline VFX, worked on the visual effects. Yutaka Yamada (Vinland Saga) composed the series.
Yu Yu Hakusho...
The live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho is off to a strong start on Netflix. With only five episodes under its belt, there’s still more source material for the series to adapt. Netflix has yet to renew the series for a second season, but early signs suggest a renewal could soon be coming.
Yu Yu Hakusho is a Japanese Netflix Original supernatural action-adventure series and the live-action adaptation of Yoshihiro Togashi’s manga series of the same name. Tatsuro Mishima (Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead) adapted the story for television.
The series was led by Alice in Borderland producer Kazutaka Sakamoto. Akira Morii (Assassination Classroom) served as producer on the project, and Ryo Sakaguchi (Game of Thrones) is SFX’s supervisor. Netflix’s internal studio, Scanline VFX, worked on the visual effects. Yutaka Yamada (Vinland Saga) composed the series.
Yu Yu Hakusho...
- 12/21/2023
- by Jacob Robinson
- Whats-on-Netflix
[This story contains spoilers from Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode six, “Terrifying Miracles.”]
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters star Wyatt Russell has had several opportunities to work alongside his father Kurt over the years, but the younger Russell insisted on establishing himself on his own first.
On the Chris Black- and Matt Fraction-created Monarch, the father-and-son duo share the role of Lee Shaw, a U.S. Army colonel and onetime Monarch agent who’s been tracking the emergence of MonsterVerse Titans since the early 1950s. The two Russells put a great deal of thought into their portrayals in order to ensure that Kurt’s version of Lee in 2015 felt like a logical extension of Wyatt’s character from the ‘50s.
Ultimately, the 37-year-old Russell is glad he waited as long as he did to collaborate with his father.
“[Starting out,] I just wanted to do something that was my own. I’ve now been doing this for 15 years,...
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters star Wyatt Russell has had several opportunities to work alongside his father Kurt over the years, but the younger Russell insisted on establishing himself on his own first.
On the Chris Black- and Matt Fraction-created Monarch, the father-and-son duo share the role of Lee Shaw, a U.S. Army colonel and onetime Monarch agent who’s been tracking the emergence of MonsterVerse Titans since the early 1950s. The two Russells put a great deal of thought into their portrayals in order to ensure that Kurt’s version of Lee in 2015 felt like a logical extension of Wyatt’s character from the ‘50s.
Ultimately, the 37-year-old Russell is glad he waited as long as he did to collaborate with his father.
“[Starting out,] I just wanted to do something that was my own. I’ve now been doing this for 15 years,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As an interconnected franchise, Legendary’s MonsterVerse is going to complete a decade in the pop culture landscape by next year, with a humble collection of five movies and two series, and the major connecting thread in its world-building, obviously aside from the primeval Titans, is the organization ‘Monarch’ itself. Despite being the central overseer of all Titan-related affairs, the role of the organization was largely undermined, and without a definitive direction, it was reduced to a generic plot device. Things took a better turn after Monarch: Legacy of Monsters added a strong foundation to the origin and gradual transformation of the titular organization, rooted in the human-monster relationship, which acts as a brilliant contemporary political commentary at the same time.
So far, through the course of six episodes, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has established a number of in-universe links and acknowledged its indebtedness to the existing Kaiju lore of...
So far, through the course of six episodes, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has established a number of in-universe links and acknowledged its indebtedness to the existing Kaiju lore of...
- 12/19/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Admixing professional and personal life might result in disastrous consequences, and in the sixth episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, it is most apparent from the mistakes of the titular organization’s former chief, Lieutenant Lee Shaw. After steering clear of the past timeline for two consecutive episodes, “Monarch” turns back the clock to pinpoint the one event that changed the course of the human-titan correlation.
In the previous episode, after getting released from Monarch’s Alaska outpost, Cate suggests May and Kentaro head to her home, San Francisco, which was nearly destroyed during the battle between Godzilla and M.U.T.O., to possibly learn about Hiroshi’s whereabouts. After revisiting her traumatic past by venturing inside the dilapidated area of the city, Cate learns about her father’s presumed waypoint towards Africa with the help of May and Kentaro and reconciles with her mother, Caroline. May, on the other hand,...
