Following one of the most successful theatrical and streaming runs of the pandemic in 2021 with Godzilla vs Kong, the world’s most famous dueling titans are back at it. This time, they’ll be fighting more than each other.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire brings Godzilla and Kong back together as the latter discovers a hidden world in which more of his species are held captive by a threat that requires the help of his reptilian counterpart to defeat.
Can another squabble between Godzilla and Kong lead cinematic gold on the heels of their previous outing and the low-budget sensation Godzilla: Minus One? After a near-failure to launch, The New Empire hits a crowd-pleasing stride and blasts off to become another hit in the revamped Monsterverse.
The New Empire begins with arguably one of the most unaffecting, overstuffed first acts of the year. It gives the necessary updates to bring you up to speed with where Kong and Godzilla stand and even features both titans flexing a little muscle early.
Problems arise when Wingard and Co. use this time to force-feed gratuitous subplots. He spends considerable screen time trying to establish chemistry and heart among the human characters, for which the story has no room. The early jokes and hint of romance fall as flat as a can of room temperature Tab. The fact that the film barely revisits those plot points proves their inclusion makes zero sense.
Yet, there’s light at the end of that narrative mess tunnel, and it comes from three main bright spots. Leading the way is the kaiju fights. They aren’t the highest caliber of CGI, but that’s easy to overlook as we finally get copious amounts of extended kaiju brawling.
Giving more personality to the monsters is another feather in The New Empire’s cap. Giving them the ability to feel and reason boosts their entertainment value by leaps and bounds compared to Godzilla vs. Kong and makes up for the sins of this film’s opening stanza. Suko, the youngest of the gigantic apes, becomes an absolute scene stealer through this.
Last but not least, the Bryan Tyree Henry-Dan Stevens combo eventually makes an effective comedic team. Their schticks (Henry = neurotic, uber-intelligent conspiracy theorist/podcaster; Stevens = the “easygoing” doctor complete with a classic rock soundtrack as background music) are redundant tropes seen in many creature features. Still, they offer an amusing break from the monster fisticuffs in tandem.
The New Empire won’t make you move Godzilla: Minus One and the first Godzilla vs Kong entry down the list of great monster films. It’s far too flawed to undermine anything those critical and commercial successes brought to the table. However, The New Empire still earns your time and money by making the most of its main attraction – giant monsters wrasslin’.
Some of The New Empire’s scenes are filmed in IMAX, so the extra bucks for a larger screen aren’t wasted. Alternatively, you’re also fine viewing it in a standard theater or, better yet, 3-D where available.