«Godzilla and Kong» - Movie Review by Kinoafisha
The second round of the epic showdown.
After defeating Mechagodzilla, the relentless enemies Godzilla and Kong reach a fragile peace: the radioactive lizard remains to protect humans, while the huge ape now reigns over the Hollow Earth. Everything changes when Kong begins to suffer from a toothache. Enduring unbearable pain, the giant ape emerges to the surface. Meanwhile, Godzilla feasts on radiation somewhere in France, behaving extremely aggressively, and cries for help echo from the Hollow Earth. Dr. Andrews (Rebecca Hall) from Monarch, along with her adopted daughter Maya (Kaylee Hottle), veterinarian Dr. Trapper (Dan Stevens), and podcaster Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry), are tasked with investigating the situation. Together, they venture deep into the Earth, where they encounter an unprecedented threat.
"New Empire" is the fifth installment of the MonsterVerse film franchise, launched jointly by Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment a decade ago. It can now be confidently stated that the American monstrous saga fully repeats the path once taken by the Japanese. Just as the solo Godzilla films were serious and heavy, the "Skull Island" and its spin-offs turned out to be their complete opposite - dynamic, fun, and pleasantly idiotic attractions without unnecessary symbolism. That's exactly how they were in Japan starting with "King Kong vs. Godzilla" in the 60s, except with unprecedented scale.
Adam Wingard, a talent from the indie segment, is responsible for creating these expensive crossovers. Starting his career with a couple of first-class retro thrillers, he has firmly established himself in Hollywood. Drawing primarily from "Skull Island," he delivers what audiences seek in such movies - monster fights. In the dynamic "Godzilla vs. Kong" of 2021, the protagonists appeared in the frame immediately after the opening credits (Godzilla was barely shown in "Godzilla" (2014)), and the first round of their confrontation began just half an hour into the film. Wingard instantly cranks up the insanity to the maximum: when characters find themselves on the expanses of the Hollow Earth by the middle of the film through a nod to "2001: A Space Odyssey," trying to make sense of what's happening logically becomes simply futile. All that remains is to enjoy Kong tearing prehistoric creatures apart with his bare hands and splashing green goo from severed heads.
The direct sequel to "Godzilla vs. Kong" is in the same vein. The only difference between the new film and the previous one is that now the titular monsters are not enemies but allies, as indicated by the absence of "vs." in the title. In the previous installment, the greatest titans only united against a common enemy by the end and, having left Hong Kong in ruins, went their separate ways. Now, symbolically waving near the Egyptian pyramids, they work together. Their newfound ally is the giant moth Mothra, while their current foe is King Scar, a malicious version of Kong. The action, mostly unfolding in the underground realm, becomes even more cartoonish. The choreography of monster battles once again resembles "WrestleMania," and severed limbs seem to want to fly off the screen. Even in action scenes, it's no longer possible to call the kaiju formidable gods. In the very first scene, Godzilla destroys half of Rome, and then, tired, falls asleep right in the Colosseum. However, citizens don't protest; instead, they treat him like an unruly pet, not even mentioning human casualties. Meanwhile, although Kong boxes as well as Mike Tyson, he rather resembles a character from a family cartoon. In the previous installment, the primate befriended a mute girl and parodied "Shrek," and now he takes on the role of raising Mini-Kong—a character equivalent to Godzilla's son from the classic Toho kaiju series. The scenes of endearing interaction between the quasi-father and the disobedient little one are the best parts of the entire blockbuster.
The result is an honest cinema attraction, completely devoid of corporate intrigue and strained drama. Fans of the previous films in the series will surely enjoy "New Empire," while aficionados of serious kaiju cinema (like the recent Japanese "Godzilla: Singular Point") will find absolutely nothing to latch onto here.
