As the saying goes, there are two types of people on this planet: those who enjoy watching movies in which a huge, wicked ape rides a crystal-controlled kaiju and swings its vertebrae like a lasso, and those who don’t.
The ground-stomping, radiation-spewing monster-mash feast that is “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” will be a hit with the former sorts. We are not technically on this Earth. We’re within it, in a subterranean jungle setting that provides the film’s creators with an exotic, unexplored environment in which they attempt to discover some new territory for two well-traveled monsters.
With the exception of its strong Jules Verne streak, “Godzilla x Kong” does not represent a radical departure from its well-established monsters. You would have been better off seeing the compelling return to Godzilla’s post-World War II origins in Toho’s “Godzilla Minus One” from last year, which also happened to win the 70-year-old reptile its first Oscar.
Some less honorable creatures may have sprang for more dramatic roles with an Academy Award. Not Godzilla, though. He’s not like costume dramas, unless you include the robotic fist Kong receives at the halfway point of the film.
No, we are once again in the realm of pure spectacle, which has historically served as the stomping grounds for King Kong and Godzilla. Even the title has changed slightly from the last episode, “Godzilla vs. Kong,” to “Godzilla x Kong.” This one looks to be a cooperative effort, with the rivals banding together to take on a shared enemy. “Godzilla xoxo Kong” is something we can anticipate if things continue in this manner.
With just Earth’s mantle standing between his two stars, akin to star-crossed lovers, returning director Adam Wingard gets things started. Kong plays in Hollow Earth, while Godzilla roams above ground. This arrangement is beneficial to humanity as it prevents Godzilla from going on destructive rampages through cities, though archaeologists are not fond of Godzilla’s bed of choice—the Roman Coliseum.
Each monster’s every step is meticulously recorded digitally. The humans in “Godzilla x Kong” are almost like bit players, or perhaps better described as itinerant sports pundits, who spend most of their time speculating about the goliaths’ plans. When Kong is injured and strange distress signals appear to be coming from the underworld, a small team of scientists led by biologist Trapper (Dan Stevens), conspiracy-theorizing podcaster Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry), and scientist Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) travel into the Earth’s center. Jia (Kaylee Hottle), Ilene’s adopted daughter, and the last living member of the tribe that guarded Kong’s Skull Island are with them.
Things lose part of their fun when you live in Hollow Earth. When you can’t throw a colossus against a skyscraper, what good is it? That is partially revealed in “Godzilla x Kong.” However, the majority of the film’s excitement stems from the bizarre dimensions that can appear at any time. They discover a number of extinct civilizations and a vast lair in Hollow Earth, propped up by enormous crystals that resemble the roman numerals in a Super Bowl emblem.
That also means that “Godzilla x Kong” exists only in a computer-generated environment with no reference to reality at all.
Who should I cheer for here? Although Godzilla receives primary credit, it is primarily responsible for traveling the world and absorbing radiation. Hall contributes the most to the film’s realism out of all the humans. Kong is the main character, just like he has been in every franchise version. But all he’s looking for is a friend or two. Like Nick Nolte in “Affliction,” his most moving scene is brought on by a toothache. That, along with the subsequent helicopter yank, made me wish the movie was just about an elderly Kong’s medical problems. a replacement knee.