Film Review: Godzilla vs. Kong
Godzilla vs. Kong learns half of a slow, slow lesson
If you’re here for “giant lizard vs. big monkey,” then Godzilla vs. Kong will give you exactly what you’re looking for…eventually. Horror veteran Adam Wingard applies his astute eye for action and spectacle in a marked improvement over 2019’s much-maligned Godzilla: King of the Monsters, even if the film learns only half of the lessons imparted by its predecessor. You get your promised kaiju action, and it’s just spectacular enough to cover up the film’s interminably inert subplots. Minor spoilers ahead…
Warner Bros.’ Monsterverse - a sprawling, cinematic universe of kaiju smash-em-ups - has never pretended to be more than it is. Eschewing the Showa era Godzilla’s commentary on the nuclear dawn, King Kong’s critiques of colonialism, or even Shin Godzilla’s biting take on failed bureaucracy, the modern American iterations of these giant behemoths have opted for grand spectacle, highlighting the folly of human hubris with titan-sized disaster. 2014’s Godzilla reveled in the mystique and awe of its titular beast, 2017’s Kong: Skull Island thrilled us with its lush visuals and kinetic action, and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters…well, the less said about King of the Monsters, the better. Now, almost two years after the last entry, horror maestro Adam Wingard (You’re Next, Blair Witch) brings us the next installment of the Monsterverse, which puts our two favorite MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms) on a collision course.
Godzilla vs. Kong is a marked improvement - in nearly every way - over the muddy and languid King of the Monsters. Wingard sharply lifts the clear and concise punchiness of his action-horror films - namely from You’re Next and The Guest - and expertly applies it to scaled-up kaiju brawls; contrasted with its much-maligned predecessor, Godzilla vs. Kong conveys its monster fights with color, clarity, and a joyous zeal. I’m not quite sure if its spectacle is actually well-crafted or if it’s the fact that Godzilla vs. Kong is the first film I’ve seen in theaters in over a year, but this giant monster showdown - with its slammin’ tails and swingin’ axes - is one that delivers the goods. But the journey to actually get to there? That’s a different story altogether.
“…this giant monster showdown - with its slammin’ tails and swingin’ axes - is one that delivers the goods. But the journey to actually there? That’s a different story altogether.”
With the Monsterverse’s noticeably diminishing returns on its human quotient, it seems that Godzilla vs. Kong - on its surface - has learned its lesson and given up entirely on giving its humans recognizable or compelling arcs. Largely nonsensical and laden with exposition, the film’s subplots - which don’t even intersect - are clearly reverse-engineered to just put Godzilla and Kong in the ring together. On the Kong side, there’s anthropological linguist Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), whose deaf, adoptive daughter (Kaylee Hottle) has an empathic bond with the giant ape. Keeping Kong under a domed simulation of Skull Island, Andrews studies him with her daughter’s help - and it’s the closest thing the film has to an emotional throughline. But when Godzilla unleashes a seemingly unprovoked attack, it sets off the story’s big fetch quest, which has Andrews and her daughter team up with disgraced scientist Nathan Lind (Alexander Skaarsgård) in a silly and convoluted plan to return Kong to his Hollow Earth homeland. Reprising her role from King of the Monsters is Millie Bobby Brown as Madison Russell, earning her participation badge on the Godzilla side of the narrative. Teaming up with whistleblower Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), the two embark upon a tedious quest to expose a rote corporate conspiracy that exists only to give us the movie’s big moment of fan-service.
Godzilla vs. Kong barely gives its cast anything to work with - in particular, Damien Bichir, Eiza González, and Kyle Chandler punch way below their weight - so why does it still take so long to reach the main event? Nearly 45 minutes pass before the two heavyweights even glimpse each other, and another 45 before the film arrives at its bombastically ludicrous climax. But when Godzilla finally clashes with Kong? It’s big, dumb fun in the best way possible. Cities are leveled, mighty blows are exchanged, and - in a socially-distanced theater - a surprise guest brought the audience to its feet: Godzilla vs. Kong is the kaiju cage match we’ve all been waiting for, it’s just a shame that there’s so much dead air around it.
