Film review: “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”

NEW YORK (OSV News) – Moviegoers tempted by a title like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Warner Bros.) probably aren't looking for Shakespearean dramatic insight. Still, the discrepancy between the film's reasonably impressive special effects and its substandard human interaction remains palpable.

By creating this 2021 sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong, returning director Adam Wingard and screenwriters Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett and Jeremy Slater have at least set a new goal. Namely, that the two well-known creatures of the title give up their long-standing feud and unite for a worthy goal.

Their human handlers hope that the monsters – within this franchise known as the Titans – can come together to defeat an evil monkey king and the ice-spitting dragon he has enslaved to serve his own purposes. Ultimately, teamwork makes the dream come true.

Between the massive battles that ensue, viewers are invited to revisit the relationship between scientist Ilene (Rebecca Hall) and her adopted daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle). Another character from the previous appearance, podcaster Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry), is also there. Dan Stevens plays newbie Trapper, an adventurous veterinarian.

The film's respectful treatment of Jia's deafness can be praised as implicitly pro-life. But the fact that Kong comes closest to the story's moral compass isn't a good sign.

Nevertheless, he frowns at the oppression, befriends an initially hostile young monkey of his kind and saves the life of an enemy – if only for a moment, as the rescued enemy proves to be implacable. All of this is easier to understand than the predictable idealization of the nature-friendly lifestyle of Jia's extended tribe or the idea that they can communicate telepathically.

Such ideas could confuse impressionable children. But this latest clash of the titans may be acceptable to older adolescents, despite some inappropriate exclamations in the dialogue.

The film contains stylized monster violence, about a dozen mild curses, a few crude terms, and a few crass expressions. The OSV News classification is A-III – Adult. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents are strongly warned. Some materials may be unsuitable for children under 13 years of age.

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