The MonsterVerse Franchise Is Available Entirely On HBO Max

If you’re behind on the intricacies of the Legendary Entertainment revival of the classic monster universe, there’s no better time to catch up than now. The shared world of Godzilla and King Kong hit a peak with last year’s Godzilla vs. Kong, reminding one of the classic Godzilla disaster films that pitted giant monsters against each other. A sequel, the fifth entry to the series, is currently in development, as are two new TV shows for Netflix and Apple TV+. Here are the films to check out before the series continues.

Directed by Gareth Edwards

Godzilla marks the debut of the rebooted universe, showcasing the secret organization Monarch and the Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms (MUTOs) that frame the setup of the story. The MUTOs awaken the larger predator known as Godzilla, which causes disaster as well but in order to hunt the MUTOs.

Rating: 7/10

Kong: Skull Island is the entry point for the MonsterVerse, as it is set in the 1970s as scientists and soldiers explore an island with creatures like smaller versions of the MUTOs and, of course, the giant ape Kong. Though this film follows the traditional King Kong that has been used multiple times, it takes the last few moments to set up the connection to the MonsterVerse with the appearance of the classic Godzilla kaiju Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah.

Rating: 7/10

Godzilla and Mothra are pitted against Rodan and King Ghidorah, now renamed Titans instead of MUTOs. Sadly, this element does not take up as much of the running time as it should, leading to the most disappointing entry of the MonsterVerse so far.

Rating: 4/10

The two greats are finally brought together! They fight, more monsters are introduced, and the all-out carnage of the past films arrives in peak form.

Rating: 7/10

Catch up on the universe before the upcoming fifth film and the new series! Everything is on HBO Max.