After the release of two “Godzilla” films and “Kong: Skull Island,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ MonsterVerse has finally produced crossover stories, beginning with the film “Godzilla vs. Kong.” Though it promises to feature the anticipated showdown between its titular characters for a good portion of its runtime, the film ultimately fails to deliver on the excitement of its premise. Instead, viewers are treated to a muddled, uninteresting story which has no clear direction.
Although its title indicates that the inevitable battle between King Kong and Godzilla will be prominently featured in the film, their altercation only contributes to a small portion of the film’s disappointingly brief duration. While it contains other action sequences and instances of CGI spectacle, which may keep some viewers occupied, those looking for the story to primarily relate to the event suggested by its title will find themselves to be disappointed by the end result.
Similar to crossover films such as “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Godzilla vs. Kong” also struggles because it does little to justify why the main conflict between its eponymous characters exists. Though some may argue that a fight between two giant monsters is not in need of any specific reasoning, that logic does not apply when a film is part of a shared universe with an overarching story. Despite the fact that mild allusions were made to the film’s events in the MonsterVerse’s prior installments, little had been done to connect the worlds and characters established in the monsters’ respective solo films prior to its conception. As such, the implementation of the creatures into the same film felt to be rather forced and unnatural due to the differing settings and tones of their other films.
Like its predecessors, the film also tends to drag due to the overabundance of human drama. Although monster movies sometimes benefit on an emotional level by depicting human reactions, the films of the MonsterVerse often focus on trivial human conflicts which have little to do with the monsters or their actions. By submitting to this same convention, “Godzilla vs. Kong” once again forces these creatures to take a back seat to human characters who are far less interesting to watch.
Despite its flaws, one aspect which slightly redeems the film is its special effects and action sequences. Unsurprisingly, both Godzilla and Kong remain just as engrossing to behold as they were in prior films whenever they are present on-screen. The same may be said for the fight scenes, which prove to be both dynamic and creative in their execution. This makes it all the more disappointing that they are only a small part of the film.
Though it may keep some viewers entertained with its limited action scenes and eye-catching special effects, “Godzilla vs. Kong” will disappoint others on account of its squandered premise. With an uncertain future ahead, one could only hope that the minds behind the MonsterVerse will find a way to improve the franchise’s formula before another film is produced.
Image from Warner Bros. Pictures via YouTube
