What do you get when Hollywood mixes a 65-year-old Japanese lizard, a nearly 90-year -old (and 90-foot tall) gorilla and a $160-200 million budget? You get Godzilla vs. Kong, an incredible spectacle that’s about one thing and one thing only: eye-popping destruction.
Part of beauty and most of the excitement comes from the fact that director Adam Wingard’s monster masterpiece isn’t trying to pull a fast one on anybody. You should come for the monster fights, but you’ll stay for - surprise! The monster fights.
Many technical aspects are extremely well-produced: the special effects are tremendous, the sound mixing sharp, the cinematography (while a bit dizzying) full of interesting shots designed to do nothing more than thrill and leave the audience awestruck.
And aside from the truly incredible fight sequences, the film has little else to offer. So if a polished, purely titanic fight between giant monsters is all you need for a good time, you’ll have a blast. Those looking for engaging and anything close to nuanced cinema will be disappointed.
The small bit of relevant plot is muddled further by dividing it into two distinct stories that rarely overlap: one team is on an adventure to make a scientific breakthrough that King Kong (the gorilla) will lead them to. The other is a group of scientists trying to uncover a corporate conspiracy that’s awakened and angered Godzilla (the lizard.)
Confused? Then this probably isn’t for you. But the pseudo-science is at least consistent enough the story won’t annoy you. It won’t engage you, but these creatures have been in three movies since 2014, and this is by far the most entertaining.
The first 40 minutes is nothing more than overdrawn exposition, and boring as can be in the story department. It ultimately leads to a thin moral than nature truly can’t be controlled by people, and instead peace only comes from harmony between living things.
But hang in there, because once the first act is over the audience is rewarded with the best scene in the movie. Once Godzilla and Kong actually start fighting each other, the battle is phenomenally entertaining.
Is the movie worth seeing? Yes, but only under the condition you live somewhere that has the film available on a big screen. I was lucky to see Godzilla vs. Kong at Oakville’s 5 Drive-In on opening night, only to have an announcement come the second day of the film’s release they would be closing in Ontario’s third shutdown (now in effect.)
The good news is that Warner Brothers has made the movie available for a premium video on demand rental at home. The bad news is watching it on a small screen (even if you’re lucky enough to own a large television) robs audiences of what makes the movie entertaining in the first place.
What makes Godzilla vs. Kong great is seeing the colossal size of these creatures brawling on a colossal size screen. The intimacy and interest of human characters is almost nonexistent, so if you can’t see the big screen fight, most of the excitement will be missing.
If you’re desperate for the jolt of furious fun in the slow-moving pandemic world, it might be worth watching at home. My advice is twofold: it’s too intense for those under age 13, so this one is for the big kids. And even for them, wait for later this spring (or early summer) to get your adrenaline fix on the big screen like you should.
Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait. A headliner fight deserves the height of a screen that pack the punches you’re looking for.
Godzilla vs. Kong
6 out of 10
PG, 1hr 53mins. Sci-Fi Disaster Adventure Epic.
Directed by Adam Wingard.
Starring Alexander Skarsgård, Rebecca Hall, Millie Bobby Brown, Brian Tyree Henry, Kaylee Hottle, Eiza González and Demián Bichir.
Now available for premium video rental on various services. Also playing at cinema locations outside the province of Ontario.
