Written by contributor Elena Horne
From Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. comes a new installment in the MonsterVerse franchise, Godzilla vs. Kong, a movie that asks the very important question: who would win in an all-out brawl; Godzilla or King Kong?
A follow-up to previous MonsterVerse films, Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong opens in a world where Godzilla, viewed as a protector of humanity, has been MIA for three years and Kong lives in seclusion with his handlers on the remote Skull Island. But when Godzilla suddenly and mysteriously attacks the Florida headquarters of a large and obviously sketchy corporation, people look to Kong and a fringe theory about a hidden world in the earth’s core for answers. Kong’s handlers must get him to this hidden world as soon as possible, but to do so, Kong must get past Godzilla and other gigantic forces bent on destroying the world.
As a follow-up movie, audiences will get the most out of Godzilla vs. Kong if they are familiar with the previous films in the MonsterVerse. However, the plot is simple enough for audiences to follow along even if this is their first MonsterVerse flick.
The movie starts with a quirky sense of humour that is entertaining but sadly, rarely touched on later. The film overall takes itself quite seriously, or at least as serious as you can get with a movie about a giant lizard and giant gorilla punching each other. This is really the key to Godzilla vs. Kong; it’s intense, it’s exciting, and it’s fun, but it is also a movie that is best enjoyed when you don’t think about it too much.
The plot is pleasantly predictable if a little bizarre with its inclusion of the hidden world at the Earth’s core. The dialogue is over-the-top cheesy, and the characters are so forgettable you’ll probably refer to them as the little girl, the podcast guy, or the scientist lady throughout rather than their actual character names. Though Godzilla vs. Kong features a stellar cast which includes Alexander Skarsgård, Rebecca Hall, and Millie Bobby Brown, these actors are mostly there to explain the plot and look scared as the titular monsters brawl. The exception being Jia, played by Kaylee Hottle, the young deaf girl with a strong connection to Kong, and the heart of the whole film. Really though, everything in this film is there to move the story along to the next action sequence.
Despite the over the top cheese, flat characters, and weird world-building in need of a better explanation, Godzilla vs. Kong absolutely nails the one plot point that audiences actually care about: the fight scenes.
From sea battles with aircraft carriers, duels with flying monsters in the hidden world, and an all-out knockdown in Hong Kong, Godzilla vs. Kong has it all; explosions, buildings falling like dominoes, creative uses of construction equipment, satisfying deaths of villains, and some truly awesome one-on-one battles where we get to see some legendary monsters throwdown. With stellar special effects and choreography that mixes the intense with the comical, Godzilla vs. Kong will have you excitedly cheering for your favourite monster.
Godzilla vs. Kong is a movie in the same vein as Pacific Rim. When you step back, it’s a pretty ridiculous movie, but that’s why we love it. The more you think about the plot of Godzilla vs. Kong, the less it makes sense, but when you turn off your brain and just enjoy it, this monster flick is truly spectacular. While it could have benefitted from some better dialogue and world-building, Godzilla vs. Kong is the perfect brain candy for a mindlessly fun movie night.
