Review - Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Written by: Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, Jeremy Slater
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens
Running Time: 115 minutes
Rating: 2.5/5
When the first trailer for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was released, the studio teased audiences with the most absurd, chaotic and bat-shit crazy sequence created for a kaiju film. It isn’t a visceral or jaw-dropping shot through Godzilla’s teeth or claws, nor is it a tracking shot of Kong swinging across skyscrapers. It isn’t King Ghoridah appearing in the mist above a city. It is Godzilla and Kong running at full speed (and the same size?) towards the screen.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire feels like a dramatic turning point in Warner Bros.’ cinematic Monsterverse. The fifth entry in their kaiju-fronted blockbuster epics spanning Gareth Edwards’ dark and brooding Godzilla (2014) to Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ Skull Island (2017) and of course, Wingard’s own diabolical collaboration with Godzilla Vs. Kong (2021) feels like a demented transitionary fever dream of cartoonish delights. So long are the days of the mysterious, haunting auras of the unearthly kaijus; it feels like any sense of wonder has evolved from moments of kaiju emergence or empathetic encounters to the absolute destruction and insanity of creatures wrecking havoc (in the most absurd ways) across the globe. Wingard crafts the film in full-force knowing that the audience already knows the kaijus are breathtakingly badass, so the film goes straight for the jugular and delivers no holds barred kaiju madness.
At least with the earlier entries in the Monsterverse, it feels as though the filmmakers focused on utilizing the kaijus (Godzilla and/or Kong) as misunderstood creatures; usually caught in the midst of mankind's unassuming scientific explorations. Being its fifth feature into this loosely connected continuity, Godzilla x Kong seemingly abandons its focus on the heart of its kaiju stars and leans into an almost Snyder-inspired destruction of the world. Even in its most half-hearted attempts to ground the film in some sort of emotional core with it's human characters; it's only Kong that serves the most empathetic and emotionally resonant character in the film - even if it is a little trite and boring.
In this film, Kong ventures deep into Hollow Earth unexpectedly stumbling upon a lost tribe of fellow Apes. Guided by a young Orangutan, Kong finds himself targeted by a vicious and violent Skar King; a monstrous Orangutan armed with a whip formed from the bones of his enemies and an Ice Dinosaur Kaiju. With project Monarch following Kong’s every move, our human characters are led by Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), nutso podcaster Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry) and Trapper (Dan Stevens) a Kaiju vet (I'm not kidding) ripped from kooky 70’s action films. There isn't much to say about narrative in this review. It is practically non-existent and I found myself asking why the humans are even part of this film. That being said, Godzilla x Kong should have been a stand alone King Kong film. There are moments where the film almost feels like a distant cousin of the Planet of the Apes franchise as Kong interacts, engages and brawls with many apes in the film. It is disappointing for a film that promises Godzilla that the Japanese titan is heavily underutilized in the narrative and only appears sporadically throughout the film and its final sequence.
Kong’s journey deep into Hollow Earth takes more than half the film and moves, at times, at a glacial pace. With intermittent sequences of Kaiju action, the majority of the film feels like a chore. Dragging its feet across pavement, every single scene with its human characters serves as an exposition dump and filler dialogue. Wingard makes up for these shortcomings with some of the most absurd and insane kaiju sequences (probably) put on film. Godzilla suplexes Kong off the pyramids. A titan rides another Kaiju as if on horseback. Kong is equipped with a metal arm - similar to Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet in the MCU. There is a zero-gravity fight involving four major kaiju. The film really shines when it doesn’t take itself too seriously and fully leans into the cartoonish absurdity of kaiju-on-kaiju entertainment.
There isn’t much to see here outside of Godzilla & Kong smashing heads in. Give me full destruction. Give me full chaos. Who knows? Maybe the next Monsterverse film goes to space. I won’t be surprised. I don’t even think I would be against it. Bring it
