I used to read the newspaper for fun. This was back when newspapers existed and I was still young (in body and heart). The issue I looked forward to the most was Friday’s Weekend section. I couldn’t wait to see what the critic thought of each new latest release. As much as every new movie varied in quality, there were two constants – First, if the critic gave a movie four stars (out of four), I knew it was a snobby film that I should avoid. Second, if the movie got the grade of 2 1/2 stars (out of four), I knew it would be right up my alley. Two and a half star movies were my bread and butter. They were fun, contrived, and easily consumed. I couldn’t get enough of them.
Godzilla vs Kong is the equivalent of a 2 1/2 star movie.
Both Godzilla and King Kong have a lengthy, yet inconsistent, history on the big screen. And in 2014, the latest US attempt at bringing Godzilla to the big screen succeeded in kicking off the new Monster-verse with Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
Now, Godzilla stands above every titan on earth and will seek to crush each new opponent that stands in his way. Enter Kong. Scientists travel with Kong to explore the “Hollow Earth” for a new life-force, but the journey isn’t easy. Godzilla, being a jealous titan, seeks to stop any power grab.
One important thing to note if you’re picking sides here. This is more of a Kong movie, with him getting the bulk of the screen time. Godzilla gets a fair amount of incredible action, but he’s more of an incredible force to be reckoned with. This doesn’t mean the movie is playing favorites with who gets the upper hand in battles. Instead, it wants us to relate with Kong and his quest, but we can’t help but crave constant all-out titan slugfests where they’re evenly matched.
The previous entry, Godzilla: King of the Monsters should have been the coolest movie, with Godzilla taking out classic monsters like King Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mothra. While much of the action was obscured by clouds, it was still a visual treat. However, the human element of the movie pulled it into nearly unwatchable territory (or if you do watch it, just fast forward to the action). No audience member wants to see civilians, the military, or scientists babble on in a movie like this. We want to see monsters.
GvK has mostly learned from that mistake. The human characters that follow Kong (played by Alexander Skarsgård, Rebecca Hall, and Kaylee Hottle) don’t drag the movie down because Kong is typically sharing the screen with them. There’s no need to temporarily care about characters you wouldn’t be able to name, when a giant ape stands tall above them. This movie does its best to tie into the previous movie by give Millie Bobby Brown a carryover B-plot. The reveals that she and her friends (played by Julian Dennison and Brian Tyree Henry) find, are pretty awesome, but the characters are largely unnecessary in the larger plot.
I wish the human element made me care for these characters. The banter between the younger characters doesn’t fit the high stakes happening around them. I know it’s standard for most Godzilla movies to have our perspective be more of the filler, but I want the best of both worlds. I want to care about and be worried about characters being crushed under a titan’s foot.
I just realized I’m breaking my own rules. I’m talking about boring human characters when you truly only care about giant beasts. Let’s get right to it.
GvK is so much fun. The sheer destruction is something that deserves to be seen on a big screen. I don’t know how they only spent $185M on the budget, because this is masterclass on CG. These two monsters have character, emotion and the presence to dominate the screen. I was in constant awe of how realistic this all looked (as real as a giant ape and a lizard can be).
This movie pulls no punches in its action scenes either. Most movies of this type have obscured action or it largely takes place at night. Several of the major battles are depicted during the day and it still looks nearly flawless. Also, director Adam Wingard (You’re Next, The Guest) somehow made this a beautifully colorful experience. The fantastical and modern environments, complete with unique lighting (and yes, the carnage somehow adds to the lighting), make the fights incredibly memorable. It’s not uncommon for indie horror directors to be hired to make studio-lead blockbusters, but he was a perfect choice in delivering just what fans of this monster-verse have been hoping for.
Godzilla vs Kong is currently streaming on HBO Max, but my honest recommendation is to see this in theaters. It’s the kind of explosive escapism that is desperately needed. It will soothe the big, dumb action lover inside. And yes, this is a pretty dumb movie where, plot-wise, nothing really happens. Don’t be concerned too much. If you had a choice between a deep story or a monster battle, you’ll loudly proclaim “Let them fight!” This is an unexpectedly gorgeous movie that will often makes you smile ear to ear. I’m proud to give GvK my version of 2 1/2 stars. B-
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