If you need a legitimate reason to head to the movies this weekend, consider this. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is everything that was expected and more. Directed by Adam Wingard, the latest installment in the Monsterverse is bright, loud, and chocked full of action.
Having two of cinema’s largest monsters join forces was a great idea for the silver screen, but also came with a daunting task. “Once you’ve seen Godzilla and Kong have the most ultimate battle in ‘Godzilla vs. Kong,’ what’s next? And the obvious answer is: the team-up,” said Wingard. “But the idea, though, of Godzilla and Kong teaming up, you can’t make that too easy.” To his credit, the link-up in the film wasn’t as straightforward as one would expect. Fans will be pleased to see them unify organically and not just because they’re two big monsters that make things go boom.
Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), Trapper (Dan Stevens), and Jia (Kaylee Hottle) are back, along with an audience favorite in Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry). Ilene is searching to find the reason behind Godzilla’s most recent actions while struggling to connect with Jia. The four reconnect after Kong seeks relief from a toothache (cue in Trapper) and Ilene seeks out Bernie to help with the visions Jia’s been having. Together, they have a two-fold mission of keeping tabs on Kong while finding the catalyst to Godzilla’s erratic behavior.
Two big topics of discussion ever since the trailer was revealed were the differences in appearance. Godzilla is sporting more of a Breast Cancer Awareness-esque pink while Kong appears with a fist upgrade that looks like it was donated from Transformers. You can release a great exhale because what you see is all tied into the storyline, which is how Wingard had always imagined it.
In a lot of these types of movies, they tend to update characters and in the next movie the character looks different… but nobody really talks about it. I wanted it to be driven by the story, and so I knew even at the early development phases, that I wanted to give Godzilla a new look, but I wanted to make sure that it was also motivated by something going on in the movie and that we would actually see the evolution happen within the film.”
Director Adam Wingard
What audiences will discover about Kong in this film is that he has grown. This is not the same Kong from Skull Island or the previous Godzilla vs. Kong. Time has passed since he and Godzilla battled it out to onscreen horror and cinematic acclaim. This more mature, wiser Kong has taken full-time occupancy in Hollow Earth and, while appearing lonely at times, still reigns supreme even without the “King” in his surname.
If you’re unfamiliar with some of the names and parts of the backstory, a good place to start (outside of the movies) is Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The series acts as a prequel to films such as Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong. While the films provide a mere glimpse into how shady the agency is, the Monarch series dives deep into the sour business practices and how it was initially designed to function as a heroic watchdog.
The only problem with this film is that I didn’t want it to end. Out of all the movies that have screened this year where I felt like mentally checking out, this clocked in at 1hr and 55mins to my ultimate chagrin. The action was there, the fight scenes were solid, and everything felt cohesive. Nothing came off as too wild or outlandish (Ok, maybe Godzilla taking a nap inside of The Colosseum in Rome), just big and loud like it’s supposed to be.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire gets a 9.5 out of 10. You’ll be greeted by a trove of new characters and Titans that will excite fans old and new. In the storyline, everything ties together nicely and will leave you excited about what’s to come in the future. It’s rated PG-13 for violence and some off-color language here and there, but outside of that, enjoy a good story. It’s truly a movie that’s made to be seen in theaters. Treat yourself to this in IMAX quality if you have the option to do so.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will hit theaters on Friday, March 29.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Warner Bros.