‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Movie Review

In this epic kaiju crossover, Kong is being quarantined on Skull Island in order to protect him from Godzilla, hoping to prevent an inevitable fight for dominance. When a company called Apex discovers there may be a hidden prehistoric world at the center of the Earth, the same world from which all of these giant monsters supposedly came, the head of Apex (Demián Bichir) approaches a scientist (Alexander Skarsgård) to lead an expedition there. It turns out that Kong may be the secret to finding this hidden world, so he is transported to a research site in Antarctica, along with his handler (Rebecca Hall) and a little girl who is seemingly able to communicate with him (Kaylee Hottle). But not only does this put Godzilla on his trail, it is clear that Apex is hiding something, and young Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown), her friend Josh (Julian Dennison), and a conspiracy podcaster (Bryan Tyree Henry) are determined to find out what they’re up to.

This film was preceded by three others: Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017), and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). I thoroughly enjoyed all of these movies, warts and all, and I liked the way that the three different directors all brought their own unique flavor to each film. Both titular characters are household names for a reason, and as their films have shifted focus more and more towards action from horror, keeping them fresh was not particularly easy. They also did a good job of working their way up to this particular crossover, with each previous film introducing us not just to new characters, but new important story elements. In 2014’s Godzilla, we were introduced to Monarch, the research program that studies monsters. In Kong: Skull Island, it was revealed that both monsters exist in the same universe, along with others. It also introduced the “hollow Earth” concept, and revealed that mankind’s meddling had somehow opened it up. And with Godzilla: King of the Monsters, we were introduced to Apex and their desire to exploit the emergence of these creatures. It was surprisingly good world-building, given that these are fairly undemanding action fare.

I had an absolute ball watching Godzilla vs. Kong! Like I said, all three previous movies were very fun, with Kong: Skull Island being my personal favorite. While I do enjoy the 2014 Godzilla movie, it’s hard to deny that it does take itself a bit too seriously. I get that it was trying to be a “classier” brand of monster movie, with Jaws being a very obvious influence, but Godzilla just isn’t that type of franchise anymore. The first movie was a brilliant, horrifying allegory, but since then, it’s probably for the best that the series became big, silly fun. Godzilla vs. Kong understands exactly what Kong: Skull Island and, for the most part, Godzilla: King of the Monsters understood: these are movies about giant monsters, and the silliness needs to be embraced! While the first films to feature said monsters were full of symbolism and social commentary (before they started to get dumb), this current wave of kaiju flicks works best when the focus is on the big, effects-driven action and carnage.

Speaking of which, the action sequences are stellar. The trailer promised an over-the-top spectacle, and by god, we got one. There is a perfect dynamic between Godzilla, the unstoppable force, and Kong, the immovable object. Neither are invincible, but their primal tenacity almost likens them to two Rocky Balboas, so you feel the impact of every strike. It’s also visually stunning, as one might expect from a movie of this kind. The major confrontation takes place in Hong Kong, but the neon-lined buildings are almost reminiscent of Las Vegas. It gives the fight a glorious setting, which makes it not only more dazzling, but more intense, as well. Director Adam Wingard, who brought us such indie genre classics as You’re Next and The Guest, clearly shows that he can just as easily wield a major studio budget. Actually, all four “monsterverse” films have been helmed by indie filmmakers, which was a great way to establish them to the world as formidable directors. You can really see their love for classic monster movies, and they’re clearly having a blast, Wingard included.

As with the previous films in the monsterverse, the biggest flaws of Godzilla vs. Kong are the result of its human characters. Much like said previous entries, the primary human characters (Skarsgård, Hall, Brown) are pretty boring. Luckily, like in Skull Island, the side characters are surprisingly entertaining. Bichir is a really fun big-bad, and without spoiling anything, his demise is downright hilarious. Julian Dennison, who starred in the underrated gem Hunt for the Wilderpeople, made for a pretty entertaining “quirky best friend” character. I also really thought I was going to hate Bryan Tyree Henry’s character after the first couple of scenes with him, but he actually really grew on me and ended up being one of the most entertaining people in the movie. Kayla Hottle is adorable and gives some humanity to Kong by adding a human connection. But the other main flaw, if you haven’t noticed, is that there are just too many characters. We get a couple of appearances from Madison’s father, played by Kyle Chandler, but those two are the only previously established characters. I get that there were a lot of new plot elements that needed to be introduced, especially considering the fact that Kong had only had one movie leading up to this one, whereas Godzilla had two, but the narrative just felt noticeably cluttered.

Even with all that said, it’s almost impossible not to be won over by Godzilla vs. Kong. The grand action sequences are nigh irresistible to anyone who loves a good bit of monster mayhem and destruction, and the top-notch effects bring those legendary titans to life. It’s epic, over-the-top, and just plain fun.

SCORE: 4.5/5