Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Godzilla vs. Kong is not the kind of movie that'll give you pause to think. That doesn't matter. The action scenes are rousing, crystal-clear, and varied. The special effects are pristine. Best of all, the film knows what you want to see and delivers.
When Godzilla suddenly Apex Cybernetics’ Pensacola facility, conspiracy theorist Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry) becomes convinced they somehow provoked the titan. Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) - an avid fan of his podcast - shares his suspicions, they rope her friend Josh (Julian Dennison) into investigating. They’re not entirely wrong. After the attack, Apex insists mankind needs to develop a weapon against Godzilla and ask Monarch to give them access to Kong. They believe the titan ape can lead them inside the vast caverns below our world to a power source formidable enough to take down the king of the monsters.
A recurring flaw with the Monsterverse films is the human element. Unlike other cinematic universes, we haven’t really had people to latch onto. The humans tend to get old, unceremoniously killed, or play their part, then leave. That issue has been (mostly) rectified here. No one is going into this film to see what the humans are up to. Nonetheless, director Adam Wingard keeps the tiny people busy and involved. Millie Bobby Brown’s character back in a major role and most of the film follows Kong, rather than Godzilla. Why is this important? because the ape is the kaiju most similar to us. When Kong is injured, angry, distraught, or relieved, you can tell by his expression. He also has a direct connection to Jia (Kaylee Hottle), a native of his island. She’s deaf. He can’t speak. Your brain links them, and the film expands on this connection with the Jane Goodall-like Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), Jia’s adopted mother. Now Kong works for Monarch.
The “vs.” part of the film is where it is at its best. The fights are in the daylight, brightly light, or in dust-free atmospheres which allow you to clearly see the punches, claw swipes, kicks, slashes, tail whips, and blasts. The “fight choreography” is excellent, combining the giddy excitement of WWE matches with spectacular destruction. A scene set in Hong Kong with bright neon lights illuminating the soon-to-be rubble is particularly well done. The lighting is moody and each frame gorgeous enough to be turned into a desktop wallpaper. Best of all? The film has a definitive winner. It’s another example of the movie delivering what you ordered.
Godzilla vs. Kong could’ve certainly injected deeper meaning into its story and given us something to think about after the dust settles. Then again, would it have felt out of place in a story that confirms the Earth is hollow and the home to an ecosystem filled with bizarre leviathans? The inhabitants of Monster Island have been many things over the years but what’s made them endure are the goofy plots, the giddy excitement of seeing larger-than-life rumbles. I had a blast and can’t wait to see it again. (April 4, 2021)
