With the release and Oscar success of Godzilla: Minus One, I feel like Godzilla x Kong is put in a slightly unfair position. Comparisons between the two are going to be inevitable, likely with the narrative that Minus One shows “how to do a kaiju film right,” unlike the American counterpart, but this isn’t a narrative that I agree with. Admittedly, I do think Minus One is a better film, and by quite a margin, but spoiler alert, I also enjoyed the latest MonsterVerse film, which is aiming for something very different and unique to itself. And by its own ambitions, I think it very much succeeds at what it’s doing.
Adam Wingard returns as director with Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater working on the screenplay. Some time has passed since the events of Godzilla vs. Kong, the two are keeping space with each other. Godzilla roams the Earth battling nefarious titans while Kong tries to make home in the Hollow Earth. However, he soon discovers a secret area where there are other apes just like him. Unfortunately, they are led by a ruthless leader referred to as the Scar King, a being that serves a threat to the world that can only be stopped with the help of Godzilla.
If this all sounds incredibly silly. Well, yes, it very much is, but that is the appeal here. With Godzilla vs. Kong, the franchise has entered a period in their storytelling where inspiration is being drawn from the weirder points of the Showa Era in the Godzilla series and evoking the pop showmanship of something like wrestling or Saturday morning cartoons. The filmmakers are operating on pure crowd-pleasing, roller-coaster ride mode, and in that sense, it works. Wingard, given that he brought in his old collaborator Barrett on board, seems more eager to indulge in some of the weirder ideas they had that they might not have been able to get away with in the last film.
Even stylistically speaking, the film is more confident in its construction, and falls more in line with what one would expect from Wingard. The colors really pop, there is more humor, and the score – made in collaboration between Tom Holkenborg and Antonio Di Iorio – incorporates a lot of 80s synthwave, even the needle drops are quite inspired and fun. And the performances reflect a lot of the zany choices as well, like Brian Tyree Henry, who returns as a conspiracy podcaster, but especially Dan Stevens, who plays a delightfully unhinged titan veterinarian named Trapper.
Where the film falters is when it tries to go sincere. Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) is stuck between two modes, running exposition or playing mother figure for young Jia (Kaylee Hottle). There are some sweet moments that work because both performers are putting in the effort, but it’s clearly not Wingard’s wheelhouse, he is far too irreverent and ironic to make those kind of beats truly land. Another fault I had with the film is that the 2nd act loses quite a bit of momentum, as we follow Kong and a little ape, slowly making their way to have the first encounter with the Scar King, and much of the table setting for the final showdown is awkwardly paced, losing the wild energy to match the wacky ideas being thrown at the screen.
This isn’t enough to make Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire a bad experience, but it does hinder some of the fun. Thankfully, the film tries to throw in as much wild giant monster action as it can without getting too overwhelming, and it does keep things engaging. It does result in a lack of real depth, but there are still plenty of things to admire. I like that there are several extended sequences where there is no dialogue, and you have to go by the emotions and body language expressed by the characters like Kong to understand what they’re feeling. For as much exposition as there is, there’s some really strong visual storytelling at many points. Overall, I had a pretty good time with the film, the monster action is well staged, the effects are really strong, it’s just really eager to make sure you have an enjoyable time, and I’d say it gets the job done. I look forward to whatever they have cooking up in the future.