Godzilla vs. Kong

A colossal smackdown that seems almost embarrassed by its predecessor's passion

I should open this by saying that I did not love Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

More and more, that film seems to be a good barometer for understanding someone's perspective when approaching these movies. Those who do love it—generally, avid fans of Godzilla, with a deep love for his rich history—have plenty of reason to. It's filled to the brim with passion for the character, nods to the classic films, an exuberant reverence for the physical and cultural immensity of these "kaijū" — the Japanese term for these giant monsters and the entire genre of film that surrounds them, born in Japan with 1954's Gojira.

It's become clearer, the more I've been exposed to the kaijū/Godzilla fandom, that King of the Monsters simply wasn't made for me. There's a reason that seemingly anyone who would call themselves a Godzilla fan loves it... and that most people who wouldn't, don't. It's an experience crafted by Godzilla lovers for Godzilla lovers, and little else.

Now, don't misunderstand. I don't dislike Godzilla. The wonder and glee of giant monsters crushing cities and beating each other up is not lost on me. But I can't call myself a disciple of the Lizard King. I've seen, maybe, half a dozen of his films. I'm not invested or educated the way most of KotM's supporters are. And I understand that that categorizes my opinion as worthless to some, but my hope is that there is value in the relative "outsider's" perspective here.

I feel compelled to clarify my perspective because I think that's an important role of the critic. I would think it disingenuous for anyone with a platform like this one to get up and tell you that theirs is the completely "objective" perspective on a film. In the words of media analyst Dan Olson, "In criticism, it is important for the reader to understand what lens the critic is applying, and for the critic to effectively communicate their own framework."

I don't always spend 400 words of a review "communicating my framework," but I think it's a worthwhile endeavor for a set of films surrounded by such an avid fandom, of which I cannot consider myself a part. Maybe one day I will watch every Godzilla film, fall in love, and be able to see KotM with fresh eyes. But then I am on the inside and perhaps you, the reader, are on the out. I will, at that point, need to clarify my perspective again. But that's an essay for another day, far from now.

I guess I got my wish with Godzilla vs.Kong, without even wishing it. This is clearly the movie made for me, a non-enthusiast of Godzilla. And strangely enough, I actually find that a bit sad. Where I found that I couldn't fully engage with KotM due to my lack of investment in the culture, I could feel GvK trying to break down that barrier, dropping all the tributes to the character and staples of the classic films in favor of a simple and straightforward slugfest; an attempt at appealing to me and millions of others of casual interest in the subject matter. And to a modest extent, it did.

And yet, I cannot imagine a culture forming around GvK and propping it up as a momentous cinematic achievement the way it did for KotM. There's simply not enough here to hold onto. I imagine many will watch this film, as many already have around the world, and may or may not enjoy it; but I anticipate its staying power in cinephile and kaijuphile circles will pale in comparison to its predecessor. It's a stripped-down studio piece designed to appeal to the widest possible audience's base desire to see Godzilla and King Kong, two of the most iconic "big monsters" in film history, punch each other.

That's not to say GvK is an awful film—in fact, I'd say I liked it more than I didn't, which is something I cannot say for KotM. But I don't think I'll keep thinking about it much, beyond writing this review. And that's a shame. Box office is the obvious factor here for the studio, but I'd gladly trade a movie that gives me and all the "filthy casuals" a middling-positive experience, and then disappears from our minds forever, for one that doesn't work for me but gives diehard fans the experience of a lifetime. 

The film is comprised of two parallel stories, entirely disconnected except for the characters' interests in one or both of the titular monsters. Kong's storyline involves Jia (Kaylee Hottle), a young deaf girl who lives on his home of Skull Island, who has somehow formed a bond with Kong, and they communicate through sign language. Jia is recruited by scientists Ilene Andrews and Nathan Lind (Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgard, respectively) who work for Monarch, the shady kaiju research organization from previous films, to help transport Kong to the theorized Hollow Earth, an exotic world within our planet's interior, and Kong's ancestral home. This would keep Kong out of the way of the only other "alpha titan" on Earth, you guessed it, Godzilla.

See, Godzilla's been acting erratically lately, attacking manufacturing facilities that belong to the Apex Corporation, a vague tech giant, seemingly "at random." But it's clear to Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry), an Apex employee-turned-titan conspiracy theorist podcaster, that these attacks are anything but random. He's confronted by avid titan enthusiast Maddie (Millie Bobby Brown), and together, they work on a plan to sneak into Apex and figure out what the company is up to. There's also a "comic relief" character (played by a completely-underutilized Julian Dennison), but he's so useless that I don't remember his name or why he's in the movie.

