“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” Review: A Dazzling Monster Throwdown But Not Much Else

In recent years, MonsterVerse has been picking up a lot of steam thanks to new and veteran fans alike. And as a person who has binged on the previous installations in preparation for its latest installment, it’s no surprise as to why people are going crazy over Godzilla and Kong as of late. From the exhilarating action sequences to the growing world they have created for the franchise, it has been a visual delight, and in that regard, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” does not disappoint. There have been several attempts to bring these two titans of monster movies together on the big screen, and though many succeed, there are also plenty of failures.

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” seems to mirror what “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” did for Godzilla: that is, make Kong finally earn the title of “king.” In that aspect, this entry to the franchise deserves a lot of respect, as the previous films were all about our favourite radioactive lizard and how he earned his spot as the apex predator among the kaiju. Will this film launch a whole new era of monster flicks, or will this new empire crumble under its own weight?

Following the events of Godzilla vs. Kong, the movie opens up to an interesting dynamic of Godzilla residing on the surface while Kong is inside Hollow Earth (yes, for those who have not kept up with the series, it is talking about the debunked theory that there is another Earth instead of the typical core we are familiar with). Despite coming to an uneasy alliance in the previous movie, the two alpha titans prefer to stay apart and will come to blows when the other invades their territory. 

The film largely focuses on Kong, immediately framing him in a much more human light that the audience can empathise with. Early on in the film, we can see the gentle giant showing his age and see how it affects him; at one point, a toothache takes him out. However, despite the vulnerable state he is constantly depicted in, Kong still manages to retain his sense of morality as he still searches for others like him; in the meantime, he supplements his loss with human connections, which drives a plot for both factions.

Though the film is named “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” this is largely a Kong movie with Godzilla on the side. Which is quite misleading, as sad as it is to say; Godzilla is just seen smashing up Rome in the process of killing another out-of-line kaiju, then swimming towards the arctic to get a massive powerup. Why the powerup? It’s because there are mysterious signals coming from Hollow Earth that are triggering Godzilla, warning him of impending danger. But he isn’t the only one experiencing these signals, as Jia (played by Kaylee Hottle), Dr. Ilene Andrews’ (played by Rebecca Hall) adopted daughter, is sensing this disturbance too, prompting humans to explore hollow earth and discover what is causing these disturbances.

While we are on the topic, let’s discuss the human cast. There is the aforementioned Dr Andrews and her adopted daughter, Jia. Although they are the main humans among the cast of characters, they unfortunately do not stand out as much as they did in the previous film, playing second fiddle to the monsters. Depending on your perspective, you can view it as something quite disappointing, as the two had an amazing dynamic with Kong and with each other.

However, other reviews state that it’s a downgrade, as Andrews went from a strong and intelligent protagonist to a mother-like figure, which I disagree with. Sure, she is motherly and less headstrong compared to the previous film, but it shows how deep the relationship between these two characters is and how Dr. Andrews isn’t willing to gamble her life anymore because she’s looking after someone, which is normal and shows how their dynamic has evolved in the years between the two films.

There are two more main characters: the overenthusiastic podcaster Bernie (played by Brian Tyree Henry) and titan veterinary Trapper (played by Dan Stevens). For a large portion of the film, Andrews takes a backseat as Trapper steals the spotlight, a character who is charming enough to be a welcome addition to the cast of characters, but is also quirky enough that he doesn’t feel draining to watch. 

Bernie could have easily been overplayed, but I’m glad that he didn’t, or else he would have been annoying. Thankfully, with the two of them combined, they became a lovable, silly dynamic duo that I would like to see more of in future installments, hopefully not to the detriment of Andrew and Jia’s characters.

When you really think about the film, you’ll find that it’s a silly one. A giant monkey and an oversized nuclear gekko are silly concepts when given enough thought, but the film wears that silliness on its sleeve, and it pays off. Besides the two comic reliefs, Kong also has its fair share of funny moments that genuinely made me laugh. It’s a nice change of pace in the monster genre and helps break up the back-to-back monster bash. It’s self-aware enough of its own silliness that it somehow makes the entire plot work to some degree.

One of the major criticisms I have of the film is that it dumps too much information. Sure, you wouldn’t get much information from two monsters screaming at each other, but there were several instances where characters would just regurgitate the plot and the problem for the audience, which was disrespecting old and even newer audiences to the franchise. One glaring example of this would be the info dump right before the climactic fight, justifying why the protagonist should kill the antagonist and even how they should do it.

For a film that makes heavy use of CGI, they could have at least made the effort to create a flashback and use it as a cold open for the film. This would have also helped with the second problem I had with the film, which is that the plot feels forced. There is nothing wrong with it per se, but the plot feels like it was thrown in because we only learned about the problem halfway through the film. Furthermore, this might have helped justify Godzilla’s appearance in the film.

This also neatly segues into the next problem; it’s just a monster fight with over-explanation and dazzling CGI sprinkled on top to justify it. Sure, some people may have signed up and even prefer that sort of film, but after “Godzilla Minus One” (a film that’s not included in the MonsterVerse despite sharing Godzilla’s pink glow), people desire a monster flick with incredible characters and story. Previously, we had to choose between a good story or a good monster movie, but with “Godzilla Minus One” as living proof that we can have both of those in a single film, I’d like to see more like it in future installments of the MonsterVerse franchise.

Overall, if you can forgive and move past some glaring problems of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” be they ones mentioned in this review or personal criticisms you found while watching the film, it’s still a fun flick that’s worth watching. It’s a surprisingly enjoyable and entertaining visual experience, but not much else of substance. Do I recommend it for the thrill and the laughs? Absolutely. However, if you’re going into a theatre expecting the same polish as “Godzilla Minus One” or thinking it’s a step up from “Godzilla vs. Kong,” then it’s best to lower those expectations and, if not, leave them by the door.

You can watch “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” in theatres today!