Since 1933’s King Kong and Godzilla in 1954, the broad appeal of kaiju films has relied on two very simple elements. Destruction of cities and/or how man is far more hideous than any building-sized monster. Kong has been the subject of tragic romance and Godzilla born as a cautionary tale of nuclear war, those core elements rarely change. However, despite how many variations of each character, the idea of pitting them against each other has only occurred once (1962’s King Kong vs Godzilla). And very poorly at that. But with Warner Bros/Legendary’s MonsterVerse, the match-up was no longer a what if? scenario, but a plan from the start. Godzilla vs Kong is the cinematic crescendo kaiju fans have been waiting for since 2014’s Godzilla.
With 3 films leading up to Godzilla vs Kong, those core values are on full display. For better and for worse.
Godzilla vs Kong picks up a few years after 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The world’s various titans know Godzilla is king and essentially leave humans alone. But when the usually docile Godzilla wakes from his slumber and attacks a cybernetics factory, the unspoken truce is broken. Is he searching for Kong, the only kaiju yet to submit to his royal title. Meanwhile, in a state-of-the-art facility, a group of zoologists set forth on a journey to take Kong somewhere safe to further their research. The only problem is, once Kong is in transit, Godzilla will initiate a battle to defend his title. A matter Kong couldn’t care any less about but a fight he wouldn’t back down from. Godzilla may be the defender of man, but Kong bows to no one.
While not entirely a villainous role, Godzilla is portrayed less as a hero and simply a force of nature, as he should be. Kong, on the other hand, is more sympathetic much like a direct follow-up to Kong: Skull Island. In fact, his relationship with a young deaf native from his former home is beautifully done my personal favorite aspect of the film. Having a human relationship easily tips the scales in Kong’s favor in terms of narrative. The stakes aren’t as high as the previous installment but definitely more personal. Speaking of emotional investment, the human side of the MonsterVerse has always been a source of contention.
Godzilla vs Kong may side with the fans on the debate but it’s still a strange issue among critics for whatever reason.
Gareth Edward’s Godzilla was told mostly through the eyes of its human characters with each shot of the titans being shown from ground level. Despite the obvious artistic decision, it wasn’t interesting enough to compete with the titular character. Fans and critics agreed. Michael Dougherty remedied this in the sequel by fleshing out character backstories. But this resulted in critics shredding the film for spending too much time away from the titans. Once again, fans and critics agreed. Jordan Vogt-Roberts found a perfect balance in Kong: Skull Island but had to do so by lampooning Hollywood’s fascination with Vietnam war films. Godzilla vs Kong has more in common with Kong: Skull Island but sort of has to poke fun of its own absurdity to maintain a consistent tone. Judging by early reviews of Godzilla vs Kong, critics are no longer on the side of the fans.
Thanks to Marvel, cinematic universes are widely accepted in modern Hollywood. I think an important element in Marvel’s success is diverse storytelling. The best films in the MCU are the ones that either work as stand-alone films (Iron Man, Black Panther) or experiment in tone without sacrificing the connecting fabric (Guardians Of The Galaxy, Thor: Ragnarok). Despite each film boasting a unique Marvel-esque approach to the IP, critics remain less forgiving to the MonsterVerse. But do listening to fans always the best decisions when it comes to making a popcorn studio movie? If the 4-hour Zack Snyder cut of Justice League rolling out on HBO Max to rave reviews is any indication, the answer is a resounding yes.
Director Adam Wingard went straight into Godzilla vs Kong knowing exactly what fans wanted because he is a fan himself.
Godzilla and Kong are the stars of this film. Their names make up the title. The film opens with a brief glimpse into a day in the life of Kong. When Godzilla makes his first appearance, it’s not dark or rainy, it’s in all his nuclear glory. The first time the characters meet is in the first act and they duke it out for nearly 10 minutes of the film’s runtime. I may go as far as to say it’s already one of my favorite kaiju battles of all time! Unlike Superman and Batman throwing shallow slurs and side-eye, the battles between Kong and Godzilla have weight. We believe these titans are fighting for what they believe. Be it protecting a little girl or keeping the alpha title. They do so without speaking or anyone speaking for them.
Are the human characters paper-thin? Yes. Alexander Skarsgard and Rebecca Hall are likable. Brian Tyree Henry gets a few good laughs. Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler return for the sake of connection and nothing more. Unfortunately, Eiza Gonalez, Shun Oguri, and Demian Bichir are completely wasted. Kaylee Hottle (in her first film) steals every scene she is in as the object of Kong’s affection. There are some plot holes here and there but the film stays in continuous motion with impeccable pacing.
But we all know seeing Kong and Godzilla fight to the finish is the sole reason fans paid to see this film. On that end, Godzilla vs Kong may be one of the most satisfying action movies of the last decade. There are no political aspirations or any real-world agendas pushed either. Even use of the military and the in-universe Monarch organization are slightly muted compared to previous films. With Ben Seresin’s gorgeous cinematography, Oscar-worthy special effects, and slick use of classic pop songs (a new attribute to Kong’s character since Kong: Skull Island?), Godzilla vs Kong is the definition of a good time. In a weird way, the film feels triumphant for even existing.
After a year of politics, civil unrest, economic downturns, and a pandemic, we need escapist entertainment like Godzilla vs Kong.
I miss buying a ticket, a bucket of greasy popcorn, and turning my brain off for 2 hours in a dark air-conditioned room. Bass rattling my seat, synthetic explosions burning my eyes, and shoes sticking to the floor. Even before covid19 and social distancing, summer movies had been sold out to superheroes and episodic content. Seeing a movie meant having to catch up on a history report, avoiding casual conversation with fellow movie fans to avoid spoilers. Don’t get me wrong, I love Star Wars and Marvel as well as auteur filmmakers. But I really miss the essence of summer pop culture cinema.
This version of Kong and Godzilla may live in an established cinematic universe, but they’re more to me. These characters represent a part of my childhood not yet manipulated by toxic fandoms, hashtags, and director’s cuts. They are two characters regardless of narrative, have a subtle code. When you watch their films you know things will get wrecked and destroyed. But you also know at the end of the day, they’re still better than the real monsters outside the big screen.
Critics may have forgotten that innocence and maybe kaiju films aren’t your thing, but I think we can all agree, movies like this have been gone for far too long. If it takes a mutated dinosaur lizard fighting a 300-foot tall monkey to bring that wonder back, then so be it. Wingard has directed this film not only as a love letter to kaiju and MonsterVerse fans, it’s the epitome of pop culture cinema. Most importantly, Godzilla vs Kong delivers on every promise made by pre-release hype. We’ve been waiting for this match-up for years and no matter who loses, we win.
Godzilla vs Kong is now playing in select theaters and streaming on HBO Max.