Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

It's funny that there are now two films where the big bad's endgame is to essentially start the next ice age. I'm sure it's just a coincidence that Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire both hit upon the same idea. But that's where any similarities end.

So, where am I going with this?

This time, Kong explores Hollow Earth for any other big apes like him, while Godzilla roams normal Earth fighting other Titans. Meanwhile, Monarch scientist Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) tries to connect with her adopted daughter, Jia (Kaylee Hottle), the last surviving human from Skull Island. Jia senses something a great disturbance in the Force (so to speak) coming from Hollow Earth. Godzilla senses it too, which is why he gets up looking for power. Kong gets back to normal Earth when he gets a toothache. After that, Jia, Ilene, Titan veterinarian Trapper (Dan Stevens) and podcaster Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry), follow Kong back to Hollow Earth.

Meanwhile, Kong finally finds a whole tribe of other big apes. These apes are ruled by the evil Skar King, an old enemy of Godzilla who is looking for a way to get back to normal Earth. Kong can't defeat him and his ice-powered attack Titan, Shimo, alone, which is why he needs Godzilla. They're not exactly friends, but Jia might be able to help after she reconnects with survivors of her tribe, the Iwi. They have a prophesy that she'll reawaken the one force that can get the Kings of the Monsters together. That force is Mothra.

Everyone got that?

Director Adam Wingard and his co-writers get to the main event slowly but surely. It didn't take long before Godzilla and Kong met last time, but here, they don't meet until the third act. In the meantime, we go back and forth between Kong and the humans, with Godzilla showing up every so often. We empathize with Kong when his tooth breaks and are moved when he bonds with a young ape named Suko. Granted, their relationship doesn't start out smoothly, since Suko and some of his tribe ambush Kong. It's still awesome and funny to see Kong assert himself in the ape tribe. The Skar King needs little effort to convey how evil he is to the audience. Godzilla spends much of the film pretty grumpy, while Shimo is quite sympathetic. Their final takedown of Skar King makes the long buildup worth it.

In the human plotline, Ilene tries to help Jia adjust to modern civilization. When they encounter the Iwi, Ilene prepares for the possibility that Jia will go back to them. Their relationship is a great anchor for the monster madness, and their resolution is quite moving. Trapper, meanwhile, is a welcome addition for his bravado and his looking out for the big guy. Anyone intrigued by how giant monster dentistry works will get a cool demonstration. Bernie is amusing, while Mikael (Alex Ferns) the Red Shirt is really the only other human character of note.

The visual effects are quite nifty. The monsters are quite emotive, which is useful considering that they alone take up much of the screentime. Godzilla's upgraded magenta glow is neat, while Kong's metal gauntlet for the final battle (long story) is even neater. Mothra's new design is her best rendition since her look in King of the Monsters. The opening panoramic view of Hollow Earth is stunning, but the later battle between Godzilla and the Titan Scylla in Rome is impeded by the opening credits. The music by Tom Holkenborg and Antonio Di Iorio is fine, though not as memorable as the monsters' past films. The sound designs for the monsters, however, is quite impressive.

"Welcome to my World," as the Jim Reeves song, and by extension, this movie, beckons. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is sure to satisfy anyone and everyone who just wants to see monsters fighting. Its human story has some nice touches, but its monster story is just as riveting. I got to hand it to them how extensively it sells the monsters on nonverbal communication alone. It's not as deep as the now Oscar-winning Godzilla: Minus One, but it's still effective. See it however you can wherever you can. That's it for this month.