The MonsterVerse has undergone an exciting transformation. In Godzilla, the first film in the now over $2 billion Cinematic Universe, there was the titular giant ash tree just for a few minutes to see. Ten years later, the MonsterVerse has transformed into the ultimate class reunion of larger-than-life cinematic creatures that no longer want to disappear from the screen.
Who always fell short: the people. With all the new monsters and hollow earths we discover, the human characters are often left halfway, as if the creatives had agreed before production began that the only stars of the films would be at least one Height of 100 meters have to bring with you. But a person in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire cannot be defeated.
Dan Stevens in a Hawaiian shirt steals the show from all the monsters – neither Godzilla nor Kong was prepared for this
Imagine the two most iconic monsters in film history coming together on the big screen, but the only thing you can think of is Dan Stevens in one terrible Hawaiian shirt. That was exactly my experience watching Godzilla x Kong in the cinema. No brawl in one of the many in-between worlds has given me as much joy as Stevens’ completely unleashed performance.
Warner Bros.
Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
His first appearance is a blast: to the sound of upbeat rock music, Stevens flies into the film in a helicopter to pull a tooth (!) out of the snivelling Kong. He plays a character called the hunter, whose symbol is the Monarch Veterinarian, the mysterious organization that pulls the strings in the MonsterVerse. Basically, Hunter could just as easily be part of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the Marvel Universe.
He plunges into the depths in an adventurous manner, balancing above the beast’s maw and bringing with him a lightheartedness that is more likely to be found in an action blockbuster from the 1990s or early 2000s. For hunters, Godzilla x Kong is a cartoon, in which everything is possible, and he moves through the film just as carelessly. Despite the spectacular ruckus, the Titans seem really clumsy.
The perfect acting joker: Dan Stevens brings his wonderful unpredictability to Godzilla x Kong
But where does this unleashed Dan Stevens actually come from? The British actor became known for Downton Abbey before transforming into an ice-cold killer in the action thriller The Guest and doubting his sanity in the Marvel series Legion. Of this dark, serious, brooding Stevens we’ve seen less and less lately. He is currently more keen to experiment than ever.
Dan Stevens in Legion
From the crazy Eurovision film The Story Of Fire Saga to the sci-fi drama I am your human to the idiosyncratic animal horror Cuckoo, which premiered at the Berlinale this year: Stevens loves playing the weirdo, who embarrasses everyone around him. Sometimes he succeeds with naive kindness, sometimes there is something unpleasantly threatening in his smile.
In Godzilla x Kong he bundles the chaos energy of countless forgotten and derided blockbuster sidekicks and achieves the feat of… secret main attraction of the film. He can’t solve the big problem that the human characters in the MonsterVerse are mostly uninteresting. But especially in comparison to the numbing battle of materials, it seems incredibly alive.
Godzilla x Kong never dares to go where Dan Stevens’ madness as a monster doctor has long since arrived
As great as it is when Godzilla, Kong and Co. fight each other in a weightless space beneath the earth’s surface: If I’m being completely honest, the MonsterVerse has not only forgotten its people, but also its monsters. They are just hollow bodies, which collide in front of muddy CGI backgrounds. Without the powerful soundtrack behind them, nothing would shake them.
Dan Stevens’ triumph is at the same time an indictment of what at first glance should be the franchise’s great strength. In Godzilla x Kong, the monster brawl seems like a compulsory exercise for long stretches loveless and replaceable was staged. I wanted nothing more than for the film to be as free as Stevens, who conjures up a relentless, feel-good inferno.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has been running since March 4, 2024 in the cinema.
Another opinion in the podcast: Godzilla x Kong delivers titan knocking at its best
Our colleagues at FILMSTARTS have also already watched Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. In the new edition of their podcast Zauberliebe they talk about the brutal titan knock-off.
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How does Godzilla x Kong fit into the MonsterVerse? Can director Adam Wingard surpass his predecessor? And what is there to come after this action-packed sci-fi fantasy hit? You can find out in the podcast.