Fresh Take - Godzilla X Kong New Empire

 In Theaters

Synopsis (from IMDB):

The new installment in the Monsterverse puts the mighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal deadly threat hidden within our world that threatens the existence of their species and our very own, as well as diving deep into the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond. Delving straight into the origins of Hollow Earth, this film will explore the ancient Titan battle that brought man and monster together forever.

Thoughts

Talk about a fun time at the theater. Let me preface this review, if you like the focus being on the human element in these kaiju type movies you may not like this movie. If you did not like the previous installments (Godzilla King of the Monsters or Godzilla vs Kong) then you're probably not gonna like this movie. Personally, I enjoyed this as I am a fan of the previous installments as I feel they are perfect popcorn, blockbuster type flicks. From a visual standpoint these movies get better with the CG and the creature design. Even though there is one obvious reference to Final Fantasy's Leviathan and Monster Hunter's Mizutsune, I loved the look and feel of the movie. In this movie Godzilla has fully embraced his 'I am a bully' lifestyle. Yes he is still a good guy but sometimes it is hard to tell. The most 'human' part of the movie comes from the Kong side of things as his loneliness is brought to the forefront. The majority of the movie is with Kong and this isn't a bad thing as we get to see a lot of Hollow Earth way more than in the previous movie. Another thing that is a huge plus for me is that the action is clear and you can see everything. There are a couple of underwater fights that are shot well and you can still see what is going on. The main villain, the Skar King, was a decent villain as he had an edge in this fight that made sense and also the reason for the teamup was well done in my opinion as well. 

There were a couple of things that made me scratch my head. One being where is Millie Bobby Brown's character, actually where are the characters that were following Godzilla in the previous film. The only one they brought back was Brian Tyree Henry's, Bernie. I thought that was odd. Also, I thought that there were a couple of spots where the movie felt rushed and didn't explain things very well. Also and this is just something I noticed, but it is obvious that Godzilla and Kong are communicating I would have loved to have some subtitles just because I think they're banter would be hilarious.

For Parents

This movie runs a little under two hours. Its paced very well. I didn't feel the movie drag at all. It is rated PG-13 and there are scenes of cities being destroyed as there are a number of action sequences throughout the movie. While there is nothing super gory there are some rather disgusting scenes. If you have watched either of the previous entries then you should know what to expect.

Final Thoughts

This movie was a lot of fun for me. I love that these films are more action focused and give people good kaiju brawls. In my opinion its perfect for an afternoon movie treat so I give this one a MATINEE. Have you seen Godzilla X Kong New Empire? Let's talk about it in the comments below. If you like the blog please feel free to share. Thanks for reading and don't forget to check out the YouTube and Twitch channels for the Wingin IT and Fresh Take podcasts.

Trailer