Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire Review: Monstrous Mayhem Overshadows Predictable Plot Lines
A treat for the action fans!
2.5 / 5
The much anticipated MonsterVerse movie Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire has hit the theatres. Directed by Adam Wingard, known for his horror films like You’re Next and Blair Watch, this MonsterVerse movie is the fifth in the anthology. Alongside writers Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater, Adam dives headfirst into this epic two-on-two showdown between the most iconic monsters of all time. The film follows the trend of its predecessors, focusing more on jaw-dropping and mind-blowing action sequences than deep storytelling. Adam Wingard went all in on the loud spectacle, taking everyone into a rollercoaster ride of epic action. The film lacked in its storytelling but made a good score with its action. Despite its flaws, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire sets the stage for much more monster madness and hints at a future where these iconic monsters team up for good.
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Storyline
The film revolves around the major storyline of saving the world with the addition of monsters of each kind. To put it simply, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire takes you into a new side of hollow earth where our favourite and most iconic monsters Godzilla and Kong team up to save the Iwi tribe and hence the world. Kong struggles to find his family in the wild hollow earth whereas Godzilla is fighting the biggest dangers to humanity on earth. As the story progresses these two find their way to each other which is led by the only surviving member of the Iwi tribe, Jia played by Kaylee Hottle.
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Cast And Performances
The film stars an ensemble cast including Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, and Kaylee Hottle in the lead roles. Rebecca continues to play the smart and compassionate Dr. Ilene Andrews. Ilene struggles to find a way to understand her adopted daughter, Jia who is the last of the Iwi tribe. The bond between the two was lightly shown as more instances would’ve helped develop their bond better. Dan Steven plays the cool vet, Trapper who manages to find a way to make the hardest of tasks look like a cake-walk. Dan Steven does a good job of trying to bring witty essence to the storyline. Brian Terry Henry takes the film ahead as a non-experienced awestruck companion on this trip to hollow earth with his vlogging camera and humour. Overall the cast does a good job with whatever screen time has been provided although the film failed to help me relate to the characters because of the extensive monster fights. The film lacks a balance between human-driven storytelling and action sequences.
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Cinematography, CGI And Sound
Given that the CGI drives the film, there is no doubt that Adam Wingard has done an excellent job in delivering some jaw-dropping scenes throughout the film. From extravagant fight sequences to capturing the flora and fauna of hollow earth, there is no point in the film that makes you question the cinematography of the film. The fight sequences are enough to give you the feel of a top-notch MonsterVerse film to bless your soul with if you are a big anthology fan. The sound design of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire definitely deserves a round of applause. From its over-the-top monstrous roars to bone-rattling crashes of the skyscrapers, every sound is meticulously crafted to take the audience into the chaos of the ongoing fight sequences. The sound manages to give you the adrenaline rush that you are desperately wanting when you walk into the MonsterVerse.
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What Could’ve Been Better
In Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, we’ve got Kong on a desperate family hunt, Jia feeling like she’s out of place in the mundane world, and Godzilla just craves more power. Plus, the gang stumbles upon some ancient temple vibes with the Iwi community. Sounds like it’s ticking all the boxes, right? While the film delivers on the action front, the storyline falls short due to its predictability. With numerous similar movies already in existence, it’s challenging to be surprised by the next turn of events. The human-driven side of the plot lacks standout moments, leaving little to captivate audiences beyond the thrilling monster battles. So far, the MonsterVerse has been delivering good action movies that drive its anthology but having an audience that consists of not only teenagers, there is a need to take the storyline a notch up, at least to avoid making it monotonous and predictable.
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Verdict: Monstrous Mayhem With A Predictable Plot
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire offers a thrilling and jaw-dropping spectacle of monstrous proportions. Directed by Adam Wingard and written by Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater, the film promises an epic showdown between the strongest of titans. While the film delivers on its promise of providing adrenaline-pumping action sequences and breath-taking visuals, it falls short in the human department of the narrative. The storyline feels weak for someone who isn’t there only for the action. Despite the stellar cast including Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, and Dan Stevens, the human characters struggle to resonate among the chaos and the monster fights.
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The storyline’s predictability makes the film a good action watch with great visuals and sound. The film, while predictable, surely lays the groundwork for the MonsterVerse future. While bone-shivering sound design and epic cinematography, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire is a perfect watch if you are a fan of crazy showdowns and monstrous mayhem. The film manages to keep you on the edge of your seats throughout with its mind-blowing action sequences, but not so much with the storyline.
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