Godzilla fans have had a lot to be happy about lately. With Minus One we finally got another Japanese film last year and now the latest part of the American Monsterverse has been released in cinemas. MeinMMO author Nikolas Hernes had a lot of fun with Godzilla x Kong, even if the story is a lot of nonsense.
Kong relaxes in the Hollow Earth after Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla does his job as Earth’s protector and takes care of the other Titans. He may flatten cities, but at least he saves people.
A new threat to Earth awaits in the Hollow Earth and wants to conquer the planet. But Kong alone can’t manage the fight, so he and Godzilla will have to fight together to stop the new enemy.
You can find an article about the other Godzilla film here: After a long time, I really had goosebumps in the cinema and it’s Godzilla Minus One’s fault
You can find the trailer for the film here:
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – trailer for the monster block
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The story is a lot of nonsense
I love well-written stories. But not every film needs one. Godzilla x Kong tries to tell a story, but it’s a lot of nonsense. There is talk about the hollow earth, there are secret organizations and indigenous people.
It’s all really nonsense, but because it’s taken so seriously, it’s at least entertaining. The real story in this case is Kong’s journey in the Hollow Earth. Kong as the main character works quite well because he exudes a certain charm through his gestures and facial expressions. You could have made the film with just Kong as the protagonist and it would have worked great.
I also found the flora and fauna in the hollow earth exciting and would have even liked more new monsters, because the hollow earth would have had a lot to offer.
But the villain is a disappointment and I don’t want to spoil it any further here. Unlike Mecha-Godzilla or King Gidorah, the enemy is not an iconic character from monster history, but a completely new one. He never really seems threatening, he is more of a rival and equal opponent for Kong. This leads us directly to the big highlight of the film, namely the fights.
The big fights are the focus
As in its predecessors, the focus of the film is on the massive fights. They’re a lot of fun again. The physique and size of the opponents are beautifully captured and of course the surroundings are not spared during the fights.
While Godzilla fights with pure power, Kong uses weapons and traps. This creates interesting premises in which it’s not just the bigger fist that wins. A little more ingenuity would have benefited the film, as the previous films had more interesting choreography. Still, it just feels good to watch when Kong punches an opponent in the face and then smiles mischievously.
Nevertheless, it’s just awesome to sit in the cinema while the Titans roar and smash their way through a city. It worked before and it still works for me today. In addition to the films with gun battles and martial arts action, you also need big monsters that fight. You really get excited when the monsters roar and the dust and houses fly around.
Unfortunately, my favorite, Godzilla, doesn’t get much screen time in the film; When he fights it’s always powerful, but the focus is more on Kong. The makers are having a hard time using the monstrous lizard properly because it is significantly stronger than the big ape.
Godzilla x Kong shows that in the right genre and context, the story doesn’t matter. This is an entertainment film. It’s about the big monsters and their fights. If you’re up for it, you’ll have fun in the cinema, but if you want a well-thought-out story, you should choose other films. The Japanese Godzilla films usually offer more in their subtext.
Not every film has to be the best film. Sometimes just being entertained is enough. For the legendary director Quentin Tarantino there is a favorite when it comes to entertainment: “There is no one better” – A cult film from the 70s is for Quentin Tarantino the greatest film of all time