Let Them Fight: A 'Godzilla vs Kong' Review

★★★ (3/5)

This past Wednesday, Legendary unleashed Godzilla vs. Kong—a massive, bespectacled showdown that’s bound to make you upset you probably didn’t get to watch it in IMAX. Released simultaneously on both HBO Max and big screens in select cities worldwide, this movie was the long-awaited converging point of Legendary’s MonsterVerse, a blockbuster franchise started in 2014 with Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla reboot but unlike the MCU, you don’t have to have seen any of the previous films to enjoy it properly. This monster mash-up pits the titular titans on a destructive collision course…and that’s all you really need to know; those in search of a cohesive story or any metaphorical depth whatsoever might want to look elsewhere this weekend. It might not be Nomadland but sometimes, two gargantuan creatures battling to the death is exactly what you want.

Godzilla vs. Kong is a sensory experience, an achievement of blockbuster filmmaking by director Adam Wingard. His awareness for what audiences instinctively love about monster movies are amplified by his deep knowledge of genre films he took clear inspiration from. There’s actually a scene where King Kong leaps off the edge of an exploding aircraft carrier and recreates the iconic jump from John McClane at the end of Die Hard.

At a justified 1 hour 53 minute runtime, this meaty, muscular crowd pleaser does for monster movies what Fast Five did for heist movies over a decade ago—it takes typical genre conventions and cranks the knob to 11. Notwithstanding its fair share of ridiculous human interest subplots, the film’s beating pulse is the proverbial clash between two circling giants of ungodly proportion. Much like when The Rock squares off with Vin Diesel in a warehouse in Rio, there’s definitive satisfaction in seeing two physical specimens clash for the undisputed heavyweight crown—it’s Pacific Rim by way of Rocky IV.

Godzilla vs. Kong is a distinguished franchise film that stands out from its predecessors. Let’s dive into this magnificent showdown and uncover what works best about the most fun moviegoing experience of the decade so far.

If the first three films in this franchise taught us anything, it’s that no one cares about the people in it. From a performative standpoint, this carries a certain responsibility for the cast—when you know exactly what audiences are tuning in for, tempered balance is crucial in building the world. It’s easy to pinpoint when performers make a concerted effort to stand out, they take up unnecessary space. Alternatively if the actors underrepresent themselves, it could hinder the adequate set-up of a film’s larger set pieces.

Godzilla vs. Kong retains a harmonious balance with a cast who clearly understands what it means to take a backseat and let the action speak for itself. There isn’t much ‘people’ subplotting, but the all-around solid performances from Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Julian Dennison, Demian Bichir and breakout performer Kaylee Hottle help unpack the complicated lore with natural chemistry and carefree ease. Their interaction takes up hardly any space and is only in service to the film’s higher purpose, a table setting for what’s to come. Ali vs. Joe Frazier wouldn’t have been the Thrilla in Manila if not for Don King’s infamous hype; in that same regard, when Rebecca Hall explains why Kong is wielding a 50-foot enchanted battle axe, you can rest assured it’s because he plans on using it to slay a radioactive iguana. Just like fight promotion, your excitement slowly builds between hard-hitting set pieces.

Director Adam Wingard is most known for his work in the lo-fi horror realm; with a background in indie filmmaking, he instinctively knows the importance of executing a vision within monetary constraints. For a low budget director, you wouldn’t assume that by watching Godzilla vs. Kong—the $155 million budget is leveraged with skilled economy so that even when every single dollar isn’t on the frame, you never forget which film you’re watching.

Appropriate to its subject matter, the movie is striking, propulsive and genuinely massive. The world it takes place in is both modern and futuristic, a well-rounded blend of adventure/sci-fi with color palettes of vivid neon, befitting Godzilla’s atomic breath. Towering giants need an expansive arena to roam around and clash in, the path of destruction in their wake is what helps us comprehend the enormity.

In cataclysmic movies, no thing is safe: ships, bridges, oil rigs, helicopters, skyscrapers will all be demolished to a comical degree that somehow never makes you question how many people must have died as a result. It’s almost cartoonish how blockbusters like this or Independence Day or even Armageddon showcase action in a deliberately flagrant way that suspends disbelief for the sake of entertainment. It’s a special thing when a movie can deliver a ‘wow moment’ that embodies the magic of the moviegoing experience; when a submerged Godzilla swims toward Kong and his spiny fin rips through an aircraft carrier like a hot knife through butter, it’s a breathtaking gesture of otherworldly destruction that serves as a reminder for what we go to the movies for.

Amidst the devastation, the earth-trembling roars or the majestic Junkie XL score, one of the most engaging aspects of Godzilla vs. Kong is its supreme level of self-awareness. Part of this stems from its ability to pay homage to the canon that inspired it.

From the aforementioned Die Hard leap to the bioluminescence of Avatar’s Pandora, the mechanized neural networking of Pacific Rim or the 2-on-1 fight sequence à la The Raid, this movie doesn’t go out of its way to attempt anything new. Rather, it chooses to Frankenstein different parts from other successful movies that came before it. Why struggle to re-invent the wheel when you can show up to the pitch meeting and suggest “let’s make this movie…but add monsters”.

While it’s easy to misconstrue this as lazy filmmaking, it’s moreso understanding of how people will inevitably receive it. No one who tunes into Godzilla vs. Kong expects the second coming of Stanley Kubrick. It’s safe to say when you’re making a movie like this, it’s completely appropriate to throw in a few lines like “these prototypes we’re loaning you will make what you’ve been flying look like used Miatas”. Where movies sometimes struggle finding that even balance of tonality, a knowing lack of self-seriousness is the key virtue this movie uses to ultimately succeed.

While this movie doesn’t break new ground in the grand scheme of things, Godzilla vs. Kong reconfigures the framework laid out in its three previous entries, and manages to put everything in its right place. The film’s record-breaking success is a promising step not just for Legendary’s MonsterVerse, but for the industry and resurrection of the moviegoing experience as a whole.

Everyone knew that in order to get the world back in proper orbit, pop culture needed defibrillation, a massive shockwave to jump start momentum. Godzilla vs. Kong reignites the flame by appealing to your inner-kid and following one simple rule as fondly remembered from the throwback Ken Watanabe meme: “let them fight”.