In the previous episode, after getting released from Monarch’s Alaska outpost, Cate suggests May and Kentaro head to her home, San Francisco, which was nearly destroyed during the battle between Godzilla and M.U.T.O., to possibly learn about Hiroshi’s whereabouts. After revisiting her traumatic past by venturing inside the dilapidated area of the city, Cate learns about her father’s presumed waypoint towards Africa with the help of May and Kentaro and reconciles with her mother, Caroline. May, on the other hand,...
- 12/15/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Based on a manga series, Netflix’s live-action series Yu Yu Hakusho revolves around 17-year-old Yusuke Urameshi’s life and the way he attains powers to fight yokais, or monsters, who have been mysteriously entering the human world. There are several questions that come to our minds when we get a glimpse of the storyline. Who is responsible for connecting the demon with the human world? Will Yusuke be able to fight the yokais? How will he be able to channel his power? Let’s find out!
Spoiler Alert
How Does Yusuke Enter The Spirit World?
Yusuke is portrayed as a helpful character, yet he has no expectations from anyone or from life. While trying to save a kid from getting hit by a truck, Yusuke loses his life in a street accident. Just when he realizes that he is dead and has become a spirit, he is able to see Botan,...
Spoiler Alert
How Does Yusuke Enter The Spirit World?
Yusuke is portrayed as a helpful character, yet he has no expectations from anyone or from life. While trying to save a kid from getting hit by a truck, Yusuke loses his life in a street accident. Just when he realizes that he is dead and has become a spirit, he is able to see Botan,...
- 12/15/2023
- by Debjyoti Dey
- Film Fugitives
Mari Yamamoto and Wyatt Russell in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 6 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s first season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters continues with episode six, which, unlike episode five, revisits the past and brings Keiko, Bill, and a younger Lee Shaw back into the story. And after an episode that was devoid of monsters – except for a brief glimpse at Godzilla – episode six serves up new scenes with the gigantic monster.
Washington D.C. – The Summer of 1955
Dressed to the nine, Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell) escorts Dr. Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto) to the American Defense Industry Federal Summer Ball. Their goal: convince the powers that be to continue funding Monarch.
Lee’s been promoted to captain, and General Puckett (Christopher Heyerdahl) heaps praise on a man he seems to now consider his protégé. The other officers are eager to hear about Monarch but less eager to speak with Keiko.
Apple TV+’s first season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters continues with episode six, which, unlike episode five, revisits the past and brings Keiko, Bill, and a younger Lee Shaw back into the story. And after an episode that was devoid of monsters – except for a brief glimpse at Godzilla – episode six serves up new scenes with the gigantic monster.
Washington D.C. – The Summer of 1955
Dressed to the nine, Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell) escorts Dr. Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto) to the American Defense Industry Federal Summer Ball. Their goal: convince the powers that be to continue funding Monarch.
Lee’s been promoted to captain, and General Puckett (Christopher Heyerdahl) heaps praise on a man he seems to now consider his protégé. The other officers are eager to hear about Monarch but less eager to speak with Keiko.
- 12/15/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
I was told that Netflix had a tendency, or habit if you’d call it that, to ruin live-action anime adaptations, as seen with Death Note, Bleach, and others. However, after seeing One Piece, I thought that time had passed, and to be honest, this was the only reason I picked up Yu Yu Hakusho, but with a pinch of salt. The live-action adaptation of the highly successful manga didn’t disappoint. The series chronicles the story of one Yusuke Uremeshi (Takumi Kitamura), a high school student who, for his blunt attitude, always ends up in brawls, which he always won, by the way. Yusuke was the type of person who’d not even explain his stance, even if he was right. Why? He thinks it’s too much work. In one instance, he was mistaken for a bully stealing money from a student, but Yusuke didn’t even defend...
