Godzilla vs. Kong (Movie Review)

The epic showdown to rival all epic showdowns is here folks. The two monsters at the center of the ongoing MonsterVerse finally go toe-to-toe with one another in Godzilla vs. Kong. The people at Legendary Pictures have been building towards that fight since the 2014 reboot of the Godzilla franchise. And with this latest movie, it would appear that they've finally gotten the DNA of what makes these movies so appealing down to a science.

This is the part where I normally give a basic plot summary for the entire movie, before proceeding to share my thoughts. But to say that this movie had anything resembling an intelligible plot is a bit of a stretch. At best, it is all just meaningless setup to get the two titular titans to fight one another. But for anyone that has been following the threads introduced in the previous films in the MonsterVerse, here is all you need to know.

Kong has basically outgrown his home on Skull Island since the events of that movie. This prompts the scientists looking after him to take him on a journey across the ocean to find his "true home." Meanwhile, Godzilla is back again after asserting his position as the Titan alpha in King of the Monsters. Only this time, he attacks a research facility for reasons unknown as he goes on a rampage. And with the two monsters now out in the open, it is only a matter of time before both apex predators butt heads.

To say that I was excited heading into Godzilla vs. Kong after all the excellent trailers that preceded it is a bit of an understatement. My hype level for the film was through the roof, being a fan of at least one of the two monsters since early childhood (for anyone wondering, I was squarely on Team Godzilla). And I'm pleased to report that the movie didn't disappoint, at least on a purely visceral level.

The movie makes good on its promise of having the two titans duke it out, and then some. I especially loved how both monsters got to shine at various points throughout the movie, adding even more fire to the fan debates. The final showdown in particular was appropriately epic, hearkening back to the classic Toho movies while still delivering something that was ultimately fresh and modern. The overall outcome was fairly predictable, but it was still satisfying to see all of it play out.

It should go without saying that some suspension of disbelief is required in order for the movie to truly work. The human characters are also once again the weakest part of the movie, existing solely to give exposition dumps that try to make sense of everything that is happening. Thankfully, the film spends far less time following those characters, and puts the focus squarely on the two larger-than-life monsters moviegoers came to see.

Godzilla vs. Kong is the Marvel's Avengers of the Legendary MonsterVerse. It is easily the best film in the franchise thus far, and it stands as an improvement over the three films that came before it. And while it is far from a perfect film, the fact that it fully embraces the ridiculousness of its premise makes for a culmination that earns an easy recommendation from me.