This is the real royal rumble as Kong and Godzilla team up to take on the Skar King
GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE doesn’t waste time tiptoeing around, diving headfirst into the action, promising and delivering a grandiose spectacle that fans of giant monster films crave. From the first thunderous roar to the final clash, it’s a rollercoaster of thrilling battles and mind-blowing visuals that has little interest in being sidetracked from its raison d’être: monstrous mayhem.
When the hollow earth turns out to be hollower than anyone had anticipated (yep, it’s hollow Earths all the way down), the re-emergence of an ancient threat forces franchise frenemies Godzilla and Kong to reluctantly resume their titanic team-up. Doctor Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) and her adopted daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), who shares a unique bond with Kong, find themselves once again drawn into the conflict. Along for the ride this time is Trapper (Dan Stevens), a blonde-locked, aviator-sunglass-and-Hawaiian-shirt wearing, Ryan-Gosling-x-Sam-Rockwell-energy serving Titan veterinarian whose initial mission to treat Kong’s toothache quickly leads to him buckling his swash and joining in the epic adventure – with a great deal more enthusiasm than kaiju podcaster Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry).
Veteran MonsterVerse director Adam Wingard knows why you’re in your multiplex seat with your bucket of popcorn and gallon of ice-cold Pepsi Max and so wastes little time in throwing as much CGI bedazzlement at your eyeballs as he possibly can. The creature design and sophistication of both Godzilla and Kong are the best they’ve ever been, particularly Kong who gets a neat sideline in world-weary Dad schtick to go along with ice-cold his bad-ass beatdowns. The backdrops may occasionally tip into near-Lucasian greenscreen overkill but every scale, every strand of fur, and every nuanced expression make the foreground creatures authentically larger-than-life. The action is as thunderous and catastrophic as you could wish for with only the most diligent property insurance actuary unlikely to enjoy the sheer scale and spectacle of the righteous devastation wrought in the pursuit of the good monsters defeating the bad ones.
Par for the course in these movies, the human cast, while solid, sometimes fades into the background amidst all the kaiju carnage. Rebecca Hall brings a grounded and earnest presence as Doctor Ilene Andrews, whose protective instincts towards Jia add a heartfelt layer to the narrative. Brian Tyree Henry reprises his role as Bernie Hayes, the conspiracy podcaster, providing both comic relief and crucial plot-driving moments while Dan Stevens, as the stylish and somewhat roguish Trapper, injects fresh energy into the film and carves out a much more distinctive persona than my snarky introduction above might lead you to believe. His character’s evolution from a quirky vet to a key player in the titanic showdown is one of the movie’s less surprising but more welcome developments. For a franchise that’s made a habit of chopping and changing its flesh and blood co-stars, there’s a real feeling that they’ve found the right balance now, and that the MonsterVerse has its own Scooby gang in Hall, Stevens, Henry and, of course, Kaylee Hottle.
Wingard’s smart enough to know that to carry off a creature feature of this magnitude, it has to have a healthy dose of self-awareness, and GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE isn’t ashamed or afraid to embrace what it is: a rock ‘em, sock ‘em showdown between colossal creatures. It doesn’t pretend to offer profound commentary, intricate plot twists or even a shred of scientific exposition in support of its conveniently permissive geophysics. Instead, it revels in its outlandishness, delivering on the promise of epic battles and spectacularly scenic destruction. It’s a refreshingly straightforward approach that powers up and delivers a blast of pure atomic entertainment energy right into the faces of audiences looking for uncomplicated escapism and excitement.
GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE dives deeper, figuratively and literally, into the mythology of the Hollow Earth, expanding on the lore introduced in previous movies and further exploring the ancient origins of these titanic beings and the subterranean world they inhabit. This exploration adds a layer of intrigue and an even richer foundation for further epic instalments. The interconnectedness of the MonsterVerse continues to be a strength of this series, with clear connective tissue that nevertheless is flexible and pliant enough to avoid constricting future movies and spin-offs.
Of course, like all cross-over team-up movies, GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE has to honour the legacy of its predecessors while carving out its own niche in the monster movie pantheon. It acknowledges the history and rivalry between its titular stars (Kong’s exasperation when trying to get a new punk-pink energised Godzilla to stop fighting long enough to explain the need to team up is an absolute joy to watch) but pushes the envelope with new threats and alliances. The production design, sound effects, and score all contribute to an immersive experience that’s best enjoyed on the biggest screen possible.
GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE isn’t here to win awards for originality or depth. It’s here to entertain, and it does so with only the power a giant semi-mechanised ape and impossibly irradiated monster lizard can. The sheer scale of the action, the impressive CGI, and the unabashed celebration of monster mayhem make it a must-see for fans. By the time the credits roll, you’ll likely find yourself grinning, thoroughly entertained by the epic spectacle of apolitical global property destruction.