The MonsterVerse franchise probably has the most divided fanbase in all of Hollywood. The previous 4 MonsterVerse movies, Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Godzilla vs. Kong, are all viewed differently depending on what kind of Kaiju fanatic you ask. While the first two Godzilla films in the series faced plenty of fair criticism upon release, many over the years have come to greatly appreciate the more grounded and “mythic” approach of respective directors Gareth Edwards and Michael Dougherty. At the same time, there are just as many people who find those movies to be quite lacking (for valid reasons) and prefer director Adam Wingard‘s over-the-top chaos in Godzilla vs. Kong. Now, Wingard becomes the first filmmaker in the franchise to return with a sequel in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. And to no surprise, the fans might be divided yet again.
However, in the case of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the division among fans will be more sharply defined. Written by Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, Jeremy Slater, and Adam Wingard, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a heartfelt tribute to the Showa Era of Toho’s Godzilla franchise. The Showa Era, which lasted from 1954 to 1975, is what introduced many generations of moviegoers to Godzilla himself and, of course, his colorful roster of monster friends and enemies. Though, admittedly, this era vastly ranges in quality. You either get absolute classics like Mothra vs. Godzilla and Destroy All Monsters or real head-scratchers like All Monsters Attack and Son of Godzilla. At their best, Toho’s Showa Era films speak to the cultural zeitgeist of the specific years they were released. That’s exactly what Godzilla x Kong captures for today’s audiences, and it does so with tons of pride.
In the years since Godzilla and Kong put their differences aside to defeat Mechagodzilla, the two Alpha Titans have yet to cross paths again. Kong has made his territory in Hollow Earth, where he rules alone at the top of the food chain. Meanwhile, Godzilla has stayed on the surface where he travels across the globe to maintain dominance against the other Titans. Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), the head of the Kong research division at Monarch, and her adopted daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle) return from the last film to lead the human narrative. Adapting to life in the “regular” world hasn’t been easy for Jia as she’s the last surviving member of Skull Island’s indigenous Iwi tribe. Jia is also the only person who can communicate with Kong via sign language, but she can’t even have that since the two are always separated.
Both Kong and Jia are the last of their kind, feeling isolated in worlds where they don’t belong. When Monarch detects mysterious signals coming from unknown regions of Hollow Earth, Jia starts having visions of an imminent Titan war. With the help of Titan veterinarian Trapper (Dan Stevens) and podcaster/monster truther Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), Dr. Andrews tries to piece together the puzzle that connects Jia’s visions with these troubling signals, which has both Kong and Godzilla on edge. This mystery leads our small team of humans into the uncharted regions of Hollow Earth alongside Kong, where they discover that an ancient evil is preparing to finally make its way to the Earth’s surface. More of Godzilla and Kong’s origins are uncovered in this adventure as well, revealing that the two monsters can only stop this primeval threat if they team up once more.
For the first time in the MonsterVerse, it truly feels like the actual monsters themselves are legitimate main characters next to their human co-stars. Kong and Jia’s reflective character journeys drive the story forward, with Godzilla’s B plot interjecting here and there. It makes sense for Kong to get the most screen time since his ape communication and sign language are the closest we can get to a giant monster speaking English. While venturing deeper into Hollow Earth, Kong stumbles across and befriends Suko, a “mini Kong” who leads him to a hidden tribe of Great Apes. From here on out, the movie takes on a Planet of the Apes-like feel as Kong’s dynamic with Suko takes center stage. There are long sequences without any humans or dialogue, but all the apes in these scenes are super expressive, thus making the transitions into this monster-focused storytelling seamless.
The film kicks into full gear once it introduces its main villain, the cruel Scar King. This Orangutan-like Titan uses a large whip made out of the spinal cord of a fallen monster as his weapon of choice. With his smug smirk, rotten personality, and extravagant power poses, Scar King feels ripped right out of an anime. If that wasn’t enough already, it’s revealed that Scar King possesses a mystical gem in his whip that grants him control over the mythical Titan Shimo, an enormous frost iguana who can literally cause a new ice age with her ice breath. This sets the stage for a good old-fashioned 2-on-2 fight, which looks crazier than it sounds when the two apes charge at each other while riding on top of their lizard tag-team partners. Yes, that actually does happen.
