Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) Movie Review

Synopsis:

Two of the most powerful titans, Godzilla and Kong, collide, leaving humanity’s future lying in the balance. Meanwhile, a group of humans discover a world beneath the surface known as Hollow Earth. There, they discover connections to Godzilla and Kong’s past.

Review:

Godzilla vs. Kong is a battle that dates back to 1962. Though that style of film may appear outdated by today’s standards, it set up the modern-day rematch in 2021.

As expected, Godzilla vs. Kong’s main highlights are its action sequences and visuals.

Director Adam Wingard brings Godzilla and Kong to life through quality CGI and vibrant visuals.

Each shot of Godzilla and Kong gives them a personality that the human characters lack.

Also, both of their encounters highlight the strengths of each titan.

Godzilla and Kong’s first encounter highlights Godzilla’s advantage over Kong in the ocean.

During their battle in Hong Kong, the high-rise skyscrapers give Kong the advantage over Godzilla.

There is also a sequence where Godzilla goes on all fours to defeat Kong. It is a unique tactic that demonstrates Godzilla’s adaptability.

After Kong’s defeat, this sequence leads to an encounter with Mechagodzilla. This is an adversary that Godzilla is all too familiar with.

Mechagodzilla is a capable threat in the film. It utilizes missiles and rocket punches to wear Godzilla down.

It isn’t until the intervention of Kong that they both defeat the robotic menace.

Kong even holds up Mechagodzilla’s head, reminiscent of a Mortal Kombat fatality.

As a whole, this sequence is entertaining. Despite this, it lacks the visual flair that made the other encounters stand out.

Instead, it relies on muted greys and oranges. This makes it underwhelming from a visual standpoint.

Godzilla vs. Kong is less interesting when it comes to its human characters.

This film’s main characters are Alexander Skarsgård’s Nathan Lind, Rebecca Hall’s Ilene Andrews, and Kaylee Hottle’s Jia.

These three are the main focus of the film and give decent performances.

Despite being deaf, Kaylee Hottle conveys more emotion than any other character.

Furthermore, there is a subplot in the film involving three other characters.

One sees the return of Millie Bobby Brown’s Madison Russell from Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019).

Brian Tyree Henry’s Bernie Hayes and Julian Dennison's Josh Valentine join her.

These three sneak into top-secret facilities (somehow), accompanied by offputting humor.

This subplot is the film’s weakest element by far and could have been re-edited.

As a result, it impacts the film’s pacing and also its story. Outside of this subplot, the story is decent enough.

Composing this film’s score is Tom Holkenborg. With it, he provides some decent moments during the action.

Otherwise, his score lacks the intensity of Godzilla (2014). This also includes Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019).

Conclusion:

Godzilla vs. Kong provides fans with entertaining action and vibrant visuals.

Director Adam Wingard also highlights Godzilla and Kong’s differences to good effect. This is evident during both clashes between the two titans.

This also translates to Mechagodzilla. It uses its advanced weaponry and durability to overwhelm Godzilla.

It also leads to a team-up between Godzilla and Kong, which fans will appreciate.

Although the sequence is entertaining, its visuals falter. It abandons the vibrancy of Godzilla and Kong’s encounters for a more muted visual style.

As a result, it makes the sequence underwhelming from a visual perspective.

Godzilla vs. Kong’s human characters are the film’s weakest element. Kaylee Hottle’s Jia conveys more emotion than any of the other characters.

Alexander Skarsgård’s Nathan Lind and Rebecca Hall’s Ilene Andrews serve their purpose. This is despite them portraying generic characters.

This film’s pacing and story take a hit in a subplot involving Millie Bobby Brown’s Madison Russell.

It is alongside Brian Tyree Henry’s Bernie Hayes and Julian Dennison’s Josh Valentine.

This subplot has off-putting humor. It also allows the three to enter a top-secret facility without any challenge.

Furthermore, the lack of agency from the characters makes it less enjoyable.

Godzilla vs. Kong’s score by Tom Holkenborg complements the action well enough. Though his score is above average, it is not as intense as it should be.

This film’s main flaws are its story and the lack of interesting characters.

Despite this, Godzilla and Kong fans should enjoy watching the two titans battle.

Sam’s Action Reaction score:

Characters - 5.5/10

Story - 5.5/10

Action - 7.5/10

CGI and visuals - 8/10

Soundtrack - 6.5/10

Overall score: 6.6 out of 10