Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

But that's as far as it goes.

Call me crazy, but the movie lacks stakes. You know neither Godzilla or Kong are gonna die, so where's the tension?

And I do love the ecological message that humanity needs Godzilla and Kong as a balance to fight the sinister and destructive Titans. The problem is the logic to that doesn't hold up while both Godzilla and Kong are destroying full buildings and bridges. I have a hard time buying them as humanity's protectors while they kill so many innocent people.

I like that Kong is intelligent, and in the very first scene he's using traps he's built with tools to defeat the monsters. This is really Kong's movie, and Godzilla is a secondary character for once.

When Kong is fruitlessly trying to show Godzilla he wanted his help, while Godzilla is trying to kill him I'm like, "The biggest problem with Godzilla is that he's dumb." It's not that he's sinister or out to destroy people on purpose. He's just legit stupid. Funny.

I loved Bernie NOT being okay with the looking the tribe in the eyes thing. Nope. That's uncomfortable.

I mentioned the four stars are as far as it goes. I need to explain that a little. Admittedly, I gave Godzilla Minus One five stars, but I think because that is a serious horror themed monster film, the intentions there are different than a giant monster beat-'em-up. That was a much better film. That was actually MUCH harder to watch and enjoy because the suffering was real.

But the movie I need to compare THIS to is Godzilla Vs. Kong. I gave that five stars when it came out. And upon seeing this film I understood I will NEVER give another Titans / Monsterverse movie five stars ever again. The Godzilla versus Kong smackdown was the apex of these films and where they all were headed. Everything led to that huge smackdown. The status quo of Godzilla and Kong minding their own Kingdoms is not simply less interesting and lower stakes. But there is no greater monster enemy that Godzilla OR Kong could ever conquer besides each other. Godzilla Vs. Kong should have been the last film. For a franchise that needs to do bigger and better every time, that's no longer possible. Godzilla Vs. Kong was peak Monsterverse. It will never be topped, much less equaled. It's all diminishing returns from here on out.

Before I close this positive review I do need to say I was very unhappy with the dialogue as the lady is reciting the myth of the Scar King. It was extremely badly written. I seem to recall the earlier films were more credible and serious than that. I could see that crap in Independence Day or Jurassic Park and not blink an eye. That is not a compliment.

So I did like it, and I think the Monsterverse franchise has already peaked with the film before this one. 4 stars.