Godzilla x Kong: New Empire
review by Bobby Blakey
In 2014 Godzilla returned to the big screen with mixed results but did well enough that it spawned a sequel in 2019 as well as connections to the return of the other famed behemoth King Kong in his return to the big screen Kong: Skull Island in 2017. The two behemoths came head-to-head in 2021 with Godzilla vs. Kong and further expanded the universe with the TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Now they are heading back to the big screen once again with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire starring Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, and Brian Tyree Henry with Adam Wingard returning to the director’s chair. Could this latest entry into the Monsterverse bring more fun kaiju fun or will it be a fallen empire?
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire follows the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own. The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins, and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.
Being a fan of all things kaiju and loving this franchise in all its forms I was unsurprisingly excited for this film and was not disappointed. We dive right back in after the events of the previous film and how things have evolved based on what all has happened. While this is billed as Godzilla x Kong and they are both prominently featured, this is more of a Kong movie, and I am here for it. I don’t take that as a slight against Godzilla, but Kong is the more expressive character and feels like watching a person going through the day whereas Godzilla is pure chaos in the best way possible.
This is not just a rehash of the previous film to have these two icons clash once
again. They don’t even come into contact with each other for the majority of the film. We are following the journey of Kong as he discovers this new threat and the world he lives in beneath the Earth. On the flip side Godzilla is up to something as well and we are along for the ride as he wreaks havoc preparing for something more. For those whining about the pink Godzilla, it is fully explained and makes total sense in every way.
The human element can often times be annoying but necessary in these kinds of films, but they do a good job of pushing the narrative forward and filling in the gaps needed to make it all work. Have no fear though, this is a monster flick through and through with easily the most variation of monsters showing up this time around than in any of the previous films. This brings some fun surprises to hardcore fans and had me smiling ear to ear with one specific addition. If you are familiar with the lore, then it won’t be all that surprising to those fans.
I love all the moments just getting to see Kong just living life and doing his thing and there is plenty of it here, but had no fear there is plenty of non-stop destruction and monsters kicking ass to keep you hyped up from beginning to end. I loved this movie on every level. It gave me everything I wanted in this kind of feature and left nothing on the table. It expanded the universe in great ways, elevated the action to an epic proportion and did justice to both Kong and Godzilla.
If you love this universe like I do, then do yourself a favor and check out Godzilla x Kong: New Empire on the biggest and loudest screen in theaters now from Warner Bros Discovery and Legendary.