'Godzilla vs. Kong:' action wows but plot flounders
'Godzilla vs. Kong:' action wows but plot flounders
May 17, 2021
By Colin Germano, Review Editor
“Godzilla vs. Kong” was released March 31 and features the two most famous monsters, alongside others, in the fourth entry of the Legendary Pictures series. This series seems to be getting better with every entry, and “Godzilla vs. Kong” follows that trend with lots of action and high-quality special effects. At the center of the action is a story to hold it all together, but it didn't seem to be the director’s focus.
Almost immediately, it is revealed that King Kong and Godzilla have had an ancient rivalry for thousands of years, but King Kong is being held by humans and thus safe from Godzilla. Godzilla destroys a facility run by the company Apex, which provoked him into attacking, and has an important role throughout the movie. The movie also introduces the idea of a “hollow earth,” which is where the characters believe all of the giant monsters come from. They use King Kong to lead them to the entrance, and that is when Godzilla attacks Kong for the first time.
The action between the two monsters is the selling point. The special effects and settings all look great, and the hollow earth looks especially beautiful. These only enhance the potential of the fights between Godzilla and King Kong, and they don’t disappoint.
That said, there are long, boring parts with the human cast of characters between the epic monster battles, and they make the movie drag on longer than it has to. So how does “Godzilla vs. Kong” compare to the previous titles, and is it worth watching?
“Godzilla vs. Kong” is definitely an improvement over the first two movies in the series, “Godzilla” and “Kong: Skull Island.” The movie is arguably better than the previous film, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” and I find that it is up to personal preference. “Godzilla Vs. Kong” is centered more on King Kong and Godzilla somewhat acts as a villain, while “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” does not feature Kong at all. As a Godzilla fan, I enjoyed King of the Monsters more.
“Godzilla vs. Kong'' is worth watching if you enjoy giant monster movies, but aside from the action, it doesn’t have much else to offer. I give it a three out of five, because it is only desirable for a very specific audience.