There’s really just something about the spectacle of seeing giant monsters tear up cities that makes me feel like a kid again. Maybe I’m easier to please than most, but that might be why I’ve enjoyed all of the previous four MonsterVerse films to varying degrees. Godzilla vs. Kong was, in my estimation, the strongest to date, and thankfully, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire manages to retain a lot of what made the last movie work.
It’s been a few years since the two titular titans faced off against each other, and both have kept to their own territories: Godzilla lives on the surface, taking down invaders in between naps at the Roman Colosseum, and Kong roams in the subterranean Hollow Earth, searching for any trace of his ancestry. Meanwhile, Kong’s human friend Jia (Kaylee Hottle) starts experiencing strange telepathic signals, to the concern of Jia’s adoptive mother, Monarch scientist Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall).
Those signals and Kong’s search simultaneously lead to the discovery of the Skar King, another giant ape with an army of followers, a badass whip, and a deep hatred of humanity. He’s even managed to get another Titan, the ice-spitting dragon Shimo, to do his bidding. The only way that Kong can defeat the duo is by teaming up with his old rival to save the world from extinction. The story overall isn’t anything to write home about, but director Adam Wingard and writers Terry Rosio, Jeremy Slater and Simon Barrett do a good job at trimming the fat and moving the plot from A to B.
“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire manages to retain a lot of what made the last movie work.”
On the human side of things, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire made the wise decision to stick to one main quartet, all of whom are genuinely enjoyable, even if they’re mostly there for exposition. Jia and Dr. Andrews both return from Godzilla vs. Kong, as well as Brian Tyree Henry’s conspiracy theorist/podcaster Bernie Hayes, who assists in the investigation of the signal. The one new addition to the crew and the major highlight is Dan Stevens as Trapper, who acts as essentially Ace Ventura for giant monsters, all the way to the similarly flashy shirt. Stevens and Henry also have some great comedic back-and-forths throughout, and Kaylee Hottle is the solid, earnest heart at the core of all the spectacle.
When it comes down to it, though, people are here for the monsters. The common complaint that we don’t spend enough time with the monsters can finally be put to rest this time around as they take up most of Godzilla x Kong’s screen time, especially the big ape. Godzilla x Kong is firmly a Kong-centered story, with Zilla’s story mostly happening in the background for nearly the first two-thirds of the film. It’s to the point it can be almost retitled “Kong with a Godzilla guest verse.”
“The common complaint that we don’t spend enough time with the monsters can finally be put to rest this time around as they take up most of Godzilla x Kong’s screen time…”
That being said, it was a refreshing change of pace, spending as much time with him as we do in the film and seeing Kong grow as a character. He even forms a tenuous alliance with a younger ape named Suko, and their friendship grows over the course of time, which works much more for me than I expected. The Skar King is a solid nemesis for Kong, but I almost wish we had more time with him before the final battle.
Shimo, while the ice powers are very cool (no pun intended), feels like an afterthought other than needing an anti-Godzilla. Of course, once Kong and Godzilla gain their upgrades (a metal gauntlet and a new pink form, respectively) and finally decide to join forces, the movie just turns into an all-out, mega-sized tag-team wrestling match using Rio de Janeiro as their ring and it is exactly as fun as it sounds. They’re tossing each other into buildings, they’re using combo maneuvers, it’s all a ridiculous visual spectacle, and I couldn’t get rid of the stupid grin on my face.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is not a film that’s going to have the compelling thematic heft of Godzilla Minus One or the original film, nor is it trying to. It’s a big, silly cartoon paying homage to the ridiculous brawls of the Showa era, and it delivers on exactly that, no more and no less.
