The thing about Godzilla and Kong movies is that no matter if you are a long-time fan or just seeing the film for the first time, you are there to see giant monsters fight. I don’t know how far this MonsterVerse will go, but we have seen various kaiju and I am here for it.
In Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), audiences go to see Godzilla and Kong go head to head. It was the epic battle that fans had been waiting for. Like all great battles, fans chose sides. This choice isn’t as easy as the Darkside vs. the Lightside or Team Edward vs. Team Jacob. This battle is king vs. king. This time, director Adam Wingard gives us the team-up of a lifetime. We saw a glimpse of the future in 2021 when Godzilla and Kong had to put their differences aside for a moment to take down Mecha-Godzilla together. In Godzilla vs. Kong: A New Empire, we see Kong and Godzilla in some excellent tag-team situations. Visually, it’s a lot, but it was still amazing to watch.
Godzilla vs. Kong: A New Empire follows Godzilla and Kong as they unite against a hidden threat deep within Hollow Earth. Their new enemy challenges the existence of kaiju and the survival of the human race. The film features entirely original creations alongside OG Titans that offer a new depth and skill level against our alpha monsters. Godzilla vs. Kong: A New Empire stars some familiar faces from the previous film, like Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, and Kaylee Hottle, but has also welcomed stars Dan Stevens, Fala Chen, and Alex Ferns to the universe, making for quite the shift in character relations and dynamics.
When it comes down to the characters in the MonsterVerse, the people are background while the special effects and CGI take center stage with the Titans. Godzilla vs. Kong is all about the monsters, with the people generally serving as a measure of scale and a reflection of the audience’s reactions to what was happening between the creatures. While that is still the case, this time around, while we get to see more close-ups of the Titans, there is also a deeper storyline with the humans of the story.
Jia (Kaylee Hottle), a conduit between our world and Hollow Earth, gets her moment to shine. Her storyline is essential, as it brings about the film’s major themes and moves the storyline along. Dan Stevens and Brian Tyree Henry are the only other characters who realize what type of film they are in. Their characters were wacky and annoying, but they added much-needed comic relief amidst the science/tech jargon, carnage, and destruction of cities. As for Hall, who reprises her role as Ilene Andrews, her character puts her role as a mother in the front seat for this film.
This film isn’t only a fan service to get Godzilla, Kong, and others fighting on screen. It also has a central storyline about family and cultural differences. The mother-daughter dynamic is highlighted in Godzilla vs. Kong: A New Empire. Jia is older now and feels like she doesn’t belong anywhere. She is the last of her people, and while her mother is constantly watching documentaries and reading textbooks about her tribe, they are both just trying to figure out what happens next and where they fit in. In a way, this is a coming-of-age story for Jia. The parallels between family and culture come in with the Titans as well. Kong has always been looking for his family or others like him and his place in the world.
There is an overarching theme that highlights the family you are born with vs. the family that you make. We see this idea through the human relationships in the film and the kaiju. The team-up between Godzilla and Kong was destined to take place for the world’s safety. Godzilla vs. Kong: A New Empire takes different pieces from the films we’ve seen and sets them up in a puzzle we didn’t even know was being made. For the most part, it all makes sense. A few details may have been glossed over, but perhaps that’s ammunition for another film.
The special effects are solid, but at times the action on screen is too busy. There is so much happening simultaneously that it’s a bit disorienting. But what a fun movie! Seeing these Titans fight on the IMAX screen will never be boring. In Godzilla vs. Kong: A New Empire, we spend more time with the creatures and the core group than with military personnel. We get to see epic battle scenes and easy-to-follow storylines. It’s a good continuation of Legendary’s MonsterVerse that goes back to Godzilla (2014) and Kong: Skull Island (2017), and there’s room for more!
Godzilla vs. Kong: A New Empire hits theaters on March 29, 2024.
What's Your Reaction?