As can be expected, the attempts to transport Kong safely do not go well, as Godzilla catches the scent of another alpha, and beelines across the planet to confront him, resulting in the first of a few bouts between the two beasties before the climactic showdown with an all-new threat—because no, in case you were wondering, this movie isn't just about Godzilla versus Kong.

These fight sequences are, predictably, the reason to watch this movie, and I'd say that they largely deliver. My issues with KotM's dark, storm-obscured fights are largely gone here, in favor of visual clarity, wild camera angles, and shocking speed. I'm not sure I got the full experience at home; I sense that these fights could hit hard in a theater. I do wish each bout had lasted longer, as it feels like they're mostly padded out with inserts to human reactions and monster staredowns. But when fists are swinging and jaws are snapping, it's a blast.

As is often the case, it's the bits between the action that hold the movie back. It'd be impossible to pull off an unrestrained 2-hour fight, but one has to wonder if the ratio of punching to talking could continue to be tipped in punching's favor, or at least if the talking could be made more entertaining.

I did find that the characters in GvK, while no more convincing or memorable, were less abrasive than those in KotM. Likewise, the general plotting here is less, well, plodding, and less undeservedly self-important. This film knows you're here for the monster fighting, and it doesn't pretend like its human element can supersede that. It's just a shame that Legendary can't seem to execute "straightforward and simple" with any more humanity or believability than that with which they execute "heady and pretentious."

That being said, the thing I missed most from KotM was the reverence. That film really makes you feel like these creatures are gods, and every element of the filmmaking is actively pushing you toward that notion. The humans' jaws drop, eyes wide as the beasts light up with otherworldly energy; the camera drops to a worms eye view as a monster rears up on its hind legs to show its full form; music swells, sampling classic themes with a boisterous modern mix. Perfect execution or not, KotM treats its monsters with the awe and terrifying beauty they deserve. And while I like GvK's overall visual style better (and appreciate actually being able to see what's happening)... I miss the pomp and circumstance, man.

I mean, this Godzilla. Versus. King Kong. At least from the uninitiated perspective, this is the fight. We should be holding on every beautiful moment, savoring the tension of two colossi beating their chests and pummeling one another into submission. The Earth ought to quake and crack under the mythical weight of their impacts, people fleeing from their destructive clash. Instead, the fights breeze by, like we're supposed to be used to it by now. I mean, it's cool, sure, and the fight storyboarding bears plenty of creative flourishes (Kong wall-jumping off skyscrapers to gain a vertical advantage on Godzilla is mmmmm *chef's kiss*). But it feels less like a battle of the gods, and more like your average pay-per-view fight.

Tom Holkenborg, who I grow more an more disenchanted with by each film, underlines this lack of significance with an utterly lazy and forgettable score. His work on Snyder Cut is worse, but this is more forgettable.

Additionally, it feels odd that Godzilla has so little to do in this film. Kong gets all the humanity, which is partly understandable given that he's had less setup from previous films, and he's genetically more similar to a human being than Godzilla. But it's a shame that he feels like an actual character and Godzilla does not. Godzilla feels somewhat uncharacterizable; he's not really a villain to Kong, nor is he really built up as a hero of this story. He's just kind of there, blowing stuff up in the background while Kong tries to find his home deep within the earth, until they finally have to clash. Godzilla is often referred to and portrayed as a "force of nature," and that's completely appropriate given his history as a symbol of the folly of man to tame the world around them. But, like, if he's a force of nature, he should feel like the hurricane to end all hurricanes, not a run-of-the-mill tornado.

I can safely recommend Godzilla vs. Kong as a matinee to casual moviegoers. It does that thing you want it to do, and it does it in under two hours. I admired that. But to the Godzilla fans, I'm genuinely disappointed for you. I'm sorry that this is not the KotM follow-up you probably hoped for. To be honest, it's not exactly the follow-up I hoped for either. And while I, in my ignorance, had a decent time with it overall, it's a bit tragic to see such a passion-filled tribute as King of the Monsters, for all of its many flaws, followed up with what feels like a shallow course-correction for mainstream audiences—one that likely won't even stick around in that audience's consciousness.