Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a 2024 monster film directed by Adam Wingard. Produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), and the seventh installment and fifth film in the MonsterVerse. It is also the 38th film of the Godzilla franchise, the 13th film in the King Kong franchise, and the fifth Godzilla film to be completely produced by an American film studio. The film stars Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen. Hall, Henry, and Hottle reprise their roles from the previous film.
This latest entry follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own. The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins, and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire made its debut in theaters March 29th, courtesy of Warner Bros.
THE GOOD
At the end of the day movies like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire are a big reason why we go to theater. Moviegoers enjoy the spectacle of the theater experience, making it that much easier to justify the big screen and booming sound. With that being said, this movie in particular is well worth the price of admission. I had a blast with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, as I laughed several times, and more importantly I found myself in awe of the visual powerhouse that this film is. It looks fantastic, simple as that, and it sounds just as good. If you don’t see this in theaters you are doing yourself a disservice, especially if you consider yourself to be a fan of the MonsterVerse. Kong and Godzilla look amazing, and it was just so satisfying to watch these two iconic larger-than-life characters remind us why they are the kings of the monsters.
I feel like talking about the technical elements of the film first makes sense considering that is what most viewers will be going to see, and you will not be disappointed. My suggestion is to see Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire on the biggest screen possible because it has so much to offer. I thought the CGI was damn near flawless, and I really liked how the film found a way to add a certain level of humanity to Kong which had me invested in what would become a very immersive experience. For a good chunk of the film I found myself just taking it all in and just appreciating the visuals right down to every single hair on Kong’s body. This is a massive film no question about that, and the action sequences do not hold back.
The cinematography was great throughout the film as well, and in particular I loved the opening shot of Rio de Janeiro and the Christ the Redeemer Art Deco statue overlooking the city. This city has become synonymous with big-budget film franchises including the Fast and Furious franchise. Just an incredible sight and I am really glad it was included in the film. I also really liked the creative camera work as it helped to make viewers like they were in the action. Director Adam Wingard has done a very nice job making sure these films give fans what they are looking for, and this was yet another example of that.
As far as the screenplay is concerned, its not going to blow you away or anything but I thought it was fine. The film sets the stage nicely in terms of establishing the necessary boundary between Kong and Godzilla after the last film, and I really liked the buildup to the final act. In the film Godzilla’s dominance is obvious but he is clearly more feared in terms of what it would mean if he goes off the reservation sort of speak, but the primary focus for the story is the humanity that is given to Kong which I thought they did an excellent job with.
Viewers will connect with Kong as the last of his kind who is searching tirelessly for others who likely no longer exist. I really liked how although Kong is clearly older now and worse for wear, his determination and fight is as strong as ever especially when it comes to those he cares about. Kong has always been incredibly loyal and I really liked how they once again established the unique bond between him and Jia. I am team Kong for sure, but Godzilla is a badass and I certainly won’t be pissing him off anytime soon. At one point Kong is essentially ridiculed for his connection to the humans and I thought that element of the story really helped to add depth to the bond that has been created. Also the monkey will certainly be a fan favorite. Overall I thought the story was satisfying from start to finish and carried just enough emotional weight to take things beyond the excitement of the visuals.
I personally loved the cast for the film, particularly the return of Brian Tyree Henry from 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong as the films primary comic relief. Tyree Henry is a favorite actor of mine thanks to how versatile he is, but I do think he shines when he is able to make audiences laugh. I have really enjoyed his character as the bumbling podcaster that everyone thinks is full of crap that was introduced in the 2021 film and he keeps it going here. I laughed out loud quite a few times and pretty much every time it was because of him. Plus he gets a lot more screen-time in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire which was a big plus for me. As much as I want to see the big boys demolishing buildings it is nice to have a balance. I also really liked Dan Stevens and thought he had great chemistry with the rest of the cast. He also added to some of the laughs along the way.
Rebecca Hall returns as Ilene Andrews, this time with shorter hair, and I thought she was fantastic. She reminds me of Bryce Dallas Howard in the more recent Jurassic Park films in terms of how strong of an on-screen presence she has. Hall’s character also takes on the majority of the emotional weight of the film in terms of her relationship with her daughter Jia, played by Kaylee Hottle, which I thought she handled perfectly. I look forward to seeing more from Hall from this franchise.
Back to Hottle, I thought the young actress was fantastic yet again. She communicates only using sign language but she still manages to be a very impactful character with body language and her facial expressions. For such a young and inexperienced actress who made her acting debut in Godzilla vs. Kong three years ago, she really makes an impact. I hope she continues to get opportunities to prove herself as an actress. Although her screen time is limited I was pumped to see New Zealand born actress Rachel House in the film, she is one of my favorites and I just cannot get enough of that accent.
THE BAD
As much as I enjoyed Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire I’m not going to sit here and act like it was perfect. First and foremost I didn’t love the pacing and felt like the film was a bit slow at times which should not be the case with a movie like this. Now granted a ton is happening in the film and quite a few elements of the story had to be put out there, I just think it could have been a bit cleaner to eliminate the “slow points”. Now in no way am I saying the film is too long because it clocks in at just under 2-hours, it just could have been a bit more seamless.
The fact that the screenplay was very goofy at times did take away from the potential grittiness of the film, but personally I didn’t have an issue with that but I think some people will. I actually really liked the dynamic with Brian Tyree Henry’s character and what he brought to the film, and just the banter in general. Just understand that this is much goofier than Kong: Skull Island, for the sake of comparison.
THE VERDICT
An epic action-packed showdown that needs to be experienced in theaters, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a visual powerhouse of a film with a satisfying story and a well-rounded cast. As I talked about in the review its not perfect and it does lack some of the grittiness of the previous film, but overall I left the theater more than satisfied and ready for what the franchise has in store next. Oh and don’t bother sticking around expecting a mid-credits or post-credits scene because the film does not scratch that itch.
TED TAKES RATING - 7.2/10
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.