Godzilla vs. Kong – A Knock-Em-Sock-Em Blast (Early Review)

Now here comes the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Ever since the beginning of the new Monsterverse with 2014’s Godzilla, audiences have been waiting with bated breath to see what it will amount to and now the result of all that labor is upon us in the form of Godzilla vs Kong which is exactly what it sounds and that confrontation implied in that title certainly does not disappoint while there was also an actual story around it. Though unlike a lot of monster films, that story, albeit silly, ultimately knew its place and let the stars of the show shine bright. Either way, Godzilla and Kong are what most audiences will remember as soon as the credits roll anyway. Meanwhile, the film boasts production value worthy of the film’s not so gentle giants with a booming score, dazzling visual effects, and beautiful cinematography. Featuring a tight running time clocking in at just under the 2 hour mark, the film definitely doesn’t waste any time either.

In terms of story, Godzilla vs Kong was obviously about getting Godzilla and Kong fighting each other therefore the events leading to that result don’t matter all that much at the end of the day. That being said, it wasn’t without its moments as the human characters were left trying to make sense of what was happening as Godzilla, seemingly provoked out of nowhere, threatened what was believed to be peace between humans and titans while Kong was outgrowing his current home on Skull Island. Needless to say, something was going to give as the two lifelong rivals were on a collision course for one another. In the end, the human characters were merely a means to advance the plot. Granted, things get a little silly and ridiculous at times in doing so through its twists and turns but it did not distract from the main attraction despite there being a lot going on. However, it did all come together for the most part in a satisfying way.

As mentioned, for a film called Godzilla vs Kong, Godzilla nor Kong disappointed here. At the end of the day, they didn’t need much build up as the film offered them several opportunities for some knock-em-sock-em action both on sea and on land. These sequences were so exciting to watch and cinematic that it will be hard not to look away as each used their own abilities to their advantage in inventive ways as they left plenty of destruction in their wake. The visual effects, cinematography, and epic score that accompanied them only added to the epicness of their encounters, Though the next logical question for a film like this revolves around the eventual victor but without giving anything away, the film is really much more than that as its title is more of a marketing move than anything else.

In terms of the performances in Godzilla vs Kong, the actors were fine across the board because they weren’t expected to be anything more than that. Though the characters weren’t overly interesting for the most part with some only serving as plot devices but the film still features some noteworthy performances. Brown and Kyle Chandler were back, reprising their Godzilla: King of the Monsters roles as Maddison and Mark Russell respectively and were just there for what appeared to be continuity reasons. Hall as Dr. Ilene Andrews and Kaylee Hottle as a deaf Skull Island orphan under the care of Dr. Andrews named Jia were the best.

As far as most audiences are probably concerned, for a film called Godzilla vs Kong, it delivers in action and spectacle and maybe that’s enough.

still courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.