I am a huge fan of the MonsterVerse and so far I think that all of the movies have been fun! Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is easily one of my most anticipated movies of the year, easily in my top 5! These movies are crazy over-the-top fun and those who are into this kind of thing are always going to have a fun and exciting time. Fun is probably a word that you are going to see a great deal in this review by the way!
How to Download Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was released on March 29, 2024. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. Check out also the previous MonsterVerse movies:
- Godzilla (2014)
- Kong: Skull Island (2017)
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
- and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
The Movie Review
Title Quirks and Entry Points into the MonsterVerse
Before I tell you about how much I enjoyed the movie, I do have to say that the title Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. What is with the X in the title? Have you heard a person say the name of this movie and say the X? What not just call it Godzilla Kong or even Godzilla & Kong if you want to get really technical about it.
Navigating the Lore of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
It should go without saying, but I do feel like you need to have seen the other MonsterVerse movies before watching Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. They do try and fill people in a little and at the end of the day, it is about giant monsters fighting. However, I do feel that this series has way better lore than people give it credit for and there is certainly some neat stuff here that plays into what we have seen before.
A New Threat from Hollow Earth
Once again we head to Hollow Earth! The plot of the movie is pretty huge in that humanity is in some real danger…. Not that the monsters fighting on Earth, the stuff on Skull Island, and the discovery of Hollow Earth were not dangerous! A new Kong species has been discovered and it could very well be the end of civilization as we know it. They do try and add some depth here with this weird stuff about a kid and her “psychic” powers, but I think the stuff with the Kong army is more than enough to tie this movie together.
The Kong-Centric Narrative
Speaking of the “Kong Army” there was one aspect of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire that did surprise me and that is despite both titans getting top billing. This feels far more like a Kong movie than a Godzilla one. Kong gets a lot of character development here and Godzilla is kind of just there for the most part. Hey, Godzilla is and looks awesome and does some major damage, but this is certainly more Kong’s story than Godzilla’s.
Monster Mayhem: The Visual Spectacle of Godzilla x Kong
At the end of the day, while I enjoy the plot of the MonsterVerse movies, I come to these things to see over the top CGI monsters smashing the hell out of each other and causing a ton of collateral damage in the process. In that regard, this movie does not disappoint one bit and it is some of the best CGI that I have seen in the last couple of years, easily surpassing anything that has happened in the MCU.
There is so much stuff going on in the action scenes! This is certainly the kind of movie that I am excited to see again at home as I am sure there were many little details I missed during the fight scenes. The editing is so quick that it feels like you are never spending too long on one thing while some action is going down.
Human Element and Cheesy Charm
Like the other MonsterVerse movies, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire does try a little too hard with the “human” element. Hey, it is what it is and I kind of dig the cheesy B-movie style dialogue that some of the people say. However, there were a few parts where I was like, stop talking and get Godzilla, Kong…. Or even something else on the screen.
Final Thoughts on Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
I knew that I was going to have fun with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and fun was what I had. Unless you hate the MonsterVerse, I do not see how you cannot have a good time watching this! It is more of the same, but that is exactly what I and I am sure most other fans of this stuff want! Writing this review has kind of pumped me up and made me want to go and see this again before it finishes its theatrical run!
