Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

By: Mike Ward on Tuesday, March 30

PG-13 Running Time: 113 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • I mean…Godzilla versus Kong! For most people, that will be enough.

  • Fans of the Warner Bros. “MonsterVerse” have been relishing this moment: A massively budgeted, effects-driven spectacular which finds two of the most iconic movie monsters in history finally coming together in a modern era blockbuster, available both in theaters and at home for HBO Max subscribers.

  • The all-star cast will draw some attention, as will the promise of seeing cities (and unnamed people…so many people) destroyed within a blink of an eye.

NO

  • At times, this film is incomprehensible from a plot standpoint, but CGI Hoss Fights often don’t need much plot.

  • If you lack even a passive interest in these films and franchises, Godzilla vs. Kong is going to test your most enduring patience.

  • To be honest, the film is rather instantly forgettable and I am really curious to see how this ending plays out with audiences. (No spoilers).


OUR REVIEW

What if — and just hear me out for a minute — what if…Godzilla vs. Kong was nothing more than 25-30 minutes long and just had one or two or three massive CGI-created battles between these two Titans of the so-called “MonsterVerse”? With a budget reportedly as high as $200 million, this highly anticipated, feature-length finale of this initial wave of MonsterVerse movies pads out a very simple idea with lots of filler and meaningless subplots. At 113 minutes, the film feels twice as long, overwhelmed with rudderless storytelling and the anticipated scenes of these beasties pummeling one another.

Adam Wingard takes the reins as director, and after cutting his teeth in the world of horror (You’re Next, The Guest), he seems up for the challenge of a major budget blockbuster. Unfortunately, his robust all-star cast is given nothing to work with, trudging through a meandering screenplay which renders everything pretty much meaningless once Godzilla spews atomic breath or Kong smashes his way into focus.

To be fair, Oscar-level writing is never an expectation with a movie like this, but an engaging story helps us connect with the stakes at play when these two behemoths come into contact with one another. Godzilla is positioned as the “evil force” for much of this film; Kong the sympathetic “hero in peril,” stowed away in a Skull Island observatory when we are introduced to him in the opening moments of the film.

He has a friend in Jia (Kaylee Hottle), a young girl who happens to be deaf and communicates with Kong via sign language. Her adoptive mother, Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), works for Monarch, studying Kong as a linguist, and as part of a larger research team monitoring day-to-day behavior.

Meanwhile in Florida, podcaster Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry) spouts conspiracy theories while seeing himself as a de facto whistleblower working with Apex Cybernetics. Apex, a shady corporate conglomerate, the likes of which only exist in movies like this one, is, Bernie believes, involved in shenanigans he wants to expose and bring to light.

As Bernie attempts to download documents on a flash drive and sneak out undetected, Apex is seemingly and randomly assaulted by Godzilla. His attack is significant - destroying a lot, killing a number of employees and becoming the headline story on CNN.

Eventually, Apex and Monarch meet up. Apex CEO Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir) contacts Dr. Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård), a Monarch researcher who adheres to the theory of “Hollow Earth.” This leads to Kong being transported to Antarctica (sure, just go with it…) where a portal into “Hollow Earth” apparently exists. 

For a movie designed to give people Godzilla vs. Kong, you can see that already this thing has become extremely convoluted. Millie Bobby Brown is back, returning as Madison from 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Kyle Chandler returns as well, portraying her father, but finds himself largely pushed aside so Madison and best friend Josh (Julian Dennison) can run around with Bernie in a subplot that goes absolutely nowhere.

From a technical standpoint, give the monsters their due. Godzilla vs. Kong is a visual effects marvel. Wingard’s effects team give audiences everything they could possible want when it comes to depicting the creatures’ fights with each other. They also create a landscape of wanton destruction expertly well, be it Florida, Hong Kong, or anywhere these two monsters set foot. There is tremendous detail on the close-ups, with fluid, believable motion. Few will complain this film is not one technically impressive feat.

That said, this film is as smart (or as dumb?) as a box of hammers. Take, for example, the film’s descent into “Hollow Earth,” which is designed to be a signature sequence in the film.

We see Dr. Lind and Dr. Andrews undergo devastating G-Force like pressure on their bodies as their vessel enters the middle of the Earth. Grimacing in pain and screaming in agony, they seem to barely survive the trip. Also with them? Jia, Dr. Andrews’ young daughter, who could not be more than 8 years old. 

Why is she there? Why subject her to that pain and trauma? Is it only because she can communicate with Kong? If so, he has like one main sign - “Home.” Can her mother maybe pick up on that and save Jia the pain and agony of the trip to “Hollow Earth”? Maybe arrange a sitter for a little while?

I digress. 

Godzilla vs. Kong is fine enough I suppose; a big-budget sci-fi blockbuster that critics will tell you that you should see on the biggest screen possible. I mean, never mind COVID-19 and a pandemic and the fact that Warner Bros. sees no problem also releasing this for viewing on TV’s, tablets, and, phones while also dropping this into theaters. The stakes appear to be so strong with this release, at least one major theatrical chain is reopening because of it.

My hunch is the film will exhaust most people before it even gets to that final neon-colored sequence in Hong Kong. Boring, overwrought, and just too long for what little this movie actually is, Godzilla vs. Kong may be seen as a significant step towards returning audiences to the multiplex. However, this is such an underwhelming affair, it is a shame that Wingard could not craft a stronger film to make the rewards of returning to the theaters worth the effort and risk.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Elza González, Julian Dennison, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, Kaylee Hottle, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Ronny Chieng, John Pirruccello, Chris Chalk.

Director: Adam Wingard
Written by: Eric Pearson, Max Borenstein (screenplay); Terry Rossio, Michael Dougherty, Zach Shields (story)
Release Date: March 31, 2021
Warner Bros. | HBO Max