The epic battle continues! Legendary Pictures’ cinematic Monsterverse follows up the explosive showdown of ”Godzilla vs. Kong” with an all-new adventure that pits the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence—and our own. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” delves further into the histories of these Titans and their origins, as well as the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond.

Godzilla X Kong The New Empire Trailer:

Godzilla X Kong The New Empire Review:

The Good:

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire refreshingly showcases Kong’s maturity and development over time. I enjoyed witnessing his fights, where the situations reflected his character more than his brute strength or cunning. His interactions with other monsters were captivating, particularly the interactions with Mini Kong. I thought those were kind of funny and enjoyable to watch. It was fascinating to see the development of their relationship.

Godzilla, despite not appearing as frequently in the film, still presented a significant threat for everyone to face. I appreciated how Godzilla’s portrayal remained consistent, depicting him as a force of nature with a clear objective. His interactions with Kong were also entertaining, as both titans showcased their respective strengths.

Another positive for Godzilla X Kong was the handling of the human characters. This time around, they didn’t feel as annoying. Their stories remained mostly focused on the monsters more so than their personal drama. They certainly could have benefited from a lesser, supportive role, but they did serve the story well enough.

Lastly, the worldbuilding for Godzilla X Kong was stunning. The visual effects included some vivid imagery and colors that were captivating to see. They also really sold the notion that the hollow earth was a completely new world. The VFX used for the monsters was also pretty impressive. The titans seemed believable enough to be real and I never thought twice about it while watching.

The Bad:

While some of the fights in the movie were entertaining to watch, some moments were simply too cringy to bear. I was not a fan of the scenes where certain monsters would fight and appear to be too humanistic in their battle tactics. For example, there’s one monster fight where a creature does a full-on wrestling move to another monster. While already in a state of suspended belief, this really pushed the envelope too far. The film did better in relying on the more primal fighting techniques of the creatures, rather than adopting silly wrestling moves.

The technology in Godzilla X Kong becomes a bit too high-brow. It’s understood that some technological advancements were necessary, such as travel to and from the hollow Earth. However, later in the film, it introduces more scientific concepts that seem to be more of a distraction. I understood why it made sense for the sake of the story, but it felt overly complicated given the explanations provided. Plus, once you witness the scientific phenomena occur, it feels like a visual, chaotic mess until things settle down for the final showdown.

Speaking of which, the villain in Godzilla X Kong proved rather underwhelming. There wasn’t enough buildup about the monster individually to make it feel like a genuine threat. The gimmick used by the villain did raise some stakes, but without that gimmick, the villain was a complete disappointment. This, of course, made the final battle a letdown even though it had so much potential.

The Verdict:

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire is a fun, albeit flawed, addition to the Monsterverse. Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire delivers on its promise of epic monster battles but falls short in some key areas. While the quantity of monsters is impressive, the quality of their interactions and the complexity of the plot leave something to be desired. Having over-the-top scientific jargon reminded me of the film Tenet. Couple that with the ridiculous corny wrestling moves and scripted drama, and one could easily think Christopher Nolan and WWE made a monster movie together. More specifically, the same way Tenet felt unnecessarily over-explanatory and high-concept, this film did the same. So much so that it kind of robbed me from just sitting back and enjoying titans fighting it out on the big screen. Nevertheless, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire was an OK entry into the monsterverse. For those wondering, the answer is “No, this did not even compare to the masterpiece that is Godzilla Minus One”.  There is no post-credit scene, so please do not feel the need to wait for more. Feel free to check out Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire in theaters.

Director: Adam Wingard
Writers: TERRY ROSSIO, SIMON BARRETT, JEREMY SLATER
Stars: REBECCA HALL, BRIAN TYREE HENRY, DAN STEVENS, KAYLEE HOTTLE, ALEX FERNS, Queen FALA CHEN, RACHEL HOUSE

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire will be in theaters March 29, 2024. Be sure to follow E-Man’s Movie Reviews on Facebook, Subscribe on YouTube, or follow me on Twitter/IG @EmansReviews for even more movie news and reviews!