The main movie of the cinematic universe of monsters from Legendary corrects many of the mistakes of its predecessors, but, alas, not all.
After success “The Avengers” many film studios have tried to replicate the MCU formula as soon as possible. But among all the hastily launched franchises, only two proved to be viable – the expanded DC Universe and MonsterVerse from Legendary Entertainment. Moreover, “viable” does not mean “hit” at all, and this is especially true for large monsters.
Godzilla Gareth Edwards grossed in the area of half a billion dollars (decent, but not a fountain) and got pretty average marks. Kong: Skull Island performed a little better, but not much. But Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters put the whole series in jeopardy. Not only did the box office sag by one and a half times, but the tape also got a nomination for the “Golden Raspberry” as the worst sequel. And this is on the eve of the main film of the whole “Monster Versa”. A crossover that the studio spent two hundred million on. A project too big to fail Godzilla vs. Kong… In order to restore the franchise’s reputation and succeed in the current environment, Adam Wingard’s tape needs more than two big names in the title. But does she have something to offer to fans of kaiju?
The creators don’t even pretend that the viewer has a choice. Kong is the protagonist, and we must cheer for him
It has been about fifty years since the humans disturbed Kong and helped him become the sole master of Skull Island. During this time, the primate grew wiser, in some places turned gray and even got a friend – a deaf and dumb girl named Gia. But the giant is tormented by captivity, because the entire island was covered with a giant dome and turned into a laboratory. However, his imprisonment is nearing the end: the powerful corporation “Apex” has started an expedition deep into the planet, where the titans were born, and they need Kong as a guide. Meanwhile, Godzilla goes nuts and starts attacking cities without warning. And then one day on the way of the mighty lizard there is a ship on which “Apex” transports Kong. This is how the war between the two main monsters of the planet begins.
However, the war is a clear exaggeration. During the entire film, the central stars collide in battle exactly twice. Do not think that the rest of the time you are waiting for continuous chatter – no, thank kaiju, there is also action. It just feels mild (or not mild) disappointment. About the same as when in the movie “Batman v Superman” Batman and Superman fought one single time. If we are promised the battle of the century, then I would like to see it given more time. Both fights are staged quite ingeniously, truly spectacular and with respect for the great monsters. Godzilla breathes with nuclear breath and beats with his long tail, Kong jumps and uses weapons, such as an impromptu ax – in general, fans of “Monster Versus” and the studio films Toho get exactly what they came for. But everything that happens between these two battles either leaves you indifferent, or even spoils the impression of the film.
We remembered Zach Snyder’s controversial blockbuster for a reason. Whether intentionally or accidentally, Godzilla v. Kong borrows a lot of script elements from Batman v Superman. Warning: Spoilers are coming! If you avoid them, skip to the next paragraph.… So, in both films, behind the confrontation of the goodies is a demented tycoon with megalomania and a very dubious plan. And there, and there the final battle ends in spontaneous reconciliation. Well, in the end, in both Godzilla v. Kong and Batman v Superman, a monster appears in the arena, created by the same mad tycoon. This is hardly a coincidence.
Millie Bobby Brown is still as adorable and as useless as in the previous film.
The problem is that in Snyder’s film, whoever said anything, there was intrigue, and drama, and work with the characters. And Wingard has only visuals and some interesting ideas that never get a decent development. So, in the middle of the picture, we are shown a purely Julesvern’s world inside the planet – huge, bright, intriguing. There are all sorts of outlandish creatures, and gravitational anomalies, and traces of the presence of some super-ancient and probably alien civilization. Yes, the entire film could be built around this location, and the creators use it only for a couple of scenes, and then return to the familiar neon skyscrapers.
The talents of Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall and Millie Bobby Brown are wasted in much the same way. Apparently, they learned some lesson from The King of Monsters, so now at least they are not trying to sell a stereotyped and tortured drama to us. Instead, the human characters were simply abolished to the status of walking exhibits. They don’t communicate with each other – they voice the facts to the viewer. The whole storyline is dedicated to the investigation and explanation of the insidious plan of the main villain, only the investigation itself turns into just a series of incredibly successful coincidences. You know, like the blind-deaf-dumb security guards and security systems that shut down if you spill something on the control panel. They try to shade the delirium of what is happening with humor, but the jokes do not work even every other time.
In general, there are still too many people in the film about Godzilla, but he himself is not enough. The situation is not as stalemate as in the 2014 film, but still it is more of Kong’s solo album with a guest star than a full-fledged crossover. The primate has a couple of emotional joint scenes with a deaf girl, a kind of arch with the return home and finding yourself. Yes, even he has more fights. And Godzilla a couple of times casually burns something and waving with a monkey twice. And the most important crime of the creators against the lizard is that during the entire film its famous musical theme has never sounded. Yes, even Spielberg inserted it into Ready Player One, and here it is not on the credits.
Godzilla vs. Kong is undoubtedly a step up from the failed King of the Monsters, but not big enough. The battles of the two titans will surely meet the expectations of fans and delight ordinary viewers, but the whole plot body kit is still tiresome, and the intriguing elements of the mythology of the franchise do not receive a distinct development. It is fortunate that the film will be released on HBO Max very soon – all boring episodes can be skipped right away.
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