Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Ever since the ridiculously suspenseful (some would call it boring), Godzilla, this MonsterVerse has been really interesting to watch unfold. I've enjoyed it along the way - sure, even the low points - with the last iteration of Godzilla vs. Kong being a throw-down battle that has aged well in my memory and one of those rare instances I underrated a film. From the much more serious days of Godzilla or even Skull Island, this series has embraced the silly, for better or worse. That's never been more true than it is in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which is the best way you can orient yourself on if you'll like this newest entry. 

I for one am always down for monster mayhem, whether it was last year's fantastic Godzilla Minus One, or this much more blockbuster-y MonsterVerse...my butt will probably be in a seat more often than not. With Godzilla x Kong, there are diminishing returns, but it all sums up to an entertaining, albeit dumb, ride. 

And that's perhaps the first thing you should know about Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. It is quite dumb. It focuses a lot on Hollow Earth, which seemingly came out of nowhere last film, now its main locale. There's some explanation for everything that's happening, but I couldn't help but feel like the stakes were never terribly high...the newest villain and his "pet" are menacing in nature and design, but were they really that serious that Godzilla needed to supercharge? Who knows? But honestly, if you're spending time asking those questions, it's likely this may not be for you. 

Bonkers? Yes. Kind dumb? Yeah. Awesome though? Absolutely

Outside of the lets-just-get-big-things-to-fight plot, the remainder of the film is an entertaining ride with some mild pacing issues. It feels longer than its runtime, but not by a whole lot. Along the way, we're treated to some phenomenal colors (seriously, might have been my favorite thing about it), really impressive visuals, globetrotting locations, some decent human work and humor, and fun, bonkers action. The human stuff is particularly worth mentioning as it's still a "weak" point, but I had the least issue with it this time thanks to performances that hit their mark from Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Kaylee Hottle, and Dan Stevens. Kong is wisely the star of the show, but the humans aren't annoying this time, just along for the ride. All of the different locations are a blast, and it's humorous how much destruction these two cause "defending" us (oops! there go the pyramids!). The action may not reach the highs of Kong vs. Godzilla, but there are definitely multiple bonkers, cool moments. 

Overall, you should already know if you're going to enjoy this film or not. If a skyscraper-sized gorilla with a metal power fist fighting another gorilla and lizard in a zero-gravity battle doesn't sound awesome to you, but just dumb, then it's best to avoid this one. To be very clear, the right answer is: it's both awesome and dumb. 

Rapid Rath's Review Score | 7/10