Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5)

The team behind the MonsterVerse franchise at Legendary Pictures had to harbour some resentment for all of the accolades and awards afforded to Godzilla Minus One in 2023. This groundbreaking film delivered one of the most acclaimed chapters of the radioactive lizard’s career as he garnered the most praise he has ever been given in his illustrious career. Despite this anomaly in the legendary creatures' filmography, director Adam Wingard returns to business as usual. He and his team hope to continue Godzilla and his fellow Titans' rule over the earth and the subterranean world of Hollow Earth.

Monarch and Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) have continued to monitor the comings and goings of Godzilla and Kong as they do their best to make their way in their perspective worlds above and below one another. As the famed Kong expert tries to help her adoptive daughter, Jia (Kaylee Hottle), adapt to her existence off Skull Island, things get noticeably messy with the two titans. Kong is confronted with a new enemy in Hollow Earth while Godzilla seems to be gearing up for a great battle. The giant lizard moves around the earth to gain more radioactive energy from fellow Titans and human civilisations. As the Monarch team works to unravel the mystery of both creatures' comings and goings, new allies and enemies emerge that open the door to technologies and challenges for the inhabitants of both worlds.

In the 1986 feature film King Kong Lives, the giant ape receives an on-screen heart transplant. This ridiculously farcical moment in movie history comes to mind as the latest chapter of this monster’s adventure includes dental surgery and giving him a robotic arm. As the franchise continues, the need to take the story to new degrees of sci-fi absurdity will have to occur until they decide to reboot the whole series and get back to the basics of this genre. Until that day, this series of films will pander to audiences willing to embrace the ridiculously fantastic narratives that include monsters destroying most of the world's major cities and unleashing more radioactive waste on the environment than Chernobyl.

Interestingly, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire turns out to be primarily CGI-animated with a few live-action moments sprinkled in to help mankind connect with these creatures. These effects would not rival those of James Cameron and the Avatar films. Still, this film generally reflects those great CGI-influenced films that precede it. Except for the writing and acting, all are more reminiscent of the monster films of decades past that cannot cover up the Godzilla-sized plot holes and painful dialogue that this genre has come to rely on over the years. This chapter draws from Avatar and Transformers, Atlantis, and The Iron Giant to deliver a familiar and uninspiring chapter to this tired narrative. One for the fans of the Monsterverse and those looking for an excuse to escape to another world while eating popcorn. This might be the best time for the Legendary Pictures team to reset, look for new ideas, and give Godzilla and Kong a story and the respect these monstrous movie stars deserve.

REEL DIALOGUE: What does the Bible say about the value of parents?

If there are any heartwarming moments in this film, they must be between Dr. Ilene Andrews and her adopted daughter, Jia. Even though it is all familiar, this screenplay shows that there is nothing quite like the love of a parent. Even in the worst of experiences, the love, support, and hugs from your father or mother should have a soothing effect on your existence.

It is hard to imagine that a film about Godzilla and King Kong could provide a glimpse into the value of family, but at the heart of the story is the essential need for a parent's love. This relationship can come in the form of blood relations, a blended family, or adoption, and it shows that no price can be put on the importance of parents in a child's life.

Maybe if Kong and Godzilla had parents to encourage them through life, they wouldn’t have taken out their frustrations on the world. Who knows, but hopefully, this inspires us all to get out there and hug our parents and children today.

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their parents. - Proverbs 17:6

If you would like to discuss the topics from the Monsterverse, reach out to us at Third Space. We would love to chat with you about this and more.