Godzilla vs Kong (2021) (Movie Review)

  Back when I was just a kid, I loved me some giant monsters, and admittedly I still do even as an adult. Of course, Godzilla was my biggest idled childhood monster, with King Kong being a respectable favorite, and for the longest time, I always wanted to see the two most famous movie titans clash in a modern blockbuster. I certainly have fondness reserved for the goofy 1960’s “King Kong vs Godzilla”, and yet … ever sense I was about seven years old, I always dreamt of seeing Godzilla and King Kong, with bigger budget special effects, and the best action that contemporary blockbusters could offer. Well, my childhood dream finally came true in 2021 with “Godzilla vs Kong”. This marked the fourth instalment in “Legendary Pictures” shared monster universe, and acts as a sequel to 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island”, as well as 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”. Needless to say … this crossover gave me everything I wanted … then it gave me more … and then it gave me things I wasn’t even expecting. Safe to say, that seven-year-old boy that still resides inside me was giddy from head to toe.

  After saving the Earth from a number of deadly monsters, Godzilla seems to have finally snapped, and is going on a deadly rampage. This comes much to the dismay of the young teenager Madison, who along with her dad, was rescued by Godzilla in the previous film. Thus, she sets off on a mission with a small team, to discover what’s stirring the giant monster’s rage. Suspect number one is a mysterious organization called Apex Cybernetics, who might just be harboring a secret weapon to use against the monsters. Meanwhile, the giant ape King Kong fears that he’s being hunted by Godzilla, sets-off on a journey to find a new home, and maybe discover the place of his origins. His journey leads him to Hollow Earth, which is apparently where all of Earths giant monsters originated from, and holds a power-source that can rival any man-made technology. However, no-matter how deep King Kong travels, all roads will lead to a match-up with his long-standing cinematic rival ... Godzilla.

  While my favorite giant lizard gets top-billing, this is unmistakably King Kong’s movie, arguably the most screen-time he’s ever gotten, and he really feels like a character, as opposed to just another giant monster or special effect. I love that we’re introduced to him as just another day in the life, getting out of bed, giving himself a shower, all set to a pop song, and honestly bringing to mind the opening from “Shrek” … but it really works in making Kong feel like an individual, as opposed to a giant beast. 

Naturally, he’s CGI, but brought to life with a lot of personality, mannerism, intimidation, and even a reserved sense of emotion. His journey into Hollow Earth is certainly an outlandish one for him, but for me is very welcome, as I’ve seen so many King Kong movies repeat the same formulas in the same settings … so I was more than ready to see Kong out of his element, and into new territory. Also, the setting of Hollow Earth is effectively wonderous, vast in scope, and just opens the door for new possibilities in this universe. I also love this moment when Kong defeats a flying serpent, and then drinks out of its head, almost like he’s giving himself a toast. The visual design for this Hollow Earth is familiar, but still quite effective, and looks great overall, as do the creatures. While the film wasn’t nominated at the Oscars for Best Special Effects, but was still noted on their list, and just didn’t quite make it.    

  At the heart of the film is a subtle relation between Kong and a little deaf girl named Jia, who’s the last surviving decedent of the natives from Skull Island. 

She’s indebted to the mighty King after he saved her in a storm, and are even able to communicate with each other, which is great … I love that we’re finally seeing Kong open a dialog of sorts with a human character. The two have a very sweet connection, and it’s nice to just see Kong in a simple, yet humble friendship with a girl, as opposed to whisking one away through some kind of romantic connection. The young Kaylee Hottle plays Jia, and really is a deaf actress, but she effectively conveys all the right emotions and charms that make her a meaningful screen presence to balance out the monsters. The remaining human characters all do their parts without over-stepping their bonds, and while no-one else really leaves an impression, their at least played well by a committed cast. Rebecca Hall plays a doctor who watches over Kong, as well as parents the little girl Jia, and the two likewise have a convincing chemistry. Millie Bobby Brown is also given more to do in her role as Madison, and it’s easy to follow the character on her journey with her new team of friends.

  Even Godzilla has more personality on display then he’s had in any of the previous American films, which is a welcome return to his classic rubber suited days. He’s still brought to life trough modern CGI, and looks really good overall, but it’s that extra touch of personality that makes him feel real to me. I like that he has an almost twisted smile in some shots, and I love that he and Kong get in each other’s faces, as a means to intimidate one another. The biggest surprise of all is a moment when Godzilla chuckles, which is great, as it once again emphasizes that he’s a character first, and a giant monster second. In a more serious Godzilla movie, this would have been off-putting, but this movie is all for fun, and when that’s the established tone, I want Godzilla to reflect that.   

  Of course, the big draw to this film is seeing Godzilla and King Kong rematch, with contemporary visuals, spectacle and energy on display. Naturally, the film more than satisfied my expectations. While the original film built-up to one big brawl between the two, this movie breaks-up their clashes over the course of the film, which is very welcome, and keeps the momentum going. Thankfully, this movie wasn’t afraid to feature the monsters battling in the bright day time, which is a huge improvement over the previous films, which set their battles in dark, murky and relentlessly rainy settings. King Kong ad Godzilla’s first match is out in the ocean, both above and below the water line, which is a welcome change-up. Their second battle is at night in the neon-lit Hong Kong, which is kind of a call back to “Pacific Rim”, but it still looked great, and I really liked the addition of Kong using his own make-shift weapon against Godzilla.

  Once the two monsters get their kicks in, the real finale takes shape when an unexpected third party joins the action. It’s revealed that the bad guys set-up Kong’s journey into Hollow Earth as a means to harness an energy source, one that can power their mysterious superweapon … which turns out to be none other then the giant Mechagodzilla ... who's personally my favorite of Godzilla's main rouges. 

It’s also revealed that Mechagodzilla is controlled by the severed head of Godzilla’s arch foe King Ghidorah, which takes mental control over the mechanized monster, and set’s out on a rampage outside of the bad guys control. This makes for another rare treat in which Godzilla’s two greatest, and long-standing enemies, King Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla have come together as one entity ... as a long-time fan, this is immensely satisfying. Also, the only thing more satisfying than seeing Godzilla and King Kong battle is seeing them work together to defeat an even greater enemy. On that note, their final three-way battle is absolutely smashing, and it’s awesome just to see Kong matching another opponent from the Godzilla franchise. The final shot of Godzilla and King Kong and their "peace-out" exchange is another satisfying moment of the two excepting one-another as equals, and suggests that maybe there’s now a reserved friendship between the two.   

  In the end, you have to go into this movie expecting giant monsters, over the top battles, and insane plots involving hidden worlds, and other marvels. If that sounds like fun, then you’ll have a ball with this movie … if none of that appeals to you, then it’s probably not going to convert you into a fan. As for me … I thought this film was a blast! 

Not only do the monster battles thrill, as well as shot beautifully, but the film also delivers an enjoyably outlandish premise with its journey to Hollow Earth, all it’s imaginative wonders, atmospheres, and designs to behold. The humans obviously aren’t very interesting, but I was still able to cost on the committed performances, as well as a genuinely heartfelt connection between Kong and the little girl. Throw in a deeply satisfying final battle with Godzilla, King Kong, and the surprise return of my favorite of the big-G’s foes Mechagodzilla … and what more could a long-time viewer of both character franchises ask for. It’s obviously nothing deep, meaningful, and it’s admittedly ridiculous on every level … but that’s always been the appeal of the franchise, and while I wouldn’t call it the absolute best of either series, I still found this to be the most fun entry overall of these two franchises to date.

Thanks for reading my review of the 2021 crossover “Godzilla vs Kong” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!