Godzilla versus Kong is the action movie we have been longing for since all major blockbuster films pushed back their release dates. After three solo films between Kong and Godzilla, we finally see the two titans clash on film for the first time in what is the culmination of the Universal Monsterverse.
The story is split nicely in two as team Kong and team Godzilla each have their own mission. Team Kong is on a secret mission to the center of the earth to uncover the mystery of the titans. This team consists of Dr. Nathan, Dr. Ilene, Maia, and the Youngest character in the film, Jia. Team Godzilla consists of Madison, Josh, and Bernie who are also on a secret mission, to infiltrate Apex Cybernetics with the theory that they are up to no good and are the reason why Godzilla has been acting up recently. The dynamics of the teams are well balanced as the Kong story provides us with serious and more action-heavy bits in contrast to the Apex team story that contains most of the humor in the film courtesy of Millie Bobbie Brown and Julian Dennison.
Monster films always have difficulty handling their human characters and this film suffers from the same issues. It is a shame that this fantastic cast of actors has barely anything to do for the entirety of the film. They provide minimal assistance to both Kong and Godzilla and give you no real reason to be invested in any of them. Adding to this point, Jia was the only important human in the film, she was able to connect to Kong in a way no human has been able to before and provides the necessary push throughout the film.
The visuals are flawless. I was concerned that a movie containing this level of CGI would have a few holes but I was shocked to see such beautiful work on this scale. This showed especially well during the last act of the film, which was the final clash between the two titans. They also drastically changed Kong and Godzilla's faces in comparison to the previous installments but Kong's new look is intriguingly different because it seems to be much more lifelike, which helped to convey more emotion, and possibly connect with the viewer more.
Sound and music played an important role in elevating tense situations but they were also used to contrast the two titans. Kong was given fun lyrical tracks which eased the tension and stand out in comparison to the heavy pulse-pounding background sounds that follow Godzilla.
The reason we all watched the film was obviously to see Kong and Godzilla fight it out and in that regard, the film absolutely delivered. I was surprised when the first round of fighting began so early in the film and only pumps you up for the inevitable second round as the two titans battle it out for dominance. Any fan of the monster genre will also be surprised by the many references and appearances from other famous titans in the mythos.
The long-anticipated clash between these two titans did not disappoint. It is that perfect escapism that we needed in this pandemic and is a sign for better things to come moving forward. Godzilla vs. Kong is now playing in select theatres and available on Video on Demand.
Read our full review on our website. Link available in bio.
Plot: 6/10
Theme: 5/10
Acting: 7/10
Script: 6/10
Directing: 6/10
Score/Music: 7/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Editing & Effects: 8/10
Uniqueness: 6/10
Rewatchability: 8/10
Overall: 3/5 stars
Review Contributor: Stefano Bove
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