This is the fourth installment in the MonsterVerse by Legendary Pictures, and it pits titan vs. titan in epic glory. However, all previous films were received with mixed reactions from fans and critics from multiple circles all around. For me personally, Kong: Skull Island (2017) was my favorite out of the first three, seeming more focused with its vision and having great characters to support it. Godzilla (2014) was a two-hour tease with no payoff, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) sounded great but was all over the place. It focused too much on ridiculous characters making idiotic decisions instead of monsters fighting. Fortunately, the new director, Adam Wingard, provided a near perfect formula that gives audiences what they’ve been clamoring for, for years, and that’s giant monsters beating the hell out of each other!
However, giant monsters were not the only life forms filling up the screen. There’s a fair number of humans involved, and for a majority of this film the director got it right. There are two groups of humans present. One group deals with Kong directly, while the other group is used as an extra lens for the audience to decipher a deeper plot within the story. The group of humans dealing with Kong are superb. They’re all smart and caring, and they listen to each other using deductive reasoning to get the job done. Initially, I was worried about the involvement of Jia (Kaylee Hottle), thinking the film was too focused on a human element, but I was wrong. Jia ended up being a stand-out and a necessary part of the film that gave it heart and soul. Her entire group elevated the film, and the film had great balance going back and forth between their screen time and the giant monsters. On the other hand, I didn’t enjoy the other group of characters led by Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry) as much. I realize it may be difficult to create characters that can relate to everyone, but it shouldn’t be too hard to come up with realistic characters instead of cartoons where every other line of dialogue is annoying. That was the case here. Their involvement didn’t ruin the film, but it definitely brought it down a notch or two. Something else great about the film was the visuals and the cinematography. This was a beautiful film to look at, especially dealing with Kong’s home. Exploring unknown parts of the world with huge wide shots and vivid colors popping out at you was nothing short of glorious. It was fun witnessing all of this unfold. It made you feel sort of like a kid again with so much wonder and curiosity to feel your headspace. On top of that, I love the technology that was used to help carry the film as well. Nothing seemed out of place or unrealistic with the certain gadgets and vehicles that were used to propel the story. You only needed to suspend your disbelief shortly and you’re along for the ride.
And while all that is great, the best part is what most audiences came to see first which is Godzilla vs. Kong. I went in with my expectations fairly high, and I didn’t walk away disappointed. If you were wondering which titan would walk away victorious, you will get your answer. There is a clear winner, and I’m not upset with the outcome seeing as both Kong and Godzilla had great moments to shine. There are multiple fights between the two and each was choreographed very well especially given the environment that they were in. The plot within the action makes a ton of sense as well to flesh it all out. Whoever would win in a given fight depends on a number of factors, one being location. I love how the director took advantage of this, telling the story between the two. I was also surprised by how agile Godzilla was. I’m not saying he won (you’ll have to see the film to figure that out), but it was a nice surprise seeing him maneuver around on top of all the other neat and fancy tidbits that I don’t want to ruin for you here. It was a true slugfest seeing them go at it bringing the inner kid out of you as if you were playing with toys. So much fun!
My only complaint as far as the fighting would be when it came to the final showdown. It could’ve been built out more for context and just to show the scope of how dangerous the given situation was. Instead, the fight just started. I wanted it to be a globally viewed event, which to me it wasn’t, and that was a missed opportunity. I also think the studio failed by not shooting this film with IMAX cameras. That’s a crime, to be honest. With monsters the size of skyscrapers, this was the perfect situation to show the range of what an IMAX camera can do. If there is another sequel, hopefully they will be utilized.
Overall, Godzilla vs. Kong was a fun, thrilling adventurous ride that met my expectations. Other than a few human characters that were socially awkward and a rushed final boss showdown, this delivered across the board. It’s my favorite out of the four films, and it’s a film that won’t get old playing on repeat. It’s that enjoyable, and I’m excited for more.
