The comparisons are inevitable.
Last year’s Godzilla Minus One was a remarkable film (one of my favorites of the year). It had a thought-provoking story that combined exciting action with genuine emotion. The human characters had actual depth and moving arcs.
I’m sure it comes as little surprise that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire does not come close to topping the nuance and power of that film. It’s a somewhat silly, ridiculous, bombastic popcorn flick, but confession time: I had fun watching it. Will I ever feel compelled to watch it again? Probably not – I think I enjoyed its predecessor, 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, more. Still, I was decently entertained by watching Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in IMAX.
When it comes to Godzilla vs. Kong, I’m a #TeamGodzilla girl. Nothing against Kong, of course; it’s probably more to do with my enduring childhood love of dinosaurs. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire feels more like a Kong movie, with a sprinkling of Godzilla mixed in. There are some very cool Godzilla moments (I will never not get excited when I see Godzilla unleash an energy beam), and seeing the spiffy pink power-up was pretty neat (I know, I know “spiffy pink power-up” is not exactly the official scientific term, but this film plays fast and loose with the laws of science anyway).
If you like seeing big monsters battle against other big monsters, there’s plenty of action here. Kong and Godzilla do fight each other, and then team up to fight a worse threat that comes from deep within Hollow Earth.
I liked that a large portion of this movie took place in the Hollow Earth realm. The setting felt alien and new, even though technically it takes place in the center of our own planet. Once again, the human characters are not nearly as compelling or cool as the monsters themselves, although I did get a kick out of seeing Dan Stevens (a.k.a. Matthew Crawley from Downton Abbey) playing a wacky veterinarian. If nothing else, Stevens seems to be having a good time making this movie, and I had a good time watching his antics.
I feel like there’s not really much more to discuss with this movie. If you like big budget monster action bonanzas, this is probably worth a trip to the theater. However, if you’re feeling a bit “meh” about this particular franchise, you’re probably better off staying home and watching Godzilla Minus One instead.