If it wasn’t obvious already, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire fully buys into its own silliness more than any other MonsterVerse film. It also embraces more of a fantasy element over sci-fi than any other in the franchise. From the very beginning, writer-director Adam Wingard (The Guest, You’re Next) makes it clear what you’re getting yourself into. The Titans are front and center in all their glory. However, this doesn’t relegate the human characters to being filler. The human cast accentuates the story through the perspective of an ’80s action flick. Dan Stevens’ monster vet, who spends the entire movie in a Hawaiian shirt, is a huge highlight with his charming Ace Venture-inspired attitude. Brian Tyree Henry’s Bernie gets some hilarious lines as well, giving him a welcome screen presence. The two’s goofy hijinks contrast well with Rebecca Hall and Kaylee Hottle’s grounded mother-daughter relationship.
The MonsterVerse could really benefit from adding more oddball human characters like Dan Stevens’ Trapper. If you’re going to have a team of humans follow Godzilla and Kong everywhere in hi-tech spaceships, better to give them larger-than-life personalities rather than having them all be straightforward scientists. Just because this movie knows it’s silly doesn’t mean it can necessarily get away with it though. Thankfully, Adam Wingard and his cast approach this script with sincerity — everyone’s clearly having a blast with the material and isn’t just cashing in a check. When you mix in some surprising ’80s needle drops, characters walking in slow motion, close-ups of people’s faces drenched in sweat, and a synth-wave score courtesy of Junkie XL and Antonio Di Iorio, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire plays like an incredibly fun ’80s action movie.
When the Kaiju action takes over, and we bear witness to visuals like a giant orange monkey riding a spiked ice lizard with a battle axe and skeletal whip in hand, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire levels up from ’80s throwback to full-on fantasy rock opera. Speaking of the action, there are so many absurd moments that are going to leave fans astounded with joy. Godzilla giving a suplex and Kong using his new bionic glove make for some of the many audacious moments that you just have to see to believe. Yet, this brings us to what is going to make or break the viewing experience for a lot of people: over-stimulation. The monster fight scenes are undeniably awesome, but the third act, specifically, comes close to crumbling in on itself with its chaotic fight choreography that can be hard to follow.
There can be too much happening at the same time to focus in the third act, shrinking the sense of scale and bringing to mind the sloppy visuals of Pacific Rim: Uprising. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire doesn’t fail as tragically as that sequel did because it knows how to treat its Titans like multi-layered characters, but it does come close to losing its epic scale in this grand finale. Moreover, this raises questions as to where the franchise goes after this. This is as big and as loud as it gets, so a different approach might be necessary in order for the franchise not to self-implode with its own giant monster theatrics. For now, though, filmmaker Adam Wingard’s earnest and sincere approach to the campy and out-of-this-world imagination of the Showa Era works.
Here we have a Kaiju film that is so confident and unashamed of its ambitions that even the fans who don’t prefer this style can at least say, “It’s not for me, but I can respect it.” Plus, it’s hard not to have a huge smile watching Kong bond with a mini-Kong and teach him the ways of being a badass. Or even watching Godzilla raise his hands as if he’s summoning a spirit bomb like Goku. Some of us simply cannot resist having a good time at the movies, no matter how ridiculous it may be!
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire releases in theaters on March 29!
Release Date: March 29, 2024.
Directed by Adam Wingard.
Screenplay by Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, & Jeremy Slater.
Story by Terry Rossio, Adam Wingard, & Simon Barrett.
Based on Godzilla by Toho Co., Ltd.
Produced by Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Brian Rogers, Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, & Eric McLeod.
Main Cast: Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, Fala Chen, & Rachel House.
Cinematographer: Ben Seresin.
Composers: Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) & Antonio Di Iorio.
Production Company: Legendary Pictures.
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Runtime: 115 minutes.
Rated PG-13.