Godzilla vs Kong

Released 24th March 2021, Godzilla vs Kong follows the conflicts surrounding Godzilla and Kong. Much asking to the previous Godzilla films in the Monsterverse, the themes of nature and co-existence are ever present through the narrative with the film’s monsters sharing different perspectives of these themes. One thing to clear straight away is that, more so than previous entries in this universe, Godzilla vs Kong is very much an easy-watch movie where suspension of disbelief is required. That said, one critique I would have about this film is that (at times) it delves a little too deep into sci-fi where it really didn’t have to.

The film manages to preserve the animalistic behaviours of these monsters which sustains your engagement in how they operate and interact with one another. Kong receives a large concentration of the plot which is not a bad thing (given that Godzilla has an extra film under his belt in the Monsterverse) as you begin to understand his mythos a lot better and see his characteristics develop from Kong: Skull Island. Godzilla is still great and, while not in the film as much as you would expect, I would argue that he makes the most of his appearances and he holds a presence in the film. As for the human cast, I can only really say that I liked Kaylee Hottle’s Jia and Julian Dennison’s Josh. While Josh is given little depth, he feels a lot like a real person in this film in the way that he interacts with the bizarre world surrounding him thus making his character more believable and subsequently enjoyable. As for Jia, she is actually integral to the plot and her relationship with Kong is really wholesome and Kaylee sells her performance really well.

This is all the funnier when you consider these two are the youngest actors in the film; just about everyone else is either scientific-jargon or unnecessary all together (*cough* Alexander Skarsgård *cough*). Junkie XL gives a good enough score with a strong energy being given to the scenes and a good motif for Godzilla; I would certainly say it could have been better though. This critique also spreads to licensed music which, while lyrically sound, sets peculiar tones against the scenes they are placed in. As usual, I have no qualms with the visual effects in this universe; you can actually see everything that is happening in this film which makes the action clearer and more enjoyable. Overall, Godzilla vs Kong is certainly not a masterpiece but after a year where we have not had many blockbusters, this 57 year-waiting rematch is the perfect kind of film to get us excited for cinemas reopening 17th May.