At least, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire meets your the greatest promise. You can see many giant creatures fighting other giant creatures. Godzilla and Kong are just two of many and, when they fight in fantastic-looking environments with bold colors and lighting, There is undeniable pleasure in it.
PLD Space: Miura 1 ignition test
However, anything other than a fight in Godzilla x Kong It feels like overly complicated filler inserted to kill time before the next fight. The result is a film full of ebbs and flows that never feels particularly cohesive or interesting, even though the film does an admirable job of trying to distinguish itself from other similar films.
Once again directed by Adam Wingard, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire pick up where Godzilla contra Kong In that movie, humanity discovered a whole new world at the center of the planet called Hollow Earth, where Kong was developed. live and reign while his counterpart Godzilla would remain on the surface. These creatures and discoveries have understandably captivated the world and scientists, like Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), have dedicated their careers to studying them both.
Kong adventures through the Hollow Earth.Image: Warner Bros.
However, not everything is as it seems in the Hollow Earth and whatever is happening there puts both Kong and Godzilla on a path to… something. It also seems to involve Jia (Kaylee Hottle), Dr. Andrews’ adopted daughter, who is now a little older and struggling to integrate into regular life after a childhood on Kong’s old home, Skull Island.
And so most of Godzilla x Kong It’s about unraveling this mystery. What is scaring these two titans and what does it mean? The story then unfolds in three ways, one with the humans (a group that also includes characters played by Dan Stevens and Bryan Tyree Henry) trying to figure it out, one with Kong on his own journey, and another with Godzilla seemingly acting as a cell phone. , traveling the world and charging.
Something else is happening too. In addition to the main mystery, Wingard and his team attempt to present these familiar creatures in unfamiliar ways. moments between fights where we see them in simpler and more everyday situations. Kong takes a shower. Godzilla takes several naps. Kong meets a character named Suko, with whom he develops a paternal relationship. Apparently, the idea is to humanize the characters and at the same time give Godzilla x Kong his own perspective of the MonsterVerse. It’s well-intentioned, but ultimately not all that additive. The occasionally funny or cute scenes mostly work to slow things down. the main plot that was already taking us away from larger actions.
Image: Warner Bros.
In the grand tradition of MonsterVerse films, the human characters are more or less an afterthought here as well. We spend most of our time with them, but every time they appear on screen, we simply want more Godzilla or Kong. And because of that, talented actors like Rebecca Hall and Bryan Tyree Henry get lost in the mix. However, one person who gets the job done is Dan Stevens. His character, Trapper, a thrill-seeking vet who specializes in titans, is so ridiculous that it actually enhances every scene he appears in. Beyond him, everyone else simply feels like dressing.
Furthermore, everything is constructed in a way that is almost too methodical for this genre. There are mini set pieces that provide moments of emotion and one or two notable revelations, but for the most part the majority of the film feels like homework for a final test. final test where, according to the film’s title, Godzilla and Kong will team up to fight the threat they have been sensing.
Now, I shouldn’t admit this, but I will. Godzilla x KongThe flaws of would probably have been forgiven if that big finale, the moment the entire movie has been aiming for in a way too deliberate, was a jaw-dropping milestone. But is not. It’s certainly great and brings together all the story threads in a logical way. , including a very exciting addition for fans of the genre, but at no point does anything in it feel as entertaining or surprising as the ending of the previous film, which pitted the characters first against each other, then against Mechagodzilla. Yeah Godzilla x Kong If I had jammed the landing, I would have been happy. It is not like this.
This is Stevens in every scene.Image: Warner Bros.
looking Godzilla x KongI also couldn’t help but wonder if this film was harmed in any way by the release and success of Godzilla minus one. On paper, multiple Godzilla Movies released this close wouldn’t be a problem, especially if they’re both tonally frivolous and fun. But Godzilla minus one It gave us enthusiasm, as well as excitement and intensity. It set an immediate and timely bar in our minds for what Godzilla The movie might be, even if that level of quality is the exception, not the rule. So here it comes Godzilla x Konga well-made, big-budget show, much more in line with something disposable Godzilla fee, and it just doesn’t click. Because? minus one It works so well and this one doesn’t?
Ideally there would be no connection between the two. They are different movies, different filmmakers, everything different except for a giant, green character. . But psychologically, just for the moment, there’s that extra level of expectation that this movie doesn’t meet. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire es It’s not a bad movie. It’s not painful to see. There are good ideas in it along with beautiful images. However, it’s largely forgettable once it’s over, and that’s a disappointment when you have two of the biggest stars in history literally together again.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire It’s already in theaters.
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