Because the title Clash of the Titans was already taken..... Godzilla vs Kong is the latest entry in the only multiple movie universe to succeed besides Marvel, the Monsterverse. I'll admit, I'm slightly shocked at the hype behind this movie, given that the previous entry, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, was considered a box office disappointment, and also considering that monster movies have been more popular overseas than here in the US. However, when the trailer hit for this, people went crazy; all over Twitter, you saw either #TeamKong or #TeamGodzilla. With that said, does the movie live up to such hype?
Godzilla (2014): A clever way to bring Godzilla into the modern times via making it play out like a disaster movie. Godzilla looks great, and Bryan Cranston's performance and character were great. The only thing I didn't care for was Aaron Taylor Johnson's character.
Kong Skull Island: Somewhat of an insult in that it turns one of the Golden Age Cinema classics into a dumb monster movie, but as far as dumb monster movies go, I had a blast!
Godzilla: King of the Monsters: Spectacular momster movie and amazing IMAX experience, despite some increasingly dumb human characters.
Okay, on to our main attraction!
The Story
Godzilla is attacking various Apex Cybernetics locations around the world for unknown reasons. Monarch, the organization from the other movies that specializes in the different titans, retaliates by getting Kong to go after a great source of power and using it to defeat Godzilla. Meanwhile, Maddie, the girl from King of the Monsters, tracks down a podcaster that's been researching the titans and gets him to help them find out why Godzilla is acting so wild in the first place.
What's Good About It
Let me just get that out of the way to calm your curiosity. Every time Godzilla and Kong duke it out is a warehouse of joy. It's well shot, the moves have a ton of variety, and the passion the two have just leaps off the screen.
I was worried going in about what they were going to do with the humans, if they were going to be too distracting or melodramatic, but what they did with them surprisingly works. They don't get bogged down with backstory or family drama; some humans are there to get Kong where he needs to go, others try to figure out what's going on with Godzilla. Simple, focused, perfect.
Other Bits:
-The music is awesome
-Kong has a few heartfelt moments
-There's another villain monster that was a pleasant surprise
What Doesn't Work About It
Not that CG has exactly had a breakthrough in recent years, but this is easily the most cartoony looking CGI the Monsterverse has had. Godzilla in particular always looked bulky and massive in the previous movies, and here, he looks more flimsy and spongy.
Other bits:
-It felt a little short (though I guess "I wanted more" is a good complaint)
Where Should I See It? IMAX
This is one of the better IMAX experiences I've had. Every time Godzilla or Kong roar or drop to the ground and I feel my seat shake, I'm reminded of why I still love going to the theater.
Overall Thoughts
Godzilla vs Kong is just as fun and riveting as the title sounds. The action is amazing, the music is outstanding, and the IMAX is definitely worth the premium. If this peaks your interest even in the slightest, definitely check it out.
My rating:
