When Legendary announced that they were moving Kong: Skull Island to Warner Bros., they also announced that Godzilla would crossover. However, the producers insisted that this crossover film wouldn’t be a remake of 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla. While Michael Dougherty directed Godzilla: King of the Monsters, he returned for this as a writer alongside Zach Shields. Adam Wingard, who was originally attached to a sequel to Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong remake, was hired to direct. Max Borenstein returned to write alongside Eric Pearson, who also co-wrote Thor: Ragnarok and did rewrites for other MCU movies. With Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler reprising their previous roles, they cast Rebecca Hall, Alexander Skarsgård, and Demián Bichir. After a six-month shoot, the film was set to release in May 2020 but was delayed due to COVID-19. Finally, Godzilla vs Kong hit theaters and HBO Max in March 2021.
%
Rating
Synopsis
Following Godzilla’s fight with King Ghidorah, Kong is being monitored by Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) on Skull Island. Meanwhile, Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir), the CEO of Apex Cybernetics, hires Dr. Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård) to lead an expedition. Simmons seeks Lind because of his theories about a “Hollow Earth” that could be where the Titans originally came from. Despite his reluctance, he agrees and asks Andrews to help and let them use Kong to guide them. Meanwhile, Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) seeks out conspiracy theorist Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry) to investigate Godzilla’s recent attacks. Godzilla is being labeled a threat after destroying an Apex facility, but Russell and Hayes suspect there’s more going on. Eventually, Godzilla and Kong collide in an epic struggle for dominance while the humans watch on in awe. However, unbeknownst to them, a new challenger will soon be entering the ring.
Review
Godzilla vs Kong is a very dumb and silly movie, but it’s the sort of dumb and silly that works. While Godzilla: King of the Monsters tried adding some philosophical qualities to the monsters, this gets straight to the point. Adam Wingard knows exactly what a movie like this should be, and he more or less succeeds at delivering it. Admittedly, the story doesn’t make much sense when you start thinking about it, but it serves its purpose. The story and characters are there to give a reason why Godzilla and Kong would be fighting and it works. The fight scenes here are easily the best this series of monster movies has seen with plenty of variety added. Whether it’s the fight on the ocean or the nighttime fight in Hong Kong illuminated by neon lights, it’s amazing. Kaiju fans will get exactly what they want and then some.
For as silly and dumb as the film is, it’s much more well-acted and well-made than you would expect. Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgård work as the leads, and thankfully there’s no forced romance between them. Millie Bobby Brown, Julian Dennison, and Brian Tyree Henry make for a solid trio and have some fun banter. However, Kaylee Hottle steals the show as the young, deaf Iwi girl who communicates with Kong using sign language. Their scenes together are pretty adorable and they manage to convey plenty of emotion without a line of dialogue. Though his character is the archetypal evil corporate boss, Demián Bichir is pretty entertaining and clearly having fun. Along with the film’s impressive visuals, it all comes together in a very entertaining kaiju film that fans will love. Overall, Godzilla vs Kong is the epic battle fans have long wanted and delivers exactly what it needs to.
See Godzilla vs Kong in theaters or on HBO Max: https://bit.ly/3dO7aEy
