Legendary’s MonsterVerse has made it to the fifth film in its franchise, with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which is a big accomplishment. Following the events of the 2021 Godzilla vs. Kong film, our title characters are living their own lives on separate levels of the Earth; Kong lives in Hollow Earth while Godzilla remains on the surface fighting Titans as they appear. All of their activity is closely monitored by Monarch, with Dr. Ilene Andrews (played by Rebecca Hall) leading the Kong division of Monarch. Naturally, something is stirring in the depths of Hollow Earth that will force these two Titans to team up to save the world.
[Please note: There are spoilers ahead for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.]
The Plot of Godzilla x Kong
After defeating Mechagodzilla in Godzilla vs. Kong, the titular Titans have lived on their own for a few years now, closely being monitored by Monarch. Unfortunately, a Monarch outpost located in Hollow Earth picks up a strange signal that causes Jia (played by Kaylee Hottle) to experience hallucinations and flashbacks and Godzilla to move about the planet, gaining energy to prepare for an oncoming threat of some kind.
The Pros and “Kongs”
The biggest con is that the first two-thirds of the film is very exposition-heavy. Some of it was necessary, considering that a few years have passed since the events of Godzilla vs. Kong, but not all of it was. The main reason people see these films is for the action; I can appreciate world-building with the exposition, but not everyone can.
The visual effects were good where they needed to be, especially on Godzilla and Kong. The various creatures inhabiting Hollow Earth were hit-and-miss for me, which could have been more of a design issue than a visual effect issue. The biggest misses, except for Suko and Skar King, were the other apes in Hollow Earth; they did not look good at all, and I think it was more the visual effects than the design. Suko was a great addition, especially by giving Kong another ape to connect with and become a father figure. Skar King was another great addition for another reason: he was the Anti-Kong, able to stand toe to toe with our heroic ape and prove to be a considerable threat to the world, especially by controlling Shimo, an ice Godzilla who walks on all fours.
Rebecca Hall & the Human Story in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Rebecca Hall is fantastic in everything she does, so it’s no surprise that she stands out among the film’s human characters. She has the most complete arc, along with Kaylee Hottle as Jia, the last of the Iwi Tribe of Skull Island. They are a found family and have great chemistry with each other, which is more impressive when they communicate through sign language.
Brian Tyree Henry and Dan Stevens provide the comic relief as Bernie Hayes and Trapper, with the latter also acting as something of a love interest for Rebecca Hall. Brian Tyree Henry is the more consistently funny of the two, which stems from his character experiencing the wonders of Hollow Earth for the first time. Stevens gets to do most of his comedic work along with some great song choices, which I’ll leave a surprise for you to see for yourself.
Luckily, our titular heroes continue to live up to the hype and make the film’s final third exactly what you were hoping to see. It’s fascinating to me how different the film is for Godzilla and Kong. Kong gets a big emotional arc where he’s trying to find others like him to establish a home in Hollow Earth. At the same time, Godzilla is just roaming the planet absorbing energy to get ready for the big final fight, which is worth the price of admission.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is exactly what I wanted it to be: big monsters fighting on the big screen. Some of the visuals and the amount of exposition at the beginning almost ruin the film, but the human cast led by Rebecca Hall and the final battle more than makeup for it. This is a film you want to see on the biggest screen possible; it’s worth the experience!
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is now in theaters.
Visit the film’s website to learn more, including how to get tickets.
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