Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is one of the best Monsterverse flicks. It’s also one of the best Godzilla and/or Kong movies ever made. The secret is that the human to monster ratio is about a 1.5:1, which is damn near perfect if you ask me. Not only that, but the human drama propels the monster plot forward instead of stops it in its tracks, which is often the case in these things. It also helps that the film is chockfull of kick-ass kaiju donnybrooks and giant ape slobberknockers.
The plot is not necessary, but I’ll give it a whirl anyway. Godzilla has awakened from his slumber (he’s been using the Coliseum in Rome the way a cat uses a pet bed) and seems to be powering himself up for an ominous cause. Meanwhile, King Kong travels to the unexplored depths of the “Hollow Earth” looking for the last of his species. He gets more than he bargained for when he comes face to face with the evil ape, Skar King who wants to lead his army of mad monkeys back to the surface so he can rule the world.
Although Godzilla is somewhat sidelined for much of the picture, he does get to fight a giant sea serpent (as does Kong). Once the King of the Monsters finally crosses paths with Kong, it leads to a great confrontation at the pyramids that plays like a giant monster version of the alley fight in They Live. (No, seriously. There’s even a “Rowdy” Roddy Piper-inspired suplex.) The finale is one for the books. It’s an all-out four-way tag-team brawl that begins with a terrific prelude featuring our monsters battling in zero gravity before touching down on Earth for some of the goofiest kaiju fight choreography since Godzilla vs. Megalon.
That is to say, I loved every second of it.
Oh, and did I mention Kong goes to the dentist? When’s the last time you saw a giant ape have oral surgery in a movie? Or that he gets a robot arm? I mean, what’s not to love about this flick? Sure, Kong may get more screentime than his co-star, but neither monster has a wasted moment (I liked the scenes of Kong bonding with a little ape dude), and we… shocker… care about what happens to both of them.
This is about as far as you can get from last year’s instant classic Godzilla Minus One in terms of tone, style, and well… everything. And that is perfectly OK. Godzilla’s filmography is vast enough to embrace both approaches. It’s a helluva great time to be a Godzilla (and Kong) fan.
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