- 12/14/2023
- by Rishabh Shandilya
- Film Fugitives
The globetrotting adventures of the Randa kids bring the team back to base, as after Kentaro, it is Cate’s turn for some self-reflection and emotional unpacking before setting off to new frontiers in search of Hiroshi Randa. In the previous episode of Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters, as the team tried to evade Snow Vark, the frost Titan in Alaska, May accidentally fell into an ice puddle and faced the risk of getting affected by hypothermia. Kentaro got separated from the group while trying to search for help, as he decided to follow his gut feelings and venture alone. On the other hand, Monarch learned about probable Titan activity in Alaska after pulsar-level radioactive readings were registered.
Kentaro’s solo journey into the unknown turned out to be a quest of self-exploration by confronting his past, which ended with him discovering an abandoned research facility, where he finds proof of...
Kentaro’s solo journey into the unknown turned out to be a quest of self-exploration by confronting his past, which ended with him discovering an abandoned research facility, where he finds proof of...
- 12/8/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons and Anna Sawai in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 5 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Cate, Kentaro, and May are under Monarch’s control as Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode five begins. Despite their circumstances, none of the captured friends are willing to in any way assist the top-secret agency.
Duvall (Elisa Lasowski) determines that schoolteacher Cate (Anna Sawai) and artist Kentaro (Ren Watabe) really don’t know anything. But May (Kiersey Clemons) is a different story. She knows how to disappear, but even the Monarch authorities can’t figure out what she’s hiding from.
Tim (Joe Tippett) suggests they recruit Cate and Kentaro since they have the organization in their blood. It doesn’t hurt that they also want to find out exactly what happened to their dad. Duvall thinks they should set Cate, Kentaro, and May free but continue to monitor their activities.
Cate, Kentaro, and May are under Monarch’s control as Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode five begins. Despite their circumstances, none of the captured friends are willing to in any way assist the top-secret agency.
Duvall (Elisa Lasowski) determines that schoolteacher Cate (Anna Sawai) and artist Kentaro (Ren Watabe) really don’t know anything. But May (Kiersey Clemons) is a different story. She knows how to disappear, but even the Monarch authorities can’t figure out what she’s hiding from.
Tim (Joe Tippett) suggests they recruit Cate and Kentaro since they have the organization in their blood. It doesn’t hurt that they also want to find out exactly what happened to their dad. Duvall thinks they should set Cate, Kentaro, and May free but continue to monitor their activities.
- 12/8/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
With each episode, the Monsterverse series Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters seems to excel in diversifying its narrative tone and structure, which adds on new layers to the central mystery in the process. While the first two episodes focused more on the buildup and integration of the Titans into the world, the third one delineated a critique of human impact on nature, and the fourth one simultaneously took an introspective look into the psyche of one of the main leads of the series and added a new spin by turning the episode into a survival thriller. The series format provides a chance for layered storytelling, and the way Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters capitalizes on that is something other Monsterverse ventures are going to have a tough time matching up to.
In the previous episode, in search of their father Hiroshi Randa, Cate and Kentaro agreed to help Lee Shaw (a friend...
In the previous episode, in search of their father Hiroshi Randa, Cate and Kentaro agreed to help Lee Shaw (a friend...
- 12/1/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
The well-known trend adopted by creators to seamlessly pepper fictional narratives with real-life incidents generally turns out intriguing due to the fact that it adds a certain seriousness and relatability factor to the story itself. This aspect is especially noticeable in Godzilla lore, where the primeval behemoth is often associated with a real-life nuclear crisis, symbolizing a cautionary sign against it. Adhering to the lore’s history, Legendary’s “Monsterverse” integrated the Castle Bravo nuclear testing incident with its version of Godzilla’s first documented appearance.
Historically speaking, Castle Bravo was the first of its kind thermonuclear weapon—an H-bomb that incorporated a combined fission-fusion technique of detonation—and it was tested in Bikini Atoll, around the Marshall Islands, as a vulgar show of the United States’ nuclear might. Gareth Edward’s brilliant first entry to the Monsterverse, Godzilla (2014), alludes to this incident through the introduction of the titular monster,...
Historically speaking, Castle Bravo was the first of its kind thermonuclear weapon—an H-bomb that incorporated a combined fission-fusion technique of detonation—and it was tested in Bikini Atoll, around the Marshall Islands, as a vulgar show of the United States’ nuclear might. Gareth Edward’s brilliant first entry to the Monsterverse, Godzilla (2014), alludes to this incident through the introduction of the titular monster,...
