GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE Review
“The constant sense of awe and wonder frequently makes up for some of the storytelling SNAFUs”
When last we left Kong and Godzilla, they were mortal enemies, but were begrudgingly teaming up against a greater enemy. That’s also essentially what’s happening in Godzilla x Kong, which is a direct sequel and continuation, as well as a resolution for some of the characters arcs from 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. The omission of “vs.” in favor of a mysterious “x” is no oversight.
Director Adam Wingard returns to continue the stories of Kong and Zilla, as well as a few of the supporting human characters introduced in his previous movie. Even though Godzilla gets top billing, this is very much Kong’s story, as we follow the great ape on his search for other giant apes like himself, travelling across the dangerous landscape of the Hollow Earth. Godzilla is on his own quest to gain more power and energy for a reason only he knows, but that is very much a sidequest. Instead, we follow Rebecca Hall’s Kong expert Dr. Ilene Andrews, her ward Jia (Kaylee Hottle), and Bryan Tyree Henry’s podcaster Bernie, as they go into the Hollow Earth seeking out the source of a distress signal. The main new character is a Titan veterinarian called “Trapper,” played by Dan Stevens, who brings another level of hilarity beyond Henry’s character to keep things entertaining.
There’s a lot going on in The New Empire, a lot of exposition and a ton of new story elements, some that work better than others. It’s a good hour before we meet the main villain, the Skar King, another Alpha-level’s Ape that contests Kong’s self-proclaimed reign, but one who has been holding the apes of Hollow Earth under his sway through violence. There’s also the “son of Kong,” a bit of a Gen-Y brat when we first meet him, though he becomes an integral part of the story as it goes along, and he’s mostly kind of adorable. As Kong is trying to find his “people” and his place in the world, as is Jia, and though some tend to discount the important role of humans in these movies, “Godzilla x Kong” does improve on that aspect by bringing back familiar characters.
For the most part, this not being “Godzilla Vs. Kong 2” is quite accurate, since for the most part, Kong and Godzilla are on their own respective journeys until the very last act, where they do what they do… fight! But eventually, they’re brought together against their common enemy, pretty much all that needs to be said about the overarching plot, since there are a few nice surprises beyond what’s already been revealed in various marketing materials. The majority of the film does take place in the Hollow Earth, but some very recognizable cities do play a background to some of the more impressive monster battles. (There’s one sequence which is going to look a little too familiar to those who already saw the similarly-named “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” though, a pure coincidence due to the two movies being released in such close proximity.)
Beyond that, I have to say that Wingard has proven to me with these two movies he can probably do just about anything, even if I may have had my doubts with his “Blair Witch” remake and even with “You’re Next.” “Godzilla x Kong” is a big and bombastic spectacle that rarely loses even an inch of ground while trying to keep the viewer entertained. These movies have always involved world-building, but no more so than Wingard’s two entries where we learn so much more about the place of Godzilla, Kong and the Titans in our world, creating more logic behind their actions. More importantly, “Godzilla x Kong” builds on the heart of the last movie, which is the relationship between Jia and her adopted mother, something that continues into this sequel and helps bolster the more fantastical elements inherent in any Godzilla/Kong movie.
Personally, I thought the recent “Godzilla Minus One” was a perfectly fine Godzilla movie, but the amount of critics (and fans) who have already succumbed to the mass hypnosis that it’s be-all end-all “greatest Godzilla movie ever,” who will automatically discount Wingard’s efforts, as nothing more than a Hollywood studio movie is kind of unfair. The visual effects for this sequel, like with its predecessor, shows off some of the best work you’re likely to see on screen this year. Sure, there are many more artists and animators and studios and money involved, but the hard work by these individuals is apparent in every single frame, and the storytelling mainly works, because the design and VFX work back it up. It isn’t just the environments created, but also the depth of emotion and humanity brought to the Titans, but especially to Kong and the other apes.
The constant sense of awe and wonder frequently makes up for some of the storytelling SNAFUs that occur when you’re trying to throw so many ideas into the mix of what should be a fairly simple follow-up sequel. Because of this, “Godzilla x Kong” might have a few troubles, but still does enough to keep the viewer thoroughly entertained, much like the previous installment.
Rating: 7.5/10
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire opens nationwide on Friday, March 29 with previews Thursday night.