In May 1969, the Japanese-made "Destroy All Monsters" landed in theaters, telling the story of how Godzilla stood up for humankind against the hydra-headed King Ghidora, who just wanted to lay waste to the planet.

Exactly 50 years later, the Hollywood-made "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" lands in theaters, telling the story of how Godzilla stood up for humankind against the hydra-headed King Ghidora, who just wants to lay waste to the planet.

Of course, originality isn't why anyone goes to a movie starring a reptile so ginormous that it makes a skyscraper look like a bonsai tree. They want to see annihilation of major swaths of humanity (if not Tokyo, then San Francisco, which is the go-to metropolis these days for destruction by the L.A.-based film industry); soldiers shooting useless bullets at monsters that will either swat them aside or eat them; scientists who think they know it all but know nothing, and a rickety, predictable story that's just sturdy enough to keep the whole thing from collapsing into a special-effects show reel.

"Godzilla: King of the Monsters" revels in all of these. In fact, the best thing that can be said about it is that director Michael Dougherty ("Krampus"), working from a script he wrote with Zach Shields (his teammate from "Krampus') with a story-by credit to Max Borenstein (who wrote the 2014 version of "Godzilla") but, interestingly, no mention of the Japanese writers of "Destroy All Monsters," doesn't skimp on the monsters.

For much of the 131-minute running time, monsters are rampaging, fighting and generally ripping stuff up. If monster mayhem is your jam, this will hit that sweet spot. If not, get ready for a long two-hours-plus.

The film starts out with a call back to 2014 when San Francisco was turned to dust in the last Godzilla film. We're introduced to Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) and her precocious daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown). We soon learn that Emma lost a son in the attacks five years ago.

The monster in “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.”

But now Mom, who is a scientist, has a plan. She has perfected a device called an Orca that simulates the calls of the titans — the politically correct name for the long-buried monsters that have been discovered living in our midst — and can be used to calm them. Long story short: She wants to find a way to live in peace with the titans, much to the displeasure of her ex-husband Mark (a seemingly eternally exasperated Kyle Chandler), who wants all of the titans put down.

Well, that is until he discovers that Godzilla is the only one — thing? — that can stand up to the three-headed terror, King Ghidora, Mark then takes a more, "Well, I guess they're not all bad" view of things.

The monsters are fairly well rendered, and when Godzilla and King Ghidora are going at it tooth, nail and scale, the movie does deliver on its basic promises. But that doesn't alter that most of this has been done before and better.