- 11/26/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters".
At what point do we finally acknowledge that multiple other properties have been doing this whole shared universe thing more effectively than any of the major blockbuster franchises out there? First, "The Boys" pulled off what its Marvel and DC predecessors could not after debuting "Gen V" to rave reviews and taking a genuinely nifty approach to building an interconnected universe between both shows -- without ever making either one feel like homework, importantly. Now, "Monarch" is bringing the world of Titans to the small screen and, as of episode 3, has integrated and re-contextualized a surprising moment from "Godzilla" (2014).
While the overall series is not entirely without its flaws, it's been a joy to see how this series has incorporated and added to the world-building of the MonsterVerse. Its latest instance comes about in a wonderfully organic way,...
At what point do we finally acknowledge that multiple other properties have been doing this whole shared universe thing more effectively than any of the major blockbuster franchises out there? First, "The Boys" pulled off what its Marvel and DC predecessors could not after debuting "Gen V" to rave reviews and taking a genuinely nifty approach to building an interconnected universe between both shows -- without ever making either one feel like homework, importantly. Now, "Monarch" is bringing the world of Titans to the small screen and, as of episode 3, has integrated and re-contextualized a surprising moment from "Godzilla" (2014).
While the overall series is not entirely without its flaws, it's been a joy to see how this series has incorporated and added to the world-building of the MonsterVerse. Its latest instance comes about in a wonderfully organic way,...
- 11/24/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Kurt Russell, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe and Anna Sawai in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 3 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode three picks up seconds after the end of episode two, with the elderly Lee Shaw warning Cate (Anna Sawai), May (Kiersey Clemons), and Kentaro (Ren Watabe) they have one minute to decide if they’re going to break him out of the “retirement” community. Kentaro and Cate are desperate to know what happened to their dad, and Lee’s their only hope.
The foursome make a run for the van, and Lee’s totally confused when the van doesn’t need a key to start. Still, he’s the designated driver since he’s got experience fighting his way out of trouble.
Lee rams the front gates and Kentaro realizes he’ll never get his rental car deposit back.
And after just a few minutes with Kurt Russell,...
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode three picks up seconds after the end of episode two, with the elderly Lee Shaw warning Cate (Anna Sawai), May (Kiersey Clemons), and Kentaro (Ren Watabe) they have one minute to decide if they’re going to break him out of the “retirement” community. Kentaro and Cate are desperate to know what happened to their dad, and Lee’s their only hope.
The foursome make a run for the van, and Lee’s totally confused when the van doesn’t need a key to start. Still, he’s the designated driver since he’s got experience fighting his way out of trouble.
Lee rams the front gates and Kentaro realizes he’ll never get his rental car deposit back.
And after just a few minutes with Kurt Russell,...
- 11/24/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
The human mind is an unpredictable and dangerous thing, as so often the curiosity borne out of a desire to explore something unknown turns into a destructive, egocentric approach to annihilating the very thing. As the third episode of Apple TV’s Monsterverse series, Monarch: Legacy, continues the momentum initiated by the first two, viewers find themselves witnessing the timeless scenario of human intervention disrupting the course of natural events time and time again.
In the previous episodes, Cate, a survivor of the San Francisco G-Day event, went to Japan after her father’s demise or mysterious disappearance in order to check up on his belongings, but instead found that he had a secret family there. It is also revealed that Hiroshi is the son of explorers William Randa and Keiko Miura, who, along with their common friend, Lieutenant Lee Shaw, tried to scour the world in search of primeval Titans during the late 1950s,...
In the previous episodes, Cate, a survivor of the San Francisco G-Day event, went to Japan after her father’s demise or mysterious disappearance in order to check up on his belongings, but instead found that he had a secret family there. It is also revealed that Hiroshi is the son of explorers William Randa and Keiko Miura, who, along with their common friend, Lieutenant Lee Shaw, tried to scour the world in search of primeval Titans during the late 1950s,...
- 11/22/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.