"Godzilla vs. Kong" Film Review

"Godzilla vs. Kong" Film Review

Rating: 5/5

By: Nathaniel Simpson

    "Godzilla vs. Kong" is a fun, fast-paced action flick that puts the two classic monsters head to head. Following the plot line from the past three films in the MonsterVerse, we find Kong protecting the people he loves from Godzilla, and what ensues is an action-packed two hours. 

    Directed by Adam Wingard and written by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein (who had a hand in creating all four films), we are immersed in this fantasy world where titans rule the planet. In the opening sequences of the film, we see Kong ruling over a fabricated version of Skull Island. We can't say the same for Godzilla however, who we see destroy an Apex Cybernetics facility. From this scene onwards, we are made to think Godzilla will be the main villain of the film, which is a fantastic plot device that furthers the anticipation of the major showdown. 

    I was extremely impressed on how the writers fixed the issue from "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" where the humans dominated the screen with a boring plot. The writers and director made the film mostly about the monsters, which I thoroughly enjoyed since this is a monster film. The human interaction we do see in the film however are very engaging and keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

    Personally, I loved the relationship between Kong and the little deaf girl Jia (played by Kaylee Hottle). Hottle is apart of the Deaf community, and comes from an all-deaf family. I personally enjoyed seeing her in the film, as she can help educate others on the deaf community and culture. Her interactions with Kong are stellar, and they incorporate ASL into Kong's way of communicating. It's a joy to see the ASL language and the deaf community more exposed in the Hollywood landscape of film. 

    The special effects are spot on, and make you actually feel like you're watching a giant ape fight a humongous lizard. The fight sequences are incredible and immerse you into them. Take the first fight between Kong and Godzilla. We see Kong struggling in the water, the pilots being killed in the fight, the damage it causes the ships, and so on. The director paid specific attention to detail in these fight scenes to make them as realistic as possible. 

    I'm sure everyone knew where this plot was heading. It's just the same as the "Batman v. Superman" film; they're going to team up in the end to fight a greater force. The greater force they end up fighting is Mechagodzilla, who is superior to Godzilla. This was a great way to end the film, however I was hoping for something a little more based on all the hype surrounding the Kong v. Godzilla fights. 

    If you think about it, Godzilla and Kong aren't too different. They're both very lonely, trying to find others like them out there. Godzilla just exists in the water, trying to find something to rule. Kong, on the other hand, has a kingdom to rule, but is he really happy by himself? If this was a different timeline and different circumstances, maybe Godzilla and Kong could've been friends. But I guess we'll